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Re: Auction Info Wanted

To: DODD@elmo.el.wpafb.af.mil
Subject: Re: Auction Info Wanted
From: "Chris Kent Kantarjiev" <kent@parc.xerox.com>
Date: Tue, 5 May 1992 11:39:38 PDT
(This info comes from "Triumph Cars, the complete story" by Robson and 
Langworth.)

The Limousine Renown is/was Sir John Black's own little idea -- he
apparently liked the idea of being chauffered in his Renown, so he
cooked up the concept of a middle-class limousine. It was to have a
division between the driver's and passenger's compartments, just like
the very best of Rolls or Daimler, and it would surely be a
middle-class status symbol.

It was not meant to be. They stretched the wheelbase by 3 inches and
added almost 300 lbs. This gave very little extra lounging room despite
the increase in cost of #100. It turned out to be a "ghastly marketing
error". The car was in production for just one year, and only 189 were
sold, 10 going for export. 

The Renown itself is an interesting car. The engine is the Vanguard
engine, which is the same engine that appeared in the TR series of
sports cars in slightly different trim (this car should have a 85x92mm
borexstroke, just under the "big" TR 86x92 engine, 2088 cc, 68 bhp at
4200, max torque 108 at 2000 rpm.) It's the definitive razor-edged
Triumph saloon, and should be quite pretty.

I have no idea what they're worth. Dick Nyquist has a Roadster from the
same era, perhaps he has some hints.

Good luck. Engine and gearbox parts should be no problem, but I don't
know about the rest...


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