Tahiti Blue TR7 YRW 598S or LAM 752X

[Tony H]

I ran these two cars Tahiti (light) Blue in '78/'79 and dark blue in '81/'82, respectively.

Both were company cars but I loved and treated them as my own (I was a great rally fan, mind!). Both made continental excursions without problems.

YRW was a Speke car, and had few build issues (like diagonally flashing indicators when I picked it up!) but with its 4-speed gbx and 175 SR tyres always felt more nimble than LAM with the higher load capacity 5-speed and 185 HR's.

The tyre size/rating was absolutely critical on snow. Both used Goodyears, but the 175 SR's shot up Broadway hill in the snow, passing loads of stranded fwd cars, whereas LAM's HR's couldn't get us out of my level-ish road and often got stuck in Oxford town which is pretty flat!

If you own or know either of these pair, I can send you some pics of their first years. I'd like to think one or both still exist - LAM was near-perfect build-wise, though both suffered from the dreaded starter solenoid problem that also afflicted my earlier Dolomite 1850...

[REPLIC8]

I think you'll find both these cars are scrap. According to the DVLA YRW 598 S was last taxed in 1990, & LAM 752 X hasn't been taxed since 1989. Unless they're hidden away in a barn somewhere.

Andy
1981 UK SPEC TR8

[Steve-LPS-Thomas]

Still like to see the period pix though![:D]

[Tony H]

What irony, the better built and three year's younger car fell out of use earlier! After less than 10 years.

Surely both in barns somewhere, at least that's what I want to think...

I'll have to get around to scanning some pics. Need to do it anyway - the colours are already changing on some of the old prints - YRW looks green in the shot at Calais hover-port (now there's an appetite wetter for you!)

[TR Tony]

Sorry can't help with the search, Tony, but would love to see some pics.

Your YRW car was not registered by BL before you got it, was it Tony? Maybe just a coincidence with the registration numbers being close together, but YRW606S still exists, it is a LHD car & it's owned by a TRDC member down here on the South Coast, I believe it was used for factory V8 EFI development work.

Tony

1981 2L FHC Cavalry Blue
1980 3.5L V8 DHC Jaguar Regency Red - sadly sold!
1977 TR8 FHC EFI Factory development car Inca Yellow

[Tony H]

Got me! I used to work for BL from 77-82, and was proud to do so. I had a lot of dedicated and talented colleagues, and we were all let down by Mrs Thatcher's hatchet man Edwardes. Had he had any insight into the car world, he'd have kept at least the MGB and TR7 going - they could have run and run. Meanwhile, the workforce had moved heaven and earth to transfer production of the TR7 just before it was cancelled; build-quality had gone up too.

All the MG's tooling must have been paid for years before, and the Abingdon workforce was great. As for the TR7, it was the best-selling TR of all time, as I discovered when I had the honour of registering TR as a trade mark (a bit of a challenge, actually, as two-letter marks are hard to register). I wonder who has the benefit of that TM now? All too tragic.

Photos to be scanned in a wallow of nostalgia when I get a spare hour or so...

[Tony H]

Here's a few photos

[John Clancy]

Nice and nostalgic.

These two cars may no longer be with us but there are plenty around like them.

[RUDDY]

Great pictures mate, looks like you really enjoyed your 7's

[Beans]

Nice period touring pictures [8D]
Indeed looks like you're in need of another TR7 [:)]
They still are great cars for this kind of tours ...

[rugbyref1]

I love looking at these old photos, especially of cars no longer with us AND ex BL cars are even better

[Brianc]

Can only agree how great these pics are - i wish id taken some pocs of kermit whan i had it , but be assured there will plenty of pics of my v8!!!!!

Brian

[Beans]

I love looking at these old photos ...

Agree there so (as you asked for it ) ...
A few pictures of my DHC shortly after I bought it in 1988