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| re :auction
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| In a local auction this Sunday, there will be three cars sold..........
| The third car is the info needer. 1951
| Triumph Renown Limo 2 Litre Salon. "4 cyl. 3 spd, manuf. by Standard Motor
| Co., Coventry England. Car features leather interior, walnut dash and trim,
| banjo steering wheel, flying lady hood ornament, and other unique features,
| built from 1946-51 w/original owner's manual." This car from the picture is
| quite appealing. It is extremely reminescent of salons from another factory
| in Coventry of the same period. Does anyone know anything about this car?
| Strong/weak points? What is it worth?..............
| MAD
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I'd be there to bid for it if I wasn't over my limit of cars and deep in debt
at the moment. I was activly looking for one about a year a go. I almost bought
one a couple times, but each time something was wrong.
The Triumph 1800, Triumph 2000 and Renown were saloons they looked very similar
and many people use the name "Renown" to describe all of them. The 1800 was the
first one (1946). It was built right after the war using the same 1800cc engine
that Triumph made for SS Cars (Jag). The cars look a bit like a 3/4 scale Rolls.
They had a 4 speed transmission, a large diam tube frame and some aluminium
panels in the body. ( the 1800 Roadster was almost entirly aluminum) These cars
were made from 1946 through 1948. In 1948 it was replaced by the 2000 saloon
which was basicly the same car only with the new Vanguard wet slieved engine.
This is the same engine used in early 50's Morgans and Fergusson tractors. With
various modifications that engine was used in the TR2-3-4. These are very strong
engines and were favored by many small british car makers who couldn't afford to
design and tool their own engines. The 2000 used a 3 speed transmission. (They
tried to make it like a "modern American car") Because the engine provides
gobs of torque, and the car is not geared for a high top speed, it drives just
fine with a 3 speed. The top speed was bout 70 mph and the cruise about 60 mph.
The cars are a bit unstable by modern standards and that may be about as fast
as you would want to drive them anyway.
The 2000 was manufactured into 1950 when it was replaced by the RENOWN. The
Renown
looked about the same but they got rid of the aluminum panels and the tube
frame was replaced by a pressed steel frame. It was this frame and engine
that was used as a basis for the tr1 and then modified into the tr2.
I don't know if any of the body panels are truly interchangable between the
Renown and the earlier cars but they may be. The also made a few special bodied
limos with a slightly longer wheel base but these are all thought to have been
scrapped. In England the saloons are the poor relation of the roadsters. The
saloons sell for 1/3 to 1/2 the price of the roadsters. In the U.S. , perhaps
because of the novelty, the saloons some times sell for as much. At an auction
it could go either way. The things you have to look out for are rust and
damaged
or rotten wood. Most of the coachwork is framed in wood. Major rewooding is a
job
for experts. One of the Renowns I didn't buy had both problems the guy was
asking
$2000.00 but it needed too much work. I would think a very solid one might
go for $10k to $15K tops. If no one wants it and it's auctioned late in the day
it might go for as little as $3 to $5k. There is a very active club in Great
Britain.
I'd like to hear how it comes out. Where and when is the auction?
Where are you? /regards/dickn@hpspd.spd.hp.com
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