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In May 1975 with production of the US federal spec TR7 underway BL turned their attention to the UK launch scheduled for late 75.
With this in mind 35 right hand drive pre production cars were assembled, with consequetive chassis numbers ACG1 to ACG35. Several of the cars in the run had registration prefixes of KDU.
The cars were used for development work and for press and publicity duties however due to several bouts of industrial action at the Speke assembly plant the launch was delayed until mid 1976.
Out of the 35 cars only ten are known to have survived, from those ten, seven are now rally cars, the first works cars were picked from this pre production fleet and sent to the competitions dept, others were sold into private hands for conversion.
Of the three known road cars left my car is ACG13, KDU483N, it was a colour and trim development car initially and then allocated to the PR Dept, it is in a colour called Topaz (signal orange'ish). Only two RHD cars were produced in this colour as it was never an official UK colour, being dropped at the end of 75 before full production began.
One of the other surviving road cars has recently been rescued from a farmers field in Shropshire where it has lain for more than ten years, KDU366N, it is now undergoing restoration.
You will notice these cars are on N plates, the UK cars were not available to 76 on a P plate at the very earliest, the pre production cars also had several unique build features that didn't carry over into main stream production.
Son
With this in mind 35 right hand drive pre production cars were assembled, with consequetive chassis numbers ACG1 to ACG35. Several of the cars in the run had registration prefixes of KDU.
The cars were used for development work and for press and publicity duties however due to several bouts of industrial action at the Speke assembly plant the launch was delayed until mid 1976.
Out of the 35 cars only ten are known to have survived, from those ten, seven are now rally cars, the first works cars were picked from this pre production fleet and sent to the competitions dept, others were sold into private hands for conversion.
Of the three known road cars left my car is ACG13, KDU483N, it was a colour and trim development car initially and then allocated to the PR Dept, it is in a colour called Topaz (signal orange'ish). Only two RHD cars were produced in this colour as it was never an official UK colour, being dropped at the end of 75 before full production began.
One of the other surviving road cars has recently been rescued from a farmers field in Shropshire where it has lain for more than ten years, KDU366N, it is now undergoing restoration.
You will notice these cars are on N plates, the UK cars were not available to 76 on a P plate at the very earliest, the pre production cars also had several unique build features that didn't carry over into main stream production.
Son
.......... Looks good tho ........ Always liked the white rally versions ........ the red ones looked a bit pants ....... too many stripes !!!
Did any make it to TR8??
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