David:
Like everything in life, I'm sure there is no "cut and dry" answer to the
decision. Every hurdle can be jumped if the process is worthwhile. With
the TR7 on the way, and low GT sales the car had the cards stacked against
it.
My comments were made based on the following reference:
"All cars sold in the USA had to be assessed for emissions in relation to a
class system based on vehicle weight. The MGB just managed to scrape within
one class but the MGB GT fell in the next class up - where standards were
tougher. Faced with having to build the MGB to two different
specifications, it was decided to drop the GT in the USA: sales of the GT
(already dropped a few months earlier in the California market) had never
been particularily strong there, and the new Triumph TR7 (a closed coupe)
was on the way. Left hand drive GTs continued in production for other
export markets until summer 1976"
David Knowles "MGB, including MGC & MGB GT V8" 1999
BIG PLUG. This is an excellent resource. Albeit a latecomer, this book has
more info on the background of car than any other I've read.
I disagree (politely) with the concept that roll standards killed the GT, as
from experience I can tell you that an MGB GT roof will support the weight
of at least 2 more MGBs piled on top of it.
Kelvin.
>
> Dodd, Kelvin SEZ -
> (With deletions...)
> >
> > In 1976 all the MGBs had to meet tighter
> restrictions
> > requiring catalytic converters and additional testing and
> the BGT was no
> > longer imported.
>
> I don't think emissions had anything to do with the demise of
> the BGT. After all, it had to meet the same emissions regs
> as the roadster. What really killed it off was that it didn't
> meet federal rollover requirements. This was in an era when
> there was talk of banning all convertibles for the same reason.
> The BGT's roof would not support the weight of the car, so it
> was banned in the US.
>
> --
> David Breneman | "Before there were CDs there were
> Distributed Systems S/W Analyst | records, and before there were
> Airborne Express, Inc. | records, there were 78s."
> david.breneman@airborne.com | --- Seen on eBay
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