Factory record copy Personal Export Delivery

[Remyd]

Got my certificate today, interestingly the engine number is completely different from the one in the MG. I also found out that it was a P.E.D.
I understand that was a scheme with which tourist or foreign military personnel could buy and MG and pick it up straight from the factory to avoid taxation
Would anyone know if it is possible to find out who was the first owner with this?

[Tom Brearley]

Mine was PED to Bavaria originally. There's some info in the BL Passport to Service which came with the car.

[Remyd]

I don't think mine left england, it was first registered in Birmingham. I might write to the DVLA to see if I can find out who the previous owners where.

[Randy Forbes]

Mine was PED to Bavaria originally. There's some info in the BL Passport to Service which came with the car.

I think my '67 MGB GT traveled a similar route; BMIHT certificate declares Personal Export Delivery, USA. I do have a German logbook that (more or less proves...) it remained in Germany into 1988. The last (USAF) base parking sticker was issued in July 1995, so a good 27+ years in service (I feel it was left to rot thereafter).

I acquired it last August (2020) in very rusty, but VERY COMPLETE & ORIGINAL condition. My intention is to return it faithfully to its showroom condition__refraining from any performance/comfort modifications (as I've done with every other MGB I've ever had).

I've been collecting some of the harder to find parts, but I am wondering how I could possibly renovate this (the German VIN plate)...

[Tom Brearley]

Nice to have that degree of background on your car. I've just restored mine to factory spec so I approve of your direction of travel.

A rub with a maroon Scotchbrite pad and a little WD40 often removes a surprising amount of rust. But rust remover gel might also work well?

Tom

[Peter Cresswell]

I don't think mine left england, it was first registered in Birmingham. I might write to the DVLA to see if I can find out who the previous owners where.

Remy - Since the introduction of GPRS, the DVLA won't provide the information about previous owners.

[Remyd]

Oh well, never mind. Interesting information anyway!

[B Faiers]

For anyone going for 'exact originality' any personal export car that was used on UK roads prior to export would have had a yellow border around the number plate to show tht purchase tax had not been paid. I believe this border was changed to red when the white and yellow number plates were intorduced (?1967). The registration numbers were issued from a separate sequence reserved for cars that had to be exported within 6 months.

Our 1964 MGB was a personal export model, right hand drive with a 3 bearing low compression engine, with overdrive, heater and headlamp flasher as extras. I have the original log book which shows the original owner as a Mr Maramenides in South West London. Our registration AGX...B is from a London sequence. I have seen another MG with an AGX ...B registration but was not able to talk to the owner.

My (unproven) theory is that the first owner was from Cyprus (they drive on the left) who decided not to take the car to Cyprus when the troubles flared up. I have no record of the sale to the next owner apart from the name in the log book so I have no proof if the purchse tax was ever paid. So far in our 43 years of ownership HMRC not approached me for any cash! If you know of a Mr Maramenides I would dearly like out find out the full story.

Sadly we need to sell the car as we have run out of garage space. So if you know anyone..................

[Remyd]

Thanks for explaining a bit more about it!

[Mnripley]

Barry
My 1978 roadster standard RHD car with overdrive was supplied to University Motors for export. I was able to get the full ownership details from HMRC before they closed the information source and the car was purchased by a trainee Lawyer in London. Have contacted the original owner and he does not want to discuss the car with me. As far as I can ascertain the car never left the UK.

If an employee of the ministry or overeas forces they were allowed to purchase RHD cars without purchase tax and I believe if it was kept out of the UK for a period of time then no puchase tax would be paid on reimportation.