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Triumph TR2 : a story


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This, from the video description :

"February 2020 at Retromobile, Paris, and we saw a Triumph TR2 from the side being exhibited at the show. I was just about to say "that's like Mike Hurn's car". As I approached it, the magic PKV 693 registration plate appeared before me. I had found cousin Mike' s car! The new owner of the car, Geoffroy de Lacretelle, was as surprised to hear my story as I was to find the car! He lives in Paris but the car is kept in Brittany and we have put plans in place to re-unite the car and its first racing driver owner. Happily I phoned Mike to tell him the news and we met shortly afterwards. This time I was surprised yet again as the erstwhile owner had kept every programme, photograph and invoice for the car (including the rebuild cost after the accident!). The circle is finally complete."

 

Cheers, Deggers

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Great find Eli!

Serious money indeed. Just enough change from 160K to fill the tank for the journey home. 

Mike Hurn mentions the car was entered in the Tulip Rally of '55, with Autosport motoring editor Gregor Grant at the wheel.

Seen here bringing up the rear of the Triumph pack (at 3'35").

 

Incidentally, the Grand Prix circuit battle between Richardson and Slotermaker is superb, and a masterclass in cross ply racing (19'56").

Cheers, Deggers

Edited by Deggers
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I am in awe of the way Gatsonides hurled that Standard Ten around in the battle with the Saab. Great film. Enjoyed every minute of it.

Ralph.

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Some great press on driving by the leading Tr’s. Richardson and Slotemaker could certainly pedal. 

Secret control, a timing point at which you should arrive at a specified time..........but the competing team don’t know it’s there! 

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5 hours ago, 2long said:

  And what is a “secret control”?  What a picturesque route!

Dan

Because large parts of the Rally were on public roads, the organisers work out the time between controls based on an average speed which the competitors had to stick to. You were penalised for arriving too early as it meant you had been speeding .The secret controls were put in to try catch out competitors who may have had mechanical trouble and had put their foot down to catch up.  The navigators job was not just to get you to the control, but to get you there at the right time, hence the need for items like the Halda tripmaster and stop watches that you see the cars have on the dashboards.

Ralph

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5 hours ago, 2long said:

Why would the TR2 have an 18 second handicap and the Ace only 17?  

Dan

As far as I can find out, the original Ace had a 2 litre engine and was tested by Motor magazine with a top speed of 103 mph and a 0-60 time of 11.8 seconds, so not that dissimilar to the TR.

Ralph

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9 hours ago, Ralph Whitaker said:

........The navigators job was not just to get you to the control, but to get you there at the right time, hence the need for items like the Halda tripmaster and stop watches that you see the cars have on the dashboards.

Ralph

No Halda Tripmasters at this time. It’s was down to clocks, often ex RAF Time of trip , and quite often Chess Clocks plus a calibrated speedo. Halda Speedpilots were used towards the end of the 50’s, ok for average speed on long sections. The Tripmaster launched in 58 I believe.

Iain

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