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Period Photos of Triumphs


Mike Costigan

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Over the years I have acquired a number of period photos of Triumphs. My main interest has always been Heralds and Rallying, but there's lots more besides, which I will share with you in this thread.

To start things of, and just to be different, here are some shots of TRs:

I have no information on this first one, which shows a 1959-registered TR3A (VKV 626), presumably on a local Club rally; what fascinates me most about this shot is what has just happened up the road? It looks like it was pretty dramatic!

001 VKV 626.jpg

The next shot is of my uncle, Max Creamer, in his TR2, competing in the Scott-Brown Trophy Race at Snetterton in 1960:

1960 Snetterton Scott-Brown Trophy MC6.jpg

And finally for this post, three TR2s on the 1955 Birmingham Post Rally:

1955 Birmingham Post Rally.jpg

 

 

 

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One more TR, and a couple of Bonds:

First we have Keith Ballisat and Alain Bertaut in WVC 250 on the 1959 Monte Carlo Rally

1959 Monte Carlo Rally Ballisat Bertaut.jpg

 

Next, John Cuff in a Bond Equipe GT on the 1964 Welsh International Rally

006.jpg

 

and finally the Bond Equipe GT of John Cuff and John Lambert after the 1964 Monte Carlo Rally

007.jpg

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Another three for your delectation, all from the Tulip Rally:

First, from the 1960 event, we have the Halmi and Kennedy entry. Bob Halmi was an American who had taken advantage of the Standard-Triumph scheme whereby purchasers could visit the UK and collect their new car from the Works, where it would be supplied with a temporary UK registration. Unfortunately his entry in the Tulip resulted in retirement.

1960 Tulip Rally 07.jpg

Next we have J R G Dance and M E Chandler on the 1961 event in possibly the only entry of a 948cc convertible in an international rally; they were classified 114th in the final results. Can anyone identify the nationality of the registration  number?

1961 Tulip Rally 125.jpg

And finally an early 1200 saloon in the 1962 event. H Watson and F C Mitchell finished the event in 84th position:

1962 Tulip Rally 01.jpg

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The Alpha-Numerical layout is not unlike the French plates of an earlier period?. If so, I THINK, the OY is a "Department".?? Not unlike the UK, back when all Registrations where issued locally EG. HULL was among others *KH **** But Beverley 10 miles away Issued *AT ****. Famously, at One time HRH1 belonged to Prince Philip The Lord Mayor of HULL Had KH1 on the "official" Car for many years. (useless Information!🙃)

Pete.

 

 

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28 minutes ago, PeteH said:

The Alpha-Numerical layout is not unlike the French plates of an earlier period?. If so, I THINK, the OY is a "Department".??

Sorry but no. Except that each department did issue their own.

The format before the current one was:

My previous Skoda:

6872 VE 61

Where the 4 numbers went up in order. The 'VE' were a block and the '61' is the department number, in this case L'Orne.

I guess in theory there could have been a 6872 VE 72 issued in the Sarthe.

Paris (75) and the departments around it where far more numbers were issued had to resort to 123 ABC 75 to cope. Back then if an owner moved to another department with the same car he would have to get it re-registered. Not only that but back when I first moved here and road tax still existed each department set its own rates . . .

The new format, as per my Current Skoda

EL 308 ZB

My Triumph which I imported from the UK had to be issued with the new format, but as I have had it registered as 'collection' I can use old fashioned black and silver plates.

Lesson over, play time!

 

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Yup, you're going through the same suspect as I have done. Chris is correct that it is definitely not French, I thought it might be Belgian, but then discounted that option. The identity of the crew is no help - according to the official entry list they were both British!

The Motor Sport link that Josef provided is interesting; the first photo showing car number 37 is the same Robert Halmi seen in my first Tulip Rally photo. Here he is competing on the 1962 East African Safari Rally in a 1200 saloon prepared at the Works by Ray Henderson.

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On 09/02/2022 at 16:31, Mike Costigan said:

And finally for this post, three TR2s on the 1955 Birmingham Post Rally:

1955 Birmingham Post Rally.jpg

This gives the entrants in the Birmingham Post Rally of 1955: Birmingham Post Rally - Historical Research, in memory of David McKinney - The Autosport Forums

And I'm amazed to think I might know this, but might the location be the top of the Senni Valley in the Brecon Beacons? You have to admit, the hill on the left (Fan Ghirych?) looks pretty similar... My photo is taken from a similar position, just behind where the cars are. Am I imagining it, or is there a hairpin bend behind the cars in the b&w view? If so, I am pretty certain that's where is is.

1194118421_TheSenniValley.thumb.JPG.ba7796af553f67a8914c7761d63fcc88.JPG

 

 

 

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2 hours ago, Mike Costigan said:

I've cracked it! At that time British Forces stationed in Germany who ran privately-owned vehicles were issued registration numbers in a special sequence of two letter, two numbers and a B suffix...

I was thinking it must be some sort of ‘special’ issue that might not be well known, though I was mainly thinking along the lines of temporary import / export plates from somewhere. Interesting to know!

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50 minutes ago, Patrick Taylor said:

 

Thanks Patrick, that link has enabled me to identify the first of the three TRs, PAC 555 driven by G C Hull and K P Tallett to 9th overall.

Your photo of the Senni Valley certainly looks promising - the field pattern and shape of the hill on the left are a very close match.

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Three more, this time featuring cars being serviced during a rally - a far cry from today's international rally servicing!

During the 1959 RAC Rally, Keith Ballisat and Peter Robert's Herald receives attention from the Standard Triumph service crew in the grounds of the Queens Hotel in Cheltenham (note the Standard Atlas service van on the left):

1959 RAC Rally Keith Ballisat Peter Roberts.jpg

 

Next we have the private TR4 entry of the Misses Walker and Davies during the 1962 RAC Rally:

1962 RAC Rally Misses walker davies 5.JPG

 

and finally another Works service crew, this time during the 1963 Marathon de la Route; here Jean-Jacques Thuner and John Gretener receive instructions from Team Manager Graham Robson:

1963 Marathon de la Route 05.jpg

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