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Previous 3a History


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I am trying to trace any history of my 3a prior to my acquisition in 1973.

 

It seemed to have resided in the London area and the reg. is 3461 DU. (purchased in Catford).

 

It started off as white with blue interior and then went to dark blue and then mid blue. It had just about every SAH tuning part fitted and I believe some private competition history.

 

In the early 60's it must have been involved in an accident and had a new chassiss, o/s front inner wing and front panel.

 

The tuning parts were...

Head, Inlet and exhaust manifolds, cam, comp. front and rear springs, Coni's all round with rear tele. conversion, front roll bar, seat belts, spot lights behind the grill, steel hard top.

 

All of the usual sources of information have been exhausted.

 

Any help appreciated.

 

Dick.

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Dick

As an aside I used to own 3164DU which was a Derrington converted car with their full house engine conversion webers and all and was the quickest sidescreen car I have ever driven, Powder blue with black interior, that had been well raced from new, probably from the same dealers.

I presume you have tried the DVLA history route?

Stuart.

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Hi Stuart,

 

That is very interesting......perhaps my mods. were not SAH but the same as yours. When purchased the engine size was 1991cc and running on SUs. Do you have any more info on yours. DVLA only know what I do.....when they computerised they promised to return the original log book with the POs in it.....but did'nt. Didn't seem to matter much at the time as the car was a daily 'banger' driver and I never anticipated keeping it as it was only a stop gap until I had rebuilt the engine on a Bristol I ran at the time. Somehow the 3a stuck around....easy to own I guess. Only ever broke down once.....broken crank...and still drove home......that was because what ever had been done to the engine made it rev. too easily....

 

Dick

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Dick you may now be able to get the DVLA history on their £5 enquiry form (Cant remember what number form it is though)

Mine was a one owner car when I got it in 1998 and it was only through a bit of detective work that I found out the conversion details as it had come through a variety of dealer hands before I got it and had been standing for many years. I think it had been a deceased estate sale.

It was also 1991cc and ran twin 40 webers with the Derrigton type 4 branch/lightened flywheel and a very nice cam, it also had a roll bar and 4 point harnesses. It was very free revving and would easily go off the speedo without trying.

Last I heard it was somewhere in Suffolk as I spotted it at Malvern in 2005 and had a chat with the then owner. He had the body restored when he bought it (I never bothered as it was in a reasonable condition with plenty of "patina") and when I asked if they had touched the engine his words were "No it didnt need it and it goes like stink so we didnt bother!"

I havent got any pictures of it as found on digital but here it is at Malvern.

Stuart.

myoldtr2_zps5e8721e3.jpg

myoldtr3_zps5fc26332.jpg

myoldtr1i_zps6f77b2ff.jpg

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Hi Dick,

Is there any chance that your car was originally LHD as mine is, but only a few above yours and was part of the "lets give our best stuff to the yanks scheme" better known as the home export scheme and "of course...." "as we all know"...........they had Coventry registrations.

 

Heritige trace certificate should give you the original purchaser.

 

Perhaps it got bent in the states and was sent to the factory for rebuild and did not return to US.

Just a thought given the reg number.

 

 

DSCF9347.jpg

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According to Mike Ellis it was part of the Home Export Scheme......determined by the reg number and was sent to a pound in London. It does not seem to have been LHD but if it was subject to a post prang rebuild and then converted properly there would be no evidence of LHD.

May be it was destined for a RHD country.

I wonder if any records still exist of the Home Export Scheme or details of exactly what it was.

 

The Heritage trace does not give the purchaser.....although I seem to remember that it was delivered to a dealer in Coventry.

 

Why would they be UK registered if they were being exported?

 

Do you know how yours got back to the UK.

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Dick it was for tax reasons, especially for the US as it wasnt then classed as a new car or as personal import for other countries different tax rules.

Stuart.

Edited by stuart
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Mine came back about 20 years ago and sat in a garage for the whole time until approx two years ago when I bought it and recommissioned it. Originally Black with black interior and white weather gear.

The Home export scheme basically allowed the Americans to arrive in the UK on a BOAC aircraft, pick up their ordered car, taxed and UK registered and then they drove round UK and Europe for two weeks and so the car became a second hand car and subject to different rules.

Sort of historical "Flydrive" but you owned the car at the end of the holiday.

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The export schemes still existed in the early 1970s - in 1971 I toured Europe with two pals from Boston, they purchased a new Volvo estate, and took delivery in London. We spent the summer bumming around Europe with race teams and rock bands, eventually the car was dropped off at Gothenburg, and shipped to the States by sea whilst the chaps flew home. Evidently that saved a healthy wadge of taxes !

 

Cheers

 

Alec

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The export schemes still existed in the early 1970s...

 

The "European Delivery" programs from most manufacturers are still in place. The savings aren't big (they're mostly calculated against list prices before any smart consumer starts negotiating with their local dealer) but they do give one a chance to drive one's own car on European roads. It seems the holiday aspect of it is at least as -- and probably more important than -- any tax/price savings.

 

http://www.bmwusa.com/Standard/Content/Explore/Experience/EuropeanDelivery/default.aspx?from=/Standard/Content/Explore/Experience/EuropeanDelivery.aspx&return=/Standard/Content/Explore/Experience/EuropeanDelivery.aspx

 

For the late 50s-early 60s American Triumph Rallys of Europe, the cars were all fitted with UK number plates, yes? One of the images I have at hand from a late 50s event shows a whole bunch of cars with URW-series number plates, the biggest one being URW73. Those events, too, were promoted as a European holiday more than a tax avoidance idea.

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Apparently the Coventry DU reg letters were issued in 1909 and ran for 15 years. Some numbers were not issued and some re-issued. Presumably they came from scrapped cars.

 

So the Export Scheme got these spare numbers for some reason...was it just TRs or did other marques have DU..maybe it was for traceability incase they never left the UK.

 

Coventry museum may have some details.......I'll try to find out when I have time.

 

Ref. A previous post.........my car was always RHD......it is on the heritage cert. And BPs trace.

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I have had Jaguars with DU plates as well, I also remember seeing a DU plated 3a (white one) down here about ten years ago.Someone on holiday I presume.

Stuart.

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The grill bars were cut out where the lights were.

 

Photo attached.....may jog someones memory.

 

The car came with a TR Register sticker on the windscreen so must be known somewhere.......would have been in a group in South London circa 1972.

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