Lot Ended
Description
1971
Triumph 2500PI London-Mexico Replica Rally Car; the Ghost car of the famous
XJB305H; initial build instigated by Rod Stewart!
Launched
in 1963, the Triumph 2000 slogged it out with the Rover P6 2000 and while
hindsight might suggest this was something of an uneven match, don’t forget that
the Triumph had the benefit of a six-cylinder engine against the Rover’s lowly
inline four - and that stuff matters when you’ve clawed your way to the top of
the corporate ladder and need to show the young bucks snapping at your heels
who’s boss.
The
Triumph’s luxury credentials might have made it King of the Hill in the car
park, but endurance rallying events call for a different skillset; Liam Neeson
rather than Hugh Grant - but the Triumph showed it had the chops for that too by
entering the 1970 London to Mexico rally, where it finished 2nd and 4th. Yep,
that’s right; after schlepping their way through 16,000 gruelling miles, the two
Triumph 2.5PIs beat Lotus Cortinas, Porsche 911s, BMW 2002tis and even a brace
of Rolls-Royces to take a podium place in the hands of Brian Culcheth and
Johnstone Syer.
This Triumph colloquially known as ‘The Ghost of XJB 305H and
originally instigated by Rod Stewart (yes, that Rod Stewart!), this is a replica
of XJB 305H, the car that Brian Culcheth and Johnstone Syer took to second place
in the 1970 World Cup Rally.
A solid Triumph 2000 (registration number SFK 887K) was chosen as the
base vehicle and an astonishing amount of work went into ensuring that, although
it is not a perfect replica, the details are period-correct; the finished car’s
specification is based on both the original build sheets from Abingdon as well
as the recollections of Brian Culcheth himself.
The result is a faithful replica of XJB 305H (the original was
destroyed by British Leyland many years ago…).
The base car was completely stripped down and the bodyshell was
extensively modified, as per the original rally car. This work included
modifications to the sills to strengthen them to incorporate the side jacking
system. The rear-mounted jacking point and a roof-mounted air vent for cockpit
ventilation were also installed.
The front wings were also modified to incorporate the distinctive
side vent system that provides additional cooling to the engine compartment, and
the boot lid was altered to enable it to carry three spare wheels stacked inside
the boot itself.
A period-correct roll cage was also installed, and a sump shield was
fitted to protect the underside of the engine. All unnecessary brightwork was
removed, including the bumpers and some of the side
mouldings.
The car starts and drives since it’s been on site and is ready to
enjoy at any classic car events, driving events or even certain classic rally
events.
Comes with the show plate of XJB 305H that this car ghosts and a
replica jacket as worn by the race team of the day.
Please contact james.booth@brightwells.com