How many Mimosa Sprints

[PaulB]

My understanding is that the early Dolomite Sprints were only available in Mimosa Yellow.

Can anyone confirm how many were made before other colours were available?

Just interested to know...

[Howard81]

Legend says the first 2000 were all Mimosa..

[sprint95m]

The BL press release stated that the first 2000 Sprints were all to be Mimosa.

[dogrich_0]

Yes, and I've got one va1606dlo Aug '73 still in mimosa and still going strong! Cheers rich
We early sprint owners call them the proper sprint's.....(said with tongue in cheek of course)

[dogrich_0]

Great reading that - never seen that before makes me very proud ! . I wonder how many is left.

[marty dolomite]

VA203 is white.

One legend I have not heard for a while is the first 1000 had gold alloys

[Dolly racer 33]

Many years ago there was a club member called Ted I believe who had a saphire Sprint & it was in the first 2,000.

[Dolly racer 33]

Ted always maintained it was one of the first 2,000 but I never saw the chassis number.

[marty dolomite]

I think that you might me thinking about this one -



Ted Middletons stunning low milage Saphire car; I can't quite remember but I think it has a VA in the 2800's & was registered 1/03/74 so not one of the first 2000.

Alun may be the man to say for sure about Teds car.

[Howard81]

VA203 is white.

One legend I have not heard for a while is the first 1000 had gold alloys

And silver badges

[xvivalve]

Ted's car is NOT in the first 2000.

Ted however has the account of 'someone in the trade' working high up for a bloke named Joe who wanted a Sprint but neither wanted Mimosa or to have to wait for Nº2001. (Ted's other Sprint, a '77 was a director's car from the same firm originally giving provenance to his connections) He mentioned this to his opposite number at Triumph who facilitated a car for him giving a choice of three or four other colours, I forget which but have to see Ted soon so will see if he still recalls.

Despite the publicity I've always been a sceptic; first who in their right mind would launch a fantastic product on the market only to then limit its appeal to those who didn't mind a wishy washy yellow? Secondly, the first 2000 cars represents nearly 10% of total Sprint production, yet Mimosa was offered until late '76 at least. In the last 23 years I have yet to attend a show where well in excess of 10% of cars were Mimosa, but statistically this is what you would expect.

Some 600 cars were exported post '76 to the antipodes, all Mimosa; maybe these were the proportion of the first 2000 that didn't sell at home?

[gmsclassics]

All of that batch of Mimosa Sprints went to Australia and the model details are consistent with the chassis numbers of VA15000 and above. There must be a high survival rate as I am always amazed at seeing one almost everytime I go across the ditch. At least being Mimosa they stand out!

I even have one that I'm getting back on the road - that was re-exported to NZ in 1995.

The ones sold new in NZ were mostly late 74 and predominantly 75 cars from the previous series. I've seen chassis numbers from around VA5100 to VA9800. There is probably the same variety of colours as were sold in the UK at that time including the gorgeous Maple!

Always confusing though as there were a lot of private imports to NZ from the UK which is how my '79 pageant blue one arrived, in the hands of one of the factory development engineers who emigrated after the factory closed. No-one has ever been able to tell me how many official exports came to NZ, although the majority seem to have been sold in the Wellington area rather than Auckland, which is not what one would expect going on population. I've either come across or heard of about 50-60 Sprints, but 1850s were obviously exported here in the hundreds, plus a few 1500s.

Geoff

[sprintoz]

I have a 1976 sprint here in oz VA13274 DLO, which i would think is one of the original sprints sent to OZ and it's Mimosa Yellow.

[tinweevil]

I think the lack of Mimosa cars at shows can be explained by that particular paint having the protective properties of Birds custard.

[Dolly racer 33]

Mimosa paint was only available until 1974/5. Therefore as most Sprints were made after this time there would have been very few Mimosa Sprints made compared to other colours. Inca replaced Mimosa in 1975/6.