The MGB Roadster has been given a new lease of life by Peter Swain at RBW

A fledgling Midlands-based motoring manufacturer has drawn inspiration from the MGB Roadster of the 1960s to produce an electric version of the classic.

RBW EV Classic Cars said that it had worked with Continental, which provides the technology for Formula E electric racing cars, to produce “a vehicle with the aesthetic appeal of a classic car but with modern electric engineering”.

RBW, which takes its name from the initials of the three children — Rose, Becky and Wes — of Peter Swain, the boss, began as a classic car restoration business, but it moved into the field of electric classic roadsters after Mr Swain’s wife, Jane, expressed an interest in driving an MGB but considered them unsafe and unreliable.

Mr Swain, managing director, said that, under a patented system, the electric motor was at the rear of the car, with the lithium-ion battery technology under the bonnet.

Mr Swain, 51, who has a background in electronics, said that the RBW system and architecture could be installed in other body shells, including the classic Austin Healey, E-Type Jaguar and Mini. “Each car can be built to the clients’ personal specification. The opportunities are endless, safeguarding the future of classic motoring,” he said.