Build dates

[dailysprinter]

My Sprint was registered 25/04/1980, VA31111, was wondering if it's worth getting a heritage certificate?
If I could show a 1978 build I'd get exemption from MOT and Tax
What do you reckon?

[TrustNo1]

It won't be tax exempt till April 2019 with a 78 build date and MOT exemption is based on registered date so won't be MOT exempt till 2020.

[Flyfisherman]

My Sprint was registered 25/04/1980, VA31111, was wondering if it's worth getting a heritage certificate?
If I could show a 1978 build I'd get exemption from MOT and Tax
What do you reckon?

Maybe worth while (as I did) prior to spending £43.00 on a certificate get them to do a web search https://certificates.britishmotormuseum ... -research/

Mine was built in August 1977 with a VA25284.

Paul

[xvivalve]

For £6.00 you can enquire on line about any one item associated with the chassis number. That will tell you if it is worth spending the full amount on a Heritage Certificate, however, with VA31188 having been built on 31 August 1979, I can tell you you'll get a July/August '79 build date.

[series111]

is there any chance anyone can tell when my sprint was built the vin number is VA26373 with a date of first reg is 1 November 1978

Thanks.

[Galileo]

When everyone finished their pint of brown and mild and got back to work in January 1978 they kicked off with VA25934 and ended on VA30289. There were 1352 Sprint's built that year, 112 a month, so at a rough guess I'd go for Jan/Feb 1978.

[dailysprinter]

Cheers all, I've done the Web search prior to ordering a full heritage certificate. It looks like from April 2019 I can gain historic vehicle status and exception from MOT & Tax. luckily I've got the sprint engine and drive train, not overly modified.
I had funny feeling BL liked to keep cars sat around etc

[tamtrucks]

to busy on strike....

[Carledo]

is there any chance anyone can tell when my sprint was built the vin number is VA26373 with a date of first reg is 1 November 1978

Thanks.

I have VA 26140 registered 1/9/78 and built (or at least dispatched from the factory) on 4/4/78 so I'd guess your build date at late April/early May of 78. Which gives you Mot exemtion as of November this year and VED exemption as of 1/4/2019.

HTH Steve

[Galileo]

Oh my, 4 months to build 206 cars is not exactly being a volume car manufacturer!

[Carledo]

Oh my, 4 months to build 206 cars is not exactly being a volume car manufacturer!

Don't forget Rafe, this is only Sprints! they WERE building other models of Dolomite too! In much bigger numbers. And the Sprint was only ever a fairly limited edition, top of the range model, with a mere 21000+ cars built in 7 years. The numbers may be more than reversed now, with more surviving Sprints than all the other models combined, but it was not like that in production times.

Steve

[Graham.Fountain]

Oh my, 4 months to build 206 cars is not exactly being a volume car manufacturer!

Don't forget Rafe, this is only Sprints! they WERE building other models of Dolomite too! In much bigger numbers. And the Sprint was only ever a fairly limited edition, top of the range model, with a mere 21000+ cars built in 7 years. The numbers may be more than reversed now, with more surviving Sprints than all the other models combined, but it was not like that in production times.

Steve

Were they bothered about Sprint production much after they'd made the 5000 needed in 1973?
I thought they only continued any because they could only race it for 4 years after production stopped (changed to 5 years in Appendix J 1975). Also, when the slant-four cost-reduction programme was cancelled with the first death of SD2, the O-series engine was getting all the development funding. They were going to put that in the TR7 till about 1980.

Graham

[alangraham]

Ar risk of becoming boring, my W reg 1500HL was registered on 1/8/80. When should I be thinking about VED exemption?
Alan

[GTS290N]

Ar risk of becoming boring, my W reg 1500HL was registered on 1/8/80. When should I be thinking about VED exemption?
Alan

Under the current rules think about it in April 2021. Unless you have proof the car was built before then.

It's all here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publicati ... c-vehicles

"The measure extends the scope of the existing 40 year rolling Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) exemption for classic vehicles permanently so that on the 1 April each year vehicles constructed more than 40 years before the 1 January that year will automatically be exempt from paying VED."

It's really cut and dried!

[Carledo]

Oh my, 4 months to build 206 cars is not exactly being a volume car manufacturer!

Don't forget Rafe, this is only Sprints! they WERE building other models of Dolomite too! In much bigger numbers. And the Sprint was only ever a fairly limited edition, top of the range model, with a mere 21000+ cars built in 7 years. The numbers may be more than reversed now, with more surviving Sprints than all the other models combined, but it was not like that in production times.

Steve

Were they bothered about Sprint production much after they'd made the 5000 needed in 1973?
I thought they only continued any because they could only race it for 4 years after production stopped (changed to 5 years in Appendix J 1975). Also, when the slant-four cost-reduction programme was cancelled with the first death of SD2, the O-series engine was getting all the development funding. They were going to put that in the TR7 till about 1980.

Graham

I don't know much about the O series development, but Sprints are a different thing! It was never a Homologation special, like the TR7 Sprint was and I rather fancy that the original Triumph plan for the slant motor was that it WOULD have replaced the venerable inline 6 in the T2000 and it's replacement, had not the SD1 come along (which was originally designated RT1)
The first 2000 (not 5000) Sprints, all in Mimosa yellow, were built prior to the model launch in June 73 and it was a kind of "put a toe in the water" experiment, to see if they would sell! When they did, production recommenced around August 73 and a range of colours and trim options became available. But the Sprint was ALWAYS a niche market, production hotrod, in the same fashion as the RS2000 Escort, Droop Snoot Firenza, HS Chevette etc and as such, never built or sold in large numbers. In a sense, it was the rally and race winning hook they used to catch customers for the lower output models.

Steve