[TR] Factory visit 1957

[John Macartney]

Andy, I'd speculate it was dubbed a 'competition' car from the outset - and
for two reasons:
 
1. It's larger fuel tank, different axle ratio and other
bits of kit like the Halda speedpilot equipment and driver specified mods
(e.g. a central handbrake, additional switches and fuseboxes) would be a
departure from normal production spec. Okay, you can convert back to original,
but true Press Cars remained faithful to the spec of the day. Occasionally, a
competition car might be 'borrowed' for a driving evaluation but that didn't
make it a Press car.
2 Whether used for competition or Press work, all cars
owned by or prepared by the company for private individuals would have a
normal tax-paid Coventry licence plate - viz SHP 520 and in this instance HP
was one of several unique Coventry marks. Others (from memory) were DU, HP,
VC, RW, KV and WK.
 
Jonmac
________________________________
 From: Andrew S.
Mace <zoboherald at aol.com>
To: tr3driver at ca.rr.com; triumphs at autox.team.net
Sent: Wednesday, 31 October 2012, 2:50
Subject: Re: [TR] Factory visit 1957
>I don't have my books handy, but ISTR that SHP520 was a "Works" car (either a
>press or a factory competition car, or maybe both)?
>
>
>--Andy Mace
>
>*Mrs
Irrelevant: Oh, is it a jet?
>*Man: Well, no ... It's not so much of a jet,
it's more your, er, Triumph
>Herald engine with wings.
>-- Cut-price Airlines
Sketch, Monty Python's Flying Circus (22)
>
>Triumph 10 / Herald / Sports 6
vehicle consultant, The Vintage Triumph
>Register: http://www.vtr.org/
>
>Check out the North American Triumph Sports 6 (Vitesse 6) and Triumph Herald
>Database: http://triumph-herald.us/
>
>
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Randall <tr3driver at ca.rr.com>
>
>
>This interesting article was
originally published in the May 1957 issue of
>Motor
>Sport, and briefly
outlines a visit to the MG, Standard, and Austin
>factories.
>
>If I am not
mistaken, the first photo (unfortunately black and white and
>somewhat grainy)
shows a TR3 wearing the almost-mythical "Grand Touring"
>conversion, with
permanently attached side curtains and outside door handles.
>
>http://goo.gl/r7HCK
>
>My thanks to 'Andy' (not Andy Mace) on the BCF
Austin-Healey forum for posting
>it.
>
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