Land’s End - John o'Groats photo

[Oddball]

Hi All

The attached photo was taken by myself in the late 70s at a hotel near Monmouth. The cars where taking part in the first Land’s End - John o'Groats run and had stopped off at our local group to have the cars washed. In those days our group was the Wales and southwest, shows how thing have changed, there must be more than a 10 groups within that area today. Anyway back to the cars, as far as I can tell they are both still taxed, and I thought maybe the present owners would be interested in this image.

 

 

 

All the Best

 

Cameron

[Alec Pringle]

Hi Cameron,

 

The Lands End to John O Groats run was, I think, 1972.

 

The reverse run, Scotland to Cornwall, was 1977 - the Queen's Silver Jubilee weekend.

 

1978 was the Round Britain Run, which ended up at Donington International TR Weekend.

 

All a bit adventurous for the average TR owner these days, I fear.

 

Brighton to John O Groats on the Friday, down to Chateau Impney near Droitwich Saturday, on to Lands End Sunday, back in Brighton for lunch Monday - 2100 odd miles later . . . Best bit was a long downhill straight past Loch Ness, speedo and tacho both off the clock, we nearly blew an innocent Renault 12 into the Loch with the air wash as we overtook it.

 

Cheers,

 

Alec

[Oddball]

Hi Cameron,

 

The Lands End to John O Groats run was, I think, 1972.

 

The reverse run, Scotland to Cornwall, was 1977 - the Queen's Silver Jubilee weekend.

 

1978 was the Round Britain Run, which ended up at Donington International TR Weekend.

 

All a bit adventurous for the average TR owner these days, I fear.

 

Brighton to John O Groats on the Friday, down to Chateau Impney near Droitwich Saturday, on to Lands End Sunday, back in Brighton for lunch Monday - 2100 odd miles later . . . Best bit was a long downhill straight past Loch Ness, speedo and tacho both off the clock, we nearly blew an innocent Renault 12 into the Loch with the air wash as we overtook it.

 

Cheers,

 

Alec

 

 

Hi Alex

 

I'm getting too old, from the dates you gave I think this must have been 1978, because I remember meeting up with some of them again at Donnington, so it was the Round Britain Run

 

 

Thanks

 

Cameron

[TR 2100]

The Lands End to John O Groats run was, I think, 1972.

 

Brighton to John O Groats on the Friday, down to Chateau Impney near Droitwich Saturday, on to Lands End Sunday, back in Brighton for lunch Monday - 2100 odd miles later . . . Best bit was a long downhill straight past Loch Ness, speedo and tacho both off the clock, we nearly blew an innocent Renault 12 into the Loch with the air wash as we overtook it.

Ah yes, that would be the TR Register Economy Run, wouldn't it?

 

AlanR

Edited February 16, 2008 by TR 2100

[Alec Pringle]

Hi Alan,

 

Not quite, but we averaged 21mpg, which wasn't bad going. Bear in mind that we averaged, for example, nearly 80 from Brighton at sparrowfart to breakfast in Bolton, which included topping the ton on Park Lane. Years before I'd managed to top the ton on Park Lane in a GT40 and a Cobra, and there was a bet involved to manage it in a TR6 . . .

 

Cheers,

 

Alec

[Alec Pringle]

Alan observes that I really ought to point out the change in traffic conditions over the past 30 years . . . for the benefit of younger members.

 

He's quite right, of course. What was relatively harmless low flying in those days would be downright dangerous on today's blighted roads.

 

Motorways then were not exactly crowded, by modern standards, and lane discipline as I recall was a great deal better. For sure there was rarely a problem in averaging 70 on motorway runs, the outside lane was the province of faster cars only, and the kind of 6am M25 'rush hour' we see now just didn't exist. No speedcams either.

 

Park Lane at 5am was usually deserted, save for an odd taxi or dustcart; and in the North of Scotland it seemed like one car every 5 miles was about the norm. The average B road back then had a better surface than many of today's A roads, and potholes were filled in the day they were reported.

 

I was pulled over in 1977 on a quiet M23 by two bobbies in a jam sandwich MGBV8 - they just wanted to have a look at my Doretti, and the next thing we were doing a 'wotllshedo' test with their Vascar. 108mph was the result. Then they had to have a drive in the Swallow. Not the kind of episode that's likely to be repeated on a quiet Sunday morning these days !!

 

Cheers,

 

Alec

[vivdownunder]

Hi Alec,

 

Glad you have returned, and what a timely reminder that we slightly more senior enthusiasts can look back and think just how incredibly lucky we were to be able to spend our younger days in our sports cars "at speed". And quite safely too, due to the lack of traffic. Indeed, the limit on our highways was "what you could justify".

 

After the TR2 in the sixties came a carmen red E type coupe, and I was stopped by a motorbike cop in outback New South Wales who was literally frothing at the mouth, having calculated my speed at 130mph. His frustration was that he happened to be travelling the other way when we passed, and was thus unable to time me, but his guess at my rate of progress was pretty much spot on. Such an episode today captured on a PC speed camera might result in "doin' time".

 

Fascinating to read of the LeMans turbo TR8 being able to achieve 200mph. Of course that little lightweight Rover donk in its earlier life in Buick guise, was the basis for the first Repco F1 engine that powered (Sir) Jack Brabham to the 1966 world championship, so latent power was there for those with the skill to extract it. What a pity none of the stretched LeMans TR3A's with the Sabrina engine were kept, but at least the TRS cars survived, and the turbo TR8 now joins these and the surviving LeMans TR2 (or 2's ?) in preserving the racing heritage of the Triumph marque.

 

A great debt is owed to those who dig deep into their pockets, and to their ardent supporters, for bringing these wonderful historic TR racing cars back to the track for all to enjoy.

 

Best regards,

 

Viv.

Edited February 16, 2008 by vivdownunder

[V8 Lady]

Round Britain run was great fun - I joined in my TR4A with Dennis Futcher as co-driver after they went through Southampton to Apple County. Out of the 30+ cars the best TR owner was Chris Sergison travelling with wife + 2 kiddies and towing the caravan behind his trusty TR2. Not forgetting Steve and Lorna and their gorgeous Collie. The reception as we convoyed into Donnington Loop was TRiffic ! Even my orange and green tent still survives -

 

I have got a pile of photos - I'll try and scan the negs and put a link on to a web location.

Edited February 16, 2008 by V8 Lady