One vehicle that passed through AutoShippers’ hands recently had our team seeing red… Flame Red, to be more specific!

The job in question involved shipping an MG RV8 roadster from Felixstowe to New York. Our client inherited the car from his father who purchased it 12 years ago. He told us: “The car was Dad’s pride and joy. He put power steering on it, replaced the windscreen frame (a known point of rot for the model) and had the engine breathed on mildly with a chip and some Magnecor cables, so it’s a little bit more lively than a stock one.”

Manufactured between 1992 and 1995, the RV8 was essentially an updated take on the MGB, which first went on sale in 1963. On paper, its combination of classic 60s roadster styling with a powerful 3.9L V8 engine was very appealing – but with a hefty £26,500 price tag it couldn’t compete with modern, more aerodynamic sports cars, and only 1,982 RV8s were ever sold (1,500 of them in Japan.) And of those – as enthusiasts’ website mgrv8.com confirms – a mere 16 came with the Flame Red finish.

That gives the car a certain scarcity value, and if you set your mind on buying one today, a Flame Red RV8 would certainly set you back a couple of grand more than one decked out in British Racing Green (the most common colour). But we’re not talking megabucks, and you could still pick one up for around £20,000 or so, which in collectable car terms is quite affordable.

The Flame Red RV8 at a car meet in the US
Flame Red RV8 at a car meet in the US

The owner now enjoys showing off the car at various cars and coffee events in the US, where he says it’s getting quite a lot of attention – and no wonder!

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