1936 MG NB Roadster

The MG marque produced cars that were suitable for both track and road use. The Model NB followed this tradition and had unique performance and styling features that were foreign to many other models. The NB was the final derivation of the pre-war racing 'K' Series MGs to compete, and in many cases record class victories, at Brooklands, the Mille Miglia, and the 24 Hours of LeMans. They were also the final MG models to be fitted with an overhead cam engine prior to the adoption of push-rod engines. Production lasted from 1935 through 1936 with just ninety-eight NM models built.

This MB roadster was originally powered by a straight-six cylinder engine with an overhead cam, twin SU carburetors and a displacement size of 1271cc. It offered seventy horsepower which was rather impressive for a car of this era. It has forward-hinged doors, a vertical slat radiator, and a neatly enclosed gas tank.

When new, the car was sent to the United States and to the Collier Brothers Agency in New York. Mr. Benjamin Franklin was the car's first owner, who raced the car on a limited basis. It was purchased by West Coast racer Lars Jacobsen in 1951. Mr. Jacobsen immediately raced the car in stock form, but over the next five years made several significant changes to improve the car's handling and performance. The changes included larger bore cylinders which raised displacement to 1454cc; Carrillo connecting rods; billet crankshaft; Aries pistons; solid copper head gasket; addition of a Marshall Drew belt-driven supercharger fed by dual Rochester carburetors; Bendix hydraulic airplane brakes on the front (replacing cable operated brakes); removal of the stock fenders and running boards (replaced by cycle type fiberglass fenders installed on the front); 16' Dunlop racing tires front and rear mounted on wire wheels; a Wilson pre-selector gearbox. At the conclusion of this work, the car produced between 140 - 150 horsepower.

The car was raced by Jacobsen over the next six years at many West Coast events including famous venues such as Pebble Beach, Santa Barbara, Palm Springs, and Torrey Pines. Along with road races, the car was used in hill climbs (Sandberg Hill, Saugus, Willow Springs, Arrowhead Springs), drag races (Costa Mesa Time Trials, Saugus - Cal Club Drag, Orange Empire Drags, San Fernando Drags) and additional road races at Reno (Stead AFB), Chino, Terminal Island and Pomona.

Jacobsen rebuilt the car in the 1970s and used it occasionally on the street and as a show car. The car was sold by the Jacobsen family in 1995 to its current owner. The new owner retained all the Jacobsen installed updates with the exception of replacing the Rochester carburetors with a single 1 7/8' SU for reliability, and readily available Cosworth Pistons. The car has a factory-correct paint scheme. The current owner has raced the NB in numerous vintage events including Watkins Glen, Elkhart Lake, Coronado and Hallett (OK).

In 2012, the car was offered for sale at the Quail Lodge Sale in Carmel, CA presented by Bonhams Auction. The car was estimated to sell for $100,000 - $140,000 but was unable to find a buyer willing to satisfy its reserve. It would leave the auction unsold.

By Daniel Vaughan | Oct 2012