Headrests were not part of the original MGB specification. They first appeared on the 1970 model year on North American specification cars only, fitted on twin poles that could be adjusted for height in friction bushes.
In April 1970 they became available as an optional extra on the home market. The headrest became standard on all cars progressively through the 1970s, the V8 from the outset of production, North American cars from the early 1970s, and all four-cylinder home market cars from the 1975 Jubilee GT onwards.
D-Shaped Headrest (1970 to 1976)
Two distinct headrest shapes were used across the production run, and the two are not interchangeable. The D-shaped or eared headrest was fitted from its introduction until September 1976. It was a single-pole design on North American cars, featuring plain side bolsters and a centre panel with a basketweave pattern similar to the seats. On home market cars the headrest also featured the basketweave centre from the start, but the centre panels were modified in 1972 with a plainer grain, continuing in this form until the changeover to the later type.
The D-shaped headrest always matched the seat colour and was always covered in vinyl, even on GTs where the seat facings themselves had changed to brushed nylon. A perforated vinyl centre section is available for the D-shaped headrest to match the half-perforated seat covers used on the Roadster from 1970.
Pear-Shaped Headrest (1977 Onwards)
From September 1976, the pear or barrel-shaped headrest replaced the D-shaped type as part of the 1977 model year interior overhaul. This was a new, simpler design that became standard on all cars. On RHD cars, the headrests from this point were always covered in black vinyl regardless of the seat colour, the deckchair-stripe nylon seats were not echoed in the headrest covering. North American headrests were similar in shape to the RHD type but had covers with the basketweave pattern matching the North American seat specification.
Headrests are available in both the D-shaped and pear-shaped types, in vinyl or leather, in original colours and a wide choice of alternative colours with contrasting piping. Headrest covers are available separately for owners where the foam and frame are sound but the covering has deteriorated. Roadster and GT headrests differ in profile and the covers are not interchangeable between body styles, confirm which type and body style is required before ordering.