MGR-V8 – original vintage 1990s keyring – collector’s item

An original MGR-V8 keyring which will have been produced in the early 1990s for issue with a new MGR-V8 motor car .

We have just this one example to offer – when this keyring has been sold this listing will be cancelled.

We are aware that there has been considerable correspondence about these MGR-V8 keyrings within MG circles – particularly as regards provenance and value.

Our main subject is classic & vintage keyrings for classic cars and we have been renowned for our honest appraisal of keyrings and fair trading for almost 15 years .

If we were not reasonably sure that this keyring is an original example we would not be listing it ! 

Neither would we be listing it at £295.00 if we had been fortunate enough to buy it for tuppence !

The listed price simply gives us a fair profit and handling charge on the figure which we paid for it and we do go out of our way to try to find & stock rare keyrings which are not generally available elsewhere.

This is only the 2nd original example of one of these keyrings which we have ever listed over the last 12 years .

We listed and sold an identical one several years ago which came to us from Japan- this keyring is just the same .

This keyring is in excellent condition but has been used as can be seen on the back of the keyring where there is some slight wear to the soft leather .

The octagonal  badge is mounted onto a large keyfob ( 2.25″ or 58mm in diameter ) which is in relatively soft green & tan ( upholstery hide ) leather .

There is no conventional splitring at the top of the keyring where the car keys are attached – instead of this a bronze ‘D’ shackle is utilised.

The ‘D’ shackle pin is unscrewed to allow keys to be fitted and then screwed back into the shackle base again.

Some sources reveal that the first cars delivered to new UK owners had one of these keyrings in the delivery pack .

Other sources claim that keyrings were only issued with cars exported to Japan ( certainly the original one that we had a few years ago did come to us from Japan )

It may be that reproductions of this keyring were made for the owner’s club around 10 years ago although if that is the case then we have never seen any .

If so – then it would have been very difficult to replicate an original exactly .

In the case of the originals – a particular grade of leather was used and in a particular colour.

The badge would probably have been made in Taiwan at the time – once again rather difficult to replicate exactly unless the same Taiwanese factory were involved.

Finally the bronze ‘D’ shackles could prove very difficult to get hold of – they were essentially items of marine hardware produced for yachting and shackles nowadays are generally produced in stainless steel .

The price of this keyring reflects what we paid for it at the time – we are told that a couple of examples have changed hands recently for considerably more than our asking price and do recollect that the other one which we listed some years ago did sell at a higher price than the price which we have listed this one at .

The keyring in the photos is the actual one which you will receive .