Berlinette Jacques Coune 3500 MG

Brought back from Belgium in the mid 80’s by my late father Barry Sidery-Smith. The car had been involved in an incident with a Tram.
Looking at the car in its sad state and only in my early 20’s, I was hardly enthusiastic when dad declared “we could do this one for you”
An early restoration attempt on the car in the mid 90’s stopped due to the usual lack of funds, before in about 2015 we began a serious effort.
Sadly, dad passed away in 2017 with the car only partly completed. The car was finished in June 2020 to dad’s specification by Marc Tipping at P&T Repairs in Byfleet and after over 35 years he really did “do this one for me!”
The MGB Berlinette was launched at the Brussels Motorshow in 1964. Jacques Coune made 56 using an MGB bodyshell, but production stopped when the MGBGT arrived at a more affordable price.

It is believed that the Ferrari 275GTB was the influence in the rear of the Berlinette. Jacques Coune was an agent for Abarth exhausts and so the cars were all fitted with these. Today it is thought that only 12 cars remain.
The original cars were fitted with standard MGB engines. We have upgraded ours to an “Oselli” 1950cc fast road engine.