MG Car Repair: History MGB 1974 Auto box, e type jaguar, windshield area

Question
Barrie, recently puchased 74 MGB former US export model. History says MG stopped installing Borg 35 auto gearbox in early 73 yet mine is factory fitted. Also when did tri wipers appear on MGB . cant seem to find any history.
Regards Ken M

Answer
Hi Ken.  The automatic MGB was manufactured from 1968-73, mainly for the USA market.  By 1973 USA dealers were reporting low demand for automatics, so the decision was made to stop making them, but they had already produced a stock of automatic cars, and many of these remained unsold well into 1974.  

There was some legislation introduced in the USA in the 1970s specifying the minimum area that must be wiped by the windshield wipers.  This legislation was badly worded, specifying the wiped area in square inches.  Cars such as the MGB and the E-type Jaguar complied by fitting a third wiper.  Cars such as the VW Beetle could not comply, because their total windshield area was less than the size that the legislation required to be wiped!  I seem to remember that the legislation had to be altered so that it required a percentage of the glass to be wiped.  I cannot find any dates for this, maybe someone else can shed some light on it.