The MG B was the successor to the beautiful MG A. It was launched in September 1962 as a two door sports car manufactured by British Motor Company (BMC), later by the Austin-Morris division of British Leyland. The B Roadster was the first variant to be produced, with a 1.8L inline four engine and the choice of a 4 speed manual gearbox or 3-speed Borg-Warner automatic transmission. The MG B Roadster had a production life of 18 years, with four evolutions built: Mk I, Mk II, Mk III, and Mk IV. Along the production years, cosmetic and visual changes were made, but mechanically the vehicle remained largely the same until it was discontinued in 1981.