1973 Sprint Brochure

[tangocharlie1]

I was bored today and was sorting through some of my Sprint period brochures.
Being particularly bored i noticed something that had not caught my eye before. The brochure is an early version dated June 1973.
Yet on page 3 is clearly the engine bay of a early Pimento Sprint, a few pages is along is an interior picture of the same car, although not clear in the picture below, it is a non-overdrive car with black interior.
There is much talk of FHP 923L which we all know is a converted white 1850 hurriedly produced for the press pictures and it is the main feature of the brochure.
But does anyone know the story of this early Pimento car ? I never heard it mentioned before, is it another hastily converted 1850 and why is it in a June 73 brochure. Discuss !!

[Awaiting Repair]

Good spot! I've got the same brochure, but dated October 1973 and the same red car photos are featured.

Keith

[tangocharlie1]

Yes i have 3 of the same brochure all dated differently one has slightly different cover, but the earliest one is JUN 73, obviously produced ready for launch. Just seems strange to me that there is a Pimento Sprint in the brochure, when all the first ones were Mimosa and it is never mentioned.

[xvivalve]

Some five and a half thousand Sprints were built in 1973; they weren't all mimosa.

[tangocharlie1]

Prior to June 73?

[xvivalve]

If you look at the production numbers for the following years, then yes, quite possibly many were made in the first half of the year in readiness for the launch. It represents almost 1/4 of the total ever made!

[Carledo]

What is certain is that the first 2000 Mimosa cars were built pre launch. It's my understanding that the idea was to see how the sales went and base future production (if any) on customer demand. It must have been apparent quite early from orders and enquiries that customers wanted a choice other than Mimosa, everyone loves it now, the colour has become synonymous with the Sprint, but this was probably NOT the case in 73, Mimosa is VERY loud and a bit "boy racer" ish, so that, by the actual (delayed) launch date, it's more than possible that a few had been assembled in different colours and that's what is featured in the brochure.

Steve

[tangocharlie1]

Interesting ok I am willing to accept that other colours were ready prior to the 73 Launch although that doesn't appear to be common knowledge, in fact this gives a bit of creedance to a theory I had having read some of the period articles on the launch, I have often wondered whether it was not necessarily the 1st 2000 that were produced that were Mimosa but the first 2000 sold had to be mimosa , sort of a marketing ploy as stated. The only thing that does not tie in is why there does not appear to be any non mimosa Sprints under chassis number 2200 to my knowledge.
Thanks for your thoughts though.

[xvivalve]

It would have been the first 2000 made, not sold, as the VIN is allocated at the factory, in a numerical progression in the order made.

It is therefore quite possible other colours were being sold whilst some of the first 2000 languished at the dealers.

[Awaiting Repair]

There is a red one listed here by Alun in this old thread.

https://forum.triumphdolomite.co.uk/vie ... 9&start=15

BMN 824L: colour red, private export later to EU!


Cheers
Keith