L plate sprints

[hsdolly]

Thanks Stanpart, I ought to do the DVLA logbook trace anyway - when I bought the car the chap who I got it from lived in Rhyde and had bought the Group 2 car that an Italian chap used to drive on the Island until he smashed it up - got some very nice Group 2 parts too which is how I came to buy the car. I never gave the car much value in the deal, but when I realised how original it was (only had to replace rear arches for respray) and had done a warranted 80k or so from new I thought I would put it back to its former glory. You'll probably be pleased to learn that I had the chrome IoW badge put back on for posterity! Just got fit the engine back in now and put the vinyl on.... Regards S

[Len Hughes]

Out of the 49 on Alun's list 12 are either taxed or SORN'd, much higher than I would have guessed.

I'll update the list of colours, not known etc later.

[Len Hughes]

AHK 587 colour blue! 1989 untaxed
BDL 934: colour yellow 1984 untaxed
BMN 824: colour red not known
BTE 322: colour yellow 2006 untaxed
DCJ 616: colour yellow not known
DCJ 660: colour yellow 1989 untaxed
DTT 645: colour RED 1997 untaxed
DUJ 219: colour unknown not known
EAJ 855: colour yellow 1987 untaxed
EMR 836: colour yellow 1990 untaxed
EPX 347: colour yellow 2008 Taxed
HSU 200: colour yellow 1986 untaxed
HWK 277: colour yellow 2009 Taxed
KBB 891 colour yellow 2006 untaxed
KDN 539: colour yellow 1990 untaxed
KHJ 702: colour yellow 2002 untaxed
KLR 143: colour yellow not known
KNR 21: colour WHITE 1993 untaxed
KUT 395: colour yellow 1988 untaxed
LRM 798: colour RED 1981 untaxed
MUF 749: colour yellow not known
MUM 387: colour black 2009 SORN
MVF 749: colour yellow 2008 SORN
NHC 969: colour yellow 2009 Taxed
NOT 924: colour yellow 1989 untaxed
ORJ 756: colour unknown not known
OUM 998: colour yellow 2009 SORN
PEH 218: colour yellow 2001 untaxed
PGJ 749: colour yellow not known
PLY 51: colour yellow 1987 untaxed
PUR 900: colour yellow 2009 SORN
PUW 323: colour yellow 1990 untaxed
RMG 491: colour yellow 2005 untaxed
RPJ 708: colour black! 1998 untaxed
SLL 620: colour yellow 2009 SORN
SPL 360: colour yellow not known
TEY 893: colour yellow 2009 SORN
TNR 508: colour yellow 1995 export untaxed
TSB 721: colour WHITE 1990 untaxed
TXF 649: colour yellow 2008 SORN
VBH 470: colour yellow 2009 SORN
VBW 450: colour yellow 1987 untaxed
VBY 174: colour yellow 1987 untaxed
VJT 950: colour yellow not known
VRR 565: colour yellow 2009 SORN
WBX 148: colour yellow 1998 untaxed
WST 491: colour yellow 2006 untaxed
XAU 519: colour yellow not known
YWX 550: colour yellow 1984 untaxed

Colour changes from Alun's list shown in bold.

[xvivalve]

Good on yer Len, I couldn't face it, it took a while to extract all of those from the lists!

Interesting to see the different colours. To be on an 'L' the car must have been registered prior to Aug 01 73. Some 5500 cars made in 73, so how many pre 2000 do we think were made by then, some or all. If it was only some then we need to find out if any of the non mimosa ones had later in life colour changes...

[Len Hughes]

Hi Alun

I would think that most of the first 2000 would have been made by August to satisfy dealer launch stock and early buyer orders.

A few other bits and bobs could do with finishing off:

Are the surving cars shown as Taxed or SORN known to the Club today, perhaps David G can advise.

Any obvious ommissions on the list, as you say Mart's is one, there may be a few more. Again can David scan his new Sprint database for L reg ones not on the list.

Add VA1 that's in Coventry museum to the list, what's the reg no of this; at Gaydon I think it had Dolomite number plates on it. Is it on your list? it could be one of the untaxed ones I suppose.

Perhaps then we can have a reasonable estimate of the surviving L reg ones.

Regarding colour or transmission changes it's a shame that all those listed are untaxed. Otherwise we might have been able to talk to the owners to see if they have any history such as DVLA previous owner records which show a colour / transmission change.

Keep digging

Len

[sprint1976]

great work i didnt notice ian hazelhursts frw on the list

[xvivalve]

none of the 12 original frw press cars are on the list

[zombeh]

SLL 620: colour yellow 2009 SORN

is Neil's project car

[Len Hughes]

Thanks, another one identified.

Cheers,

Len

[tinweevil]

MVF 749 is VA41, see my sig

[Ussdeltaflyer]

My Sprint OBP 178M was registered 22/08/73 and is chassis no va 1996.
I seem to remember in those days you would be considered almost mad to register a car in June/July just before the plates changed..unless you had more money than sence, as effects on second hand value later were quite considerable.
I think there were just loads of the start up production hanging about on deposit waiting for the August Reg & certainly B.L would not have a system in place that would determine they had to be registered in chassis number order !!!!.Manafacturers don't even do that today.
Production would have been in place prior to the official launch anyway looking at the B.L history sites I read the target production figure was 250 a week.but they must not have achieved that over the years , as i am led to believe they only actually produced 23,000 or so in total !

Mine is yellow( v5 says yellow) looks like it always has been although its obviously been repainted over time,though the original yellow looks less bold as mimosa( almost honeysuckly !!) but may'be thats just fade with age..Not sure wether it's latest paint is mimosa or inca as I dont know the difference really between the two.