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New Works Spec Rally Car


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Hello,

 

There was a TR7V8 rally car at auction last October, reg no. EAT 400T.

This is not an old "Works" car, it is an exact reproduction of a "Works Spec" rally car.

It was built in 2008 at Droitwich Garage in Worcestershire while i was working there.

The car builder was Ben Coles, who is an historic rally car specialist and an ex-David Sutton employee.

The vehicle was built for Andrew Street over a period of 8 months at a cost of 70,000 pounds.

All measurements and photos were taken from a genuine works rally car, reg unknown.

I took some photos of the build.

 

Regards

 

Phil Hughes

 

post-11462-0-91801300-1357423358_thumb.jpg

 

post-11462-0-91801300-1357423358_thumb.jpg

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Hi John,

 

It is the one in the Triumph World auction section.

The owner only did three events and i think he broke the gearbox on two of them.

Triumph World said the 60 to 70k estimate was optimistic, however good (the car).

When Droitwich Garage tried to sell it originally, there was a genuine works car at auction for 36k!!!!

It's a lot of money for a TR7V8 rally car, especially during a recession.

 

Cheers

 

Phil

P.S. More photos below.

 

post-11462-0-58176800-1357494218_thumb.jpgpost-11462-0-48279100-1357494236_thumb.jpgpost-11462-0-58725200-1357494253_thumb.jpg

post-11462-0-58176800-1357494218_thumb.jpg

post-11462-0-48279100-1357494236_thumb.jpg

post-11462-0-58725200-1357494253_thumb.jpg

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  • 3 weeks later...

I was at the H+H auction when this car came through, I had a good look at it and the workmanship is outstanding. However it is not an exact reproduction of a works car.

This car was built as a development of the factory cars in an effort to be competitive. I believe it failed to sell because there is no way to make a TR7 competitive with the Escorts which have had 40 years of continuous development.

It was bid up to mid 40K which is a lot for a car that probably wont be used competitively. I must add that to replicate this car would cost a lot more than the asking price.

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I think "modern" reproduction of a works spec rally car would be more accurate than "exact", i agree Chris.

It was built do do historic rallying, even though Andrew Street was advised to build a Mk2 Escort.

The Mk2 Escort would have been considerably cheaper to build aswell, probably less than half the money.

Andrew said he wanted something "different".

You could say he had "more money than sense" at the time.

It's a superb car with a silly price tag.

 

Cheers

Phil Hughes

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Nothing wrong with building an 'evolution' version, it is what historic rallying is about after all. Competition cars, even in historic formulae, are not frozen in time - you can improve them and still remain within the spirit of the regs, as well as the letter.

 

The Escorts might be quicker than the Wedge, but . . . .

 

A few years back I was helping Bert Smeets on a rally. The marginally quicker and superbly driven Escort had retired, mechanical trouble. Standing on a corner with the Escort team a few stages later, as Bert came thundering through absolutely on the ragged edge - a contrast to the Escort's earlier controlled performance, as I observed to its skilful pilot.

 

His response was enlightening - "Aye, and within reason any damn fool can drive an Escort if he works hard at it, but to drive one of those monsters is another story. You need more than just skill and bravery, you need balls of steel and the Archangel Gabriel onside, to keep the Devil and the Grim Reaper at bay". His navigator chipped in with "and you'll never shake more than the windows in an Escort, only a TR can rattle the walls . . . . "

 

Something in that, and the reaction of the French spectators to the TR was extraordinary, to them the Wedge was in a class of its own.

 

Cheers

 

Alec

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  • 2 years later...

Nothing wrong with building an 'evolution' version, it is what historic rallying is about after all. Competition cars, even in historic formulae, are not frozen in time - you can improve them and still remain within the spirit of the regs, as well as the letter.

 

The Escorts might be quicker than the Wedge, but . . . .

 

A few years back I was helping Bert Smeets on a rally. The marginally quicker and superbly driven Escort had retired, mechanical trouble. Standing on a corner with the Escort team a few stages later, as Bert came thundering through absolutely on the ragged edge - a contrast to the Escort's earlier controlled performance, as I observed to its skilful pilot.

 

His response was enlightening - "Aye, and within reason any damn fool can drive an Escort if he works hard at it, but to drive one of those monsters is another story. You need more than just skill and bravery, you need balls of steel and the Archangel Gabriel onside, to keep the Devil and the Grim Reaper at bay". His navigator chipped in with "and you'll never shake more than the windows in an Escort, only a TR can rattle the walls . . . . "

 

Something in that, and the reaction of the French spectators to the TR was extraordinary, to them the Wedge was in a class of its own.

 

Cheers

 

Alec

 

I bet it was in Northern France, or South Belgium.....

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Not sure where this car is now.

 

It was up for sale at Malton Specialist cars in 2014. I should have gone to have look at it as it wasn't too far away.

 

Also dithered too long about a good spec (sparkrite) rally car at Jason Lepleys.

 

Something different to the hoards of Mk2 escorts on historic stage events.

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Escorts might be quicker but as just seen on Motorvision about the AUDI Quattros

the TR7V8 looked brilliant and made the track with the most brilliant and unexcited

sound that can be generated by a sportscar.

 

The best Rover SD1 engines in European Touring Car Championship made beyond

340 BHP and with WEBERS and old group 4 regulations a bit more should be possible.

The best BDA Escorts stuck at 280 BHP......

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