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Hi Alan,

 

An interesting find which prompted me to dive into Google immediately in search of more information.

 

Alas, I had to trawl through the same 400 girls as you did before I found the only version of the TR250K that seems to exist in the ether. :ph34r:

 

It would be great to know more about this car though. I feel it must have existed based on Skodaman's other work, oh, and of course, those American looking racing chaps.

 

Indeed Roger... excellent overriders.

 

All the best.

Dave.

Edited by Dave Ashworth
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Hi Kiwifrog,

 

your photos was taken in the pits, Sebring 12 Hours 1968. Kas Kastner on the right, next to him Jim Dittemore, and the second driver in race suit is Bob Tullius. The other two guys I've seen in Kastner pics of the period, probably race crew Jim Coan and Bob Avery ?

 

As for the car, how much do you want to know ? Kastner needs no introduction. Brock had doubtless gained inspiration from working for Max Balchowski, the guy who pioneered shoehorning Detroit iron into a European sports car with his Swallow Doretti Buicks. Subsequently Brock worked for Carroll Shelby - who had followed Balchowski's lead with the AC Ace Ford V8, aka Cobra - and designed the Shelby coupe race body.

 

I can't help thinking that the original idea was that of a TR4A Buick V8 - the 2.5 PI engine just happened to come along conveniently. Quite which configuration of PI system fueled the engine is another matter - accounts vary. The 250K was a prototype, in period raced just the once at Sebring, was shown around to great acclaim, and passed to Peter Brock, then through several hands and a colour change, deteriorating along the way, before being restored for its present owner's family. It is still raced occasionally.

 

It went well enough, ahead of all but one of the 911s in qualifying, ten places and 7 seconds ahead of Paddy Hopkirk's legendary MGC that eventually finished a magnificent 10th. Top whack supposedly close on 160mph. In the race it was sidelined fairly early, either a wheel broke or suspension failure led to losing a wheel, depending which account you believe.

 

In later years BL and all associated with the TR7 denied that the 250K had any influence whatsoever on the Wedge. Yeah right, and my name is Mustafa Kamel and I'm a blond Chinaman. Pull the other leg, it's got the chimes of Big Ben recorded on i-ball.

 

I'd suggest that the 250K had a distinct influence, it was certainly acclaimed in the States. OK, it's probably impossible to underestimate the sheer incompetence of BL at the time in some areas, sales marketing and design to name but a few, but even so . . . . Do we really believe that a car that had the front cover of CAR and DRIVER, an important mag in the TR's primary market, was unknown to the BL design team ?

 

Kastner was nobody's fool - GM had failed to master the casting of alloy blocks, the rights to the 215 V8 had been sold to Rover, no question the Brits could cast alloy, and Rover was linking with Triumph. So pioneer a TR V8, following an existing market trend, but with a lightweight alloy V8 not a Detroit iron heavyweight. Simple enough principle.

 

As an aside, Kastner's efforts had at least some influence as one of the inspirations behind Jan Odor's efforts - with his initial ideas for a Le Mans TR7V8, that eventually and belatedly became the 1980 TR8 entry.

 

I suppose one day I ought to research the topic properly, and pen some more detail for TR Action - maybe I'll get round to it as a treat for the rumoured new editor's consideration ?

 

Cheers,

 

Alec

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Thanks everyone for the enlightenment, this thread would make a good "cut and paste " for TR action. How do you guys renember so much ? I have problems renembering my kids names at times and I see them every day ;):rolleyes::D:D:ph34r:

 

Alan

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Hi Tom,

 

I've seen it described as featuring triple Webers, or Lucas PI, or a hybrid system using Lucas PI into modified Weber bodies . . . one or two engines (not triumph) in the UK tried hybrid Lucas/Weber installations in the late 60s.

 

Another really innovative feature was the cockpit adjustable rear boot spoiler - this was the start of moveable aerodynamic devices, which had been largely ignored since the Mercedes crash at 1955 Le Mans.

 

Cheers,

 

Alec

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