Signal Red 1963 TR4 - YFY 477

[Rob Clarke]

Hi,

 

A long shot this, but has anyone any information about my TR4. I'm 18 months into a full restoration, and still welding! I have a Heritage cert confirming the car was registered in Southport in August 1963. It was sold by CA Britten & Co, Liverpool. Does anyone have any info regarding this dealer? I have seen their name associated with the sale of an E type Jag back in the day. The DVLA records only go back as far as 1969, so I have a 6 year gap. It would be great to know who the first owner was. Judging by the state of the car when I bought it, I am certain that it hadn't turned a wheel in 30-40 years, the chap who had it before me bought it as a wreck 15 years before that. I read in a previous thread about a DVLA form that would provide information that they hold about the previous owners for £5. Is this likely to tell me anything that I don't already know? I have the names of the last 2 keepers before me, and that takes it back to 69 where the DVLA record the car was first registered - wrong. Any help would be appreciated.

 

Cheers,

Rob

 

[JohnG]

Rob

 

Go to;

https://www.gov.uk/request-information-from-dvla

 

You need V888 and 5 of Her Majesty's best British pounds

 

They will send you copies of the registration details all the PO's on whom they hold the information (this may not be all of them, but usually is)

- name

- address

- dates of purchase and sale

 

Be patient, it can take 6 weeks or so

Expect errors, but, with a bit of polite cajoling, they will come though

Edited May 31, 2016 by wjgco

[boxofbits]

Hi Rob

 

Vitessesteve has started a blog on Triumph dealers, and has compiled quite a lot of information regarding their history/ location etc.

 

I am not sure whether C A Britten & Co features in his blog as yet but take a look through. If not he might know something about the dealer if you contact him.

 

http://www.tr-register.co.uk/forums/index.php?/topic/56529-triumph-car-dealers/

 

Regards

 

Kevin

Edited May 31, 2016 by boxofbits

[Besalu]

Bringing this old thread back up as i have just received my Heritage Certificate for my 4a. What i would really love to try and find out is the original Reg (car was exported from UK to Spain in 1976 and all original documentation is lost). I do however have dates (built 15 March 65 and dispatched 24 March) and dealer C.A. Britten Limited, Liverpool. Using the search facility here i found this thread where  Rob in his initial post also mentions the same dealership.

I also found the Vitesse blog which gives some good information:

http://vitessesteve.blogspot.com/2017/02/c-britten-co-liverpool-ltd-triumph-car.html

It seems Brittens was dissolved in 1979 so it is highly unlikely that any original documentation still exists. Any ideas of what to try next?

I am not sure the DVLA will be able to help me as i believe they no longer issue PO details? Has anyone recently submitted form V888 which JohnG mentions?

What about the book "how to trace the history of your car" by Philip Riden? It was published in 1991 so may not be still relevant.

Any other ideas? Thanks in advance, Richard

[cvtrian]

Hi Richard

you could try John Marshall, TR4 registrar. If the owner was in the TR register anytime, John may have a record of the car via the chassis number not just the registration. The club registrars are unsung heroes.
His details are in the back of TR Action
Good luck
Ian

[Besalu]

Ian, thank you. Apologies for my ignorance but how can i get hold of a copy of the TR Action magazine so as to find Jon's contact details? Or if he is a member here can i send a direct message? Thanks

[RogerH]

Hi Richard,

can you open this up  https://www.tr-register.co.uk/contact   if so scroll down to Jons details.

 

Roger

[Besalu]

Thank you Roger!

[rcreweread]

Hi - just over 10 years ago, I was trying to do exactly this to try and establish if my originally exported TR4 had been registered at any time in the UK in it's early years and if so, what was the registration number? I had the commission number and chassis number but Jon Marshall advised that his card index/record system only worked on registration numbers, so he couldn't trace a car by commission or any other number.

I was told this was in the course of being corrected and all his records were with a lady in Wolverhampton for inputting onto a database - I regularly followed this up over quite a few years but without success.

I have never been told if the project has been completed, and gave up trying to find the history - I also understood all the files/data apparently belong to the Registrars, not the club, which I found somewhat surprising not least, also worrying, because what happens to all this data if a Registrar dies or falls out with the club?

Good luck - I hope you have more joy than I did.

Cheers Rich

[mike ellis]

12 hours ago, rcreweread said:

I also understood all the files/data apparently belong to the Registrars, not the club, which I found somewhat surprising not least, also worrying, because what happens to all this data if a Registrar dies or falls out with the club?

Some comment from me is probably appropriate here.

I hold all the hard copy membership records (from 1970) for sidescreen cars and so far as I am concerned they belong to the club as does anything else that I obtain through my position as Registrar.  Most of the records are now digitised in one form or another.  Documents or information that I obtain personally e.g. buying on Ebay or private research I consider to be mine although I am always happy to share it.

Hope this clarifies things.

Rich, to deal with your specific query on the TR4 it should now be possible to search for any TR by commission number, if you would like to pm me the details I would be quite happy to take a quick look.  It won't be conclusive as if the car has never been recorded with us by a member there will be no information.

Mike Ellis

TR2/3/3A/3B Registrar

 

[rcreweread]

9 hours ago, mike ellis said:

Some comment from me is probably appropriate here.

I hold all the hard copy membership records (from 1970) for sidescreen cars and so far as I am concerned they belong to the club as does anything else that I obtain through my position as Registrar.  Most of the records are now digitised in one form or another.  Documents or information that I obtain personally e.g. buying on Ebay or private research I consider to be mine although I am always happy to share it.

Hope this clarifies things.

Rich, to deal with your specific query on the TR4 it should now be possible to search for any TR by commission number, if you would like to pm me the details I would be quite happy to take a quick look.  It won't be conclusive as if the car has never been recorded with us by a member there will be no information.

Mike Ellis

TR2/3/3A/3B Registrar

 

Mike - thanks for clarifying the current situation and it's good to know that the data you have will by and large remain for posterity with the club - is this the same for the other Registrars as far as you know?

Thanks for your offer and I will contact you separately on that point.

Cheers Rich

[Besalu]

[Topteam]

CA Brittens has long since gone on Edge Lane Liverpool. The site was taken over by Ian Skelly sometime in the 80s I think

My sister and brother-in-law worked for both companies from the 70s onwards.

Mostly Jaguar dealers I recall

This is the site where it once was