When the MGB hit 1975 it acquired new rubber bumpers to meet crash standards, and the entire car was raised up some to meet bumper height standards. It also got a catalytic converter and a single carburetor to cope with emissions standards, dropping power output some in the process. At first it had no front anti-sway bar. With higher weight, taller stance, increased body roll, and less power, handling and performance suffered. After a year or two it acquired a front anti-sway bar that helped a little, but it would never be the light and frisky animal it once was.

After 18 years in the same basic body shell it was losing market share. To add insult to injury, production finally ceased in 1980, putting an end to the largest selling sports car in the world after more than half a million of them had been produced. That record would stand for another 19 years until Mazda Miata matched it in the 11th year of production just before turn of the century.