JW:)
What first got you interested in the
Triumph Spitfire works race cars?
Since
I was racing a MK I Spitfire I was interested in the racing history of the
works Spitfires. There was (and is) not much known about them except the
chapters in some of the Spitfire books and more detailed information about the
technical aspects of the cars were really hard to find. The more I read and
try to find information about them the more I got hooked, but the whereabouts
of the cars were at this time only rumors. The only known cars at this time
were ADU 4B in the US and ADU 8B in Japan.
JW:)
Michael, I understand that you found ADU 7B in a barn in Northern France.
How did you come to find it there?
I
saw ADU 7B advertised in a British classic car magazine in 1998 by a French
classic car dealer. I picked up the phone immediately, made a date, grabbed my
books and some money for a down payment and drove the next day down to Lille
in northern France. I saw the car, tried not to look too nervous, negotiated
the price a little bit and bought it.
JW:)
What was the owners story of how the car came into his possession?
I
found that out later when the car was already in my garage. The car was sold
after the closedown of the competitions department in 1966 to the French
Triumph importer Voitures Monceau in Paris. He passed the car onto the French
race driver and Triumph dealer Roger Barbara in the Lille area with the
obligation to promote the car in a certain number of events. He did so and
installed at some point later a GT6 engine in the car. The car was sold then
into private hands at the end of the 60ties and was the last time registered
in 1973. It was put in storage in the owners barn then. A French Triumph
enthusiast started to search for the car in the 90ties and located the car
about 1996 still in the area. The owner knew what he kept in his barn and the
French enthusiast couldn’t afford to buy it. He passed the information onto
the Triumph Sports six Club in the UK and a number of people came to see the
car, including Graham Robson and an ex works driver. I think the more people
came to see the car the more the
price went up. Finally the French classic car dealer bought it in 1996. The
car was first mentioned in a British classic car magazine in 1996 and was
advertised after that sometimes. The Triumph scene didn’t mentioned the car
and amongst some insiders the rumor was spread this car was a replica. The
source of this rumor was probably Graham Robson who stated in his Works
Triumph book that ADU 7B was in the UK since the 70's. Later it proved that
this car is a replica build from some works spares by a competition department
member.
JW:)
Did you have any problems convincing him to sell it to you for a reasonable
price?
No,
I think I was the very last one in a long row of people who were interested in
the car. I think some people went quiet about the car hoping the price would
drop over the time. But I think I paid a reasonable price.
JW:)
Most people only dream of encountering a find like this, what were your
initial thoughts when you first saw the car?
From
what I knew already from the phone I was in doubt how original the car
would be and how the overall condition would be. My first thought was, yes it
is the real Mc Coy, even if I couldn’t prove it at that time. I walked
around it looked at every detail and could feel somehow the history of it.
There were many things which reminded me of the pictures I saw in the books,
like the huge petrol filler cap, the steering wheel and I was relieved that
the original aluminum head was there. Without the head I wouldn’t have
bought it (probably) because I knew that it was almost impossible to find one.
| JW:)
What sort of condition was the car in when you found it?
At
the first glance it looked somewhat strange. It was painted dark blue with a
green bonnet and was converted to LHD. I first thought the bonnet was added
later but I could see from the inside were the additional headlamp pods were
cut out and replaced by an aluminum panel. The grafted in bulge made it worse
but the overall condition was quite good. There were no rust holes, no signs
of an accident. The bonnet and doors fits very well and the sills had the
unique quick lift apertures. From underneath were only surface rust and I
thought that the car didn’t run for a long time. It was obvious that the car
stood for a very long time because all the hydraulics were dry and the brakes
were seized. I found it interesting that there were no contact corrosion
between the aluminum and steel panels. I found some cracks and dents and
inside the car I spotted the original powder blue color.
|
ADU 7B as found in France in 1996
|
JW:) The
car still had some of it's original racing equipment that came with the car.
What special equipment originally came with the car and how much of it is
still missing?
The
major items were all there although the original drive train was replaced by a
standard unit. There came some parts with the car like the aluminum cylinder head,
Weber carbs, a works gearbox and camshaft and other bits and pieces. The
interior looked quite complete but all the expensive instruments like the
clock and the Halda were missing. Seats, dashboard, long range aluminum petrol
tank, door panels, roll bar, everything was there and seems to be in good
condition. I already had the special rev counter at home (0-8000rpm dial) and
found in the meantime the special clock and the Halda, the special Lucas light
equipment as well as some other small unique components from the dashboard. I
was able to find all the missing parts and some parts were made to order like
the wiring loom. The build in headlamp pods which were cut out at some point
were still in the boot and the middle section of the bonnet is now back in the
proper shape.
JW:)
As I understand it, you reside in Germany, however the body is currently being
restored by Jigsaw Racing in England. Could you please tell us how you
came to choose them for the restoration?
I
met Mark from Jigsaw via the internet. He has the same passion for the works
Spitfires. He is currently building a Le Mans replica for himself. He has a
very good source for building and repairing aluminum panels and is taking
care of every detail. England is well known for its knowledge in restoring
classic cars and source for British parts so I decided right from the
beginning that the delicate work should be done in the UK.
|
JW:) Have
discovered anything interesting about the car since beginning it's
restoration?
Yes,
I found that the chassis is of Le Mans specification. I found remains of quick
lifts at the front and the rear and some other details. On the back of some
parts and panels I found marked ‘ADU 7B’. The body was strengthened and
modified in certain areas. The car was initially painted wedgwood blue and was
painted then powder blue (which is a bit lighter than wedgwood). The cars were
taken direct from the assembly line and wedgwood was the only light blue color
available. I think in the competition department was then decided that the
cars should wear the same competition color as the works rally TR4’s.
|
The three works rally Spitfires in Coventry as prepared
for the 1964 Tour de France
ADU 7B won it's class in this event
|
JW:)
How authentic are you going with the car in terms of restoring it?
As
close as possible, this has grown now to an obsession. No modern upgrades or
modifications will be made. I spent a lot of time with searching for pictures
and information about the original specification of the car. Although some
parts will be different like some internal engine parts. As the original
Salisbury limited slip unit is missing I will use a Quaife unit (until I will
find the proper one). I have the original Armstrong adjustable shock absorbers
but they are worn out and it is very difficult to overhaul them, so I
installed Koni dampers which were also used during that period. Another almost
impossible to find part is the original rubber carpet used on the early
Spitfires, so I will use here a later pile carpet. Most of the remaining
equipment will be left as it is, even if it is not in perfect condition like
the seats and door panels.
JW:)
I understand the works rally cars had aluminum bodies with fiberglass hardtops
as opposed to the steel bodied production cars. Has this presented any
special challenges in the restoration efforts?
Actually
the rally cars had a steel body with outer aluminum panels (bonnet, doors and
rear wings). I learned that it is difficult to repair dented aluminum panels,
so one door skin was replaced as well as the middle section of the bonnet.
Fortunately there was no contact corrosion between the aluminum and the steel
panels. It was quite easy to remove the fiberglass top because it is sealed
and bolted to the body.
JW:)
This particular car won it's class in the 1964 Tour de France and came in 10th
overall. What other rallies did this car compete in and how did it fare?
ADU
7B is the most successful car of all the works Spitfires. It competed in 5
events: 1964 in the Alpine Rally (3rd in class), Tour de France (1st
in class, 10th over all), and Geneva Rally (1st in
class) and in 1965 in Rally Monte Carlo (retired) and the Alpine Rally
(retired). In 1966 and 1967 it competed in some French events.
JW:)
The rally cars were different than the LeMans cars in that they were specially
equipped with extra lights as these cars were raced on public roads in all
weather. What other equipment distinguished a works LeMans car from a
works rally car?
The
main differences are the full aluminum body of the Le Mans cars and the
different styling of the bonnet. The Le Mans cars used (in1965) special light
weight chassis frames, the rally cars used strengthened standard frames. The
differential ratio of the rally cars were shorter for better acceleration (0
to 60 knocked down from 17 seconds to 10 compared to a standard Spitfire) as
the one for the Le Mans cars were longer for maximum top speed for the long
straights (134mph to 95 on the standard Spitfire). The Le Mans cars had a
special light weight shovel in the boot for the case that the driver had to
dig the car out of the sand banks
which were piled up in some of the tight bends. There was also some different
developments from 1964 to 1965. The rally cars used the aluminum head already
in 1964 whereas the Le Mans cars used the cast iron head in 1964 and the aluminum
in 1965. The rally cars used in 1965 a prototype 1296cc engine which were a
forerunner of the engine introduced later in the 1300 front wheel drive
Triumph saloon and the MK III Spitfire, the Le Mans cars used in all 3 events
the 1147cc engine.
JW:)
It's been suggested by many that these rally cars were the forerunners of the
GT6 that came along in 1967. Based on what you have learned about your
car, would you agree with that assessment?
No,
that’s not true. The PR-department used the phrase ‘born in Le Mans’ for
the first sales literature of the GT6, but the GT6 was already developed and a
prototype was already finished when the work on the competition cars begun.
Actually the shape of the Le Mans roof was taken from this prototype.
JW:) What
are your plans for this car after you finish the restoration?
It
will go definitely back to rallying. The good thing is that the car does not
need to be modified for rallying like what would be mandatory with a Le Mans
car (FIA roll cage and other safety equipment). As I am not an experienced
rally driver I will start with smaller events and may be later I will go for
some events the car competed in the old days, like the Alpine Rally or Geneva
Rally.
Michael, thank you for sharing your experiences
with us. I know as an early Spitfire owner myself, this has been particularly
interesting. It is certainly nice to see that someone has taken an
interest in Triumph's historic racing past and is trying to preserve a piece
of it. Congratulations, and good luck with the project.
For those who have a further
interest in this car, Michael has an website
dedicated to ADU 7B.
