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TR7 Original TR7 Sprint
By Jim Johnson.
I will start the series, with a request for help with any information on these cars. The information available is poor, to say the least, with records being lost and
British Leyland making it hard, and to my knowledge, the V5 registration does not mention TR7s. The general information I can find out, shows the genuine Sprint on the V5 registration does show Triumph under ‘Make’
and under ‘Model / Type’ 2 AXLE RIGID BODY ''SPORTS or COUPE''. This is the case with my own TR7 Sprint and all those owners I have been in contact with.
The first Sprint produced was Registration WAC 274S with Commission number ACH1F , the
next known car is WAC 253S with chassis number 20 these are in the same batch as WAC 272S,WAC 275S and WAC 276S which are TR8 FHC. These rare cars were all made at Speke in 1977. The Sprint was ready for full production but the disastrous Speke strike occurred late in 1977 causing the cancelling of this Engine option to the range.
The only information I have up to now is the following registrations numbers: WAC 274S,WAC 253S, ARW 181S, VVC 696S, VVC 697S and SJW 520S to SJW 550S.
The available information shows the Commission Numbers are unique ACH series ACH 1 to ACH 25, ACH 00501 to ACH 00536 and ACH 00700 on its own.
The information available so far shows the Following Survival Rate.
1. WAC274S: survived Peter Sheppard
2 ARW181S: survived; John Wood
3. VVC696S: survived owner unknown
4. VVC697S:survived Graham Fountain
5. SJW525S: survived; White; (Derby Area)
6. SJW526S: survived; Tahiti Blue; (Stockport Area)
7. SJW528S: survived; Registration Transferred / Car in Bits
8. SJW530S: survived; Carmine Red; Chris Turner
9.SJW532S: survived; Inca Yellow (Now Black)Nigel Trott.
10.SJW533S: survived; Works Rally Car.
11.SJW538S: survived; Inca Yellow; Jim Johnson
12.SJW539S: survived; Tahiti Blue; John Gibson - (See John’s car here)
13.SJW540S: survived; Gaydon; Works Rally Car; Ex Tony Pond
14.SJW541S: survived; Adrian Hill (Surrey Area)
15.SJW543S: survived; Brookland Green
16.SJW545S: survived Tahiti Blue Chris Turner pictured in Bill; Piggotts book.
17.SJW546S: survived Rally Car
18.SJW548S: survived; Works Rally Car Steve Rockingham
19.SJW549S: survived; Brookland Green Dereck usually at Billing.
20.SJW550S: survived Tahiti Blue; Simon Robsport International.
We must take into account that four of the above were used by the British Leyland Competition Department and most likely others were used to for re-shelling
after heavy accident damage. This gives a total at present of sixteen genuine Sprints.
So far, to date, I have found out that of the roadworthy Sprints, there is a total of four which are numbers 2, 12, 19 and 20, two of which are in show room
condition: No 12 and 20. No 20 at time of writing is for sale from Robsport international. My Own car no 11 will be back on the Road in 2005. The remaining cars I believe are in various stages of restoration or
storage.
For further information on these rare TR7s you can visit Chris and Robert Turners’ website www.triumphtr.tk which has a link to the forum on www.triumphtr7.com and will be sending Sprint information on our own web page www.trdrivers.com
On the Sprint Front TR Drivers member John Wood’s Sprint which was originally registered ARW181S but now currently carries the plate CYD 138S.
This was due to the previous owner transferring the plate in 1991 to a Jag, the good news is when he returns from the USA soon he has agreed on a deal to reunite the car with its original registration., Luckily his parents still lived at the address on the old log book copy John got from the DVLA. When the transfer is complete John Wood will write a complete article of the car’s history for the TR Drivers magazine. Looking forward to it.
Thanks to all who have helped in suppling the above information and more information on missing Sprints will be gratefully accepted; not forgetting Malcolm Paris’s offer to pool information on the Sprint
front.
James Johnson
Sprint Owner SJW 538S
Email me on james.r.johnson@btinternet.com .
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