A 1979 MGB Roadster isn’t the kind of car most high schoolers encounter. But students in South Tech High School’s collision repair program in St. Louis are now taking one apart and putting it back together, thanks to a donation from the MG Car Club. The British roadster has features that stumped the students at first, like vent windows and manual window cranks, reminders of how much automotive technology has changed in four decades.
The program serves juniors and seniors exploring careers in automotive technology, machine shop work, and other technical fields. Enrollment in trade schools nationwide rose nearly 5% between 2020 and 2023, and hands-on projects like this one show why those numbers are climbing. Students get to come in each morning, work on cars, and do something they genuinely love.
The MG Car Club’s goal is bigger than one car. Members hope the donation sparks a lifelong interest in classic car preservation among a generation that’s never seen a carburetor. If you’ve ever restored a vehicle yourself, you know the feeling. What’s the first car you ever worked on? Tell us in the comments.
