Round Britain Reliability Run October 2023
Every year the run was on Triumph tried to put the newest models on the run and Canley Transport manager Bob Train was always very keen to get the latest and greatest on the run so he put in a request for the two RHD UK spec TR8’s to be used on the run.
At the time it was done there had been no decision to not launch in the UK and it was still an active project with the last known planned release date not until January 1982 for the actual finished RHD item, so you can see all the surviving 22 are in actual fact pre-production.
“The tour was organised the Triumph Club in London and it was setting off on a Friday night up to “John O’Groats” then “Lands’ End” and back to London on the Sunday night. It was done with the intention of getting some publicity for the RHD TR8 yet to be launched in the UK, and for club members to see the cars”
Works Team for the Club Triumph 1980 Round Britain Run were:
RHD UK spec TR8 No 1 Silver TR8 MHP404V
Driven by Group Manufacturing Director Brian Fox and Transport Manager Bob Train.
RHD UK spec TR8 No 2 Green TR8 NWK988W
Driven by Rover Triumph Plant Director John Micklewright and RHD TR8 Manager Garry Owen.
There was along the way friendly rivalry and competition between Brian Fox and John Micklewright. It was at that time commonplace between departments, and very much so, in the work environment which often-included elaborate practical jokes as well! With this in mind Triumph Plant Director John Micklewright told RHD TR8 Manager Garry Owen to make sure that their TR8, No2, was better than that of Group Manufacturing Director Brian Fox’s, TR8 No1. To that end with Abingdon making the car much quicker, plus the car being one of the very earliest known 1981 model year cars, it was then further topped off with a brand-new W registration, John Micklewright made sure he had one over Brian Fox from the very start.
On the return from the Round Britain Reliability run NWK988W went back to BL Motorsport at Abingdon because they ran out of time before the run and requested that they would like to do yet further improvements. The tarmac MK 2 rally spoiler the car has fitted now, didn’t appear on the car until late December 1980/January 1981.
Jump forward 43 YEARS
The odds of both cars still being around 43 years on is slim, but as they both ended up in private collections, they have both been well preserved. The odds of both current owners wanting to re-create that original run with very low mileage original cars is also pretty slim, but we do, so this year October 2023 the same cars will do the run again 43 years on albeit with different crews this time.
Team for the Club Triumph Round Britain Reliability Run October 2023 are:
RHD UK spec TR8 No 1 Silver TR8 MHP404V
Driven by TR Register Chairman Dave Burgess and TR Register Press Wayne Scott.
RHD UK spec TR8 No 2 Green TR8 NWK988W
Driven by TriumphTR8.com Richard Connew and TRDC TR8 Registrar Brian Ridley-Jones
The two cars met again after 43 years at Dave Burgess’s place in August 2023
Below are video clips from the run including an unplanned stop enroute with Garry Owen (RHD UK spec Manger at Canley and Solihull) for him to see the two cars again as he drove NWK in 1980, and for final confirmation on exactly how many RHD UK spec cars were actually built? “22 pre-production RHD UK Spec TR8’s”