Jalopnik
We owe Gabe from Motoring File an apology for missing this story until now (our mailbox was lousy with Caption Contest entries). It seems BMW is using the Mini platform to work up some kind of a two-seater Triumph concept car that will be shown sometime this year. According to Autocar, there's a good chance the concept will see production. The branding aspects of such a car are no sweat for BMW, considering Triumph is one of brands BMW acquired during its purchase of Rover (and its back catalog of iconic UK marques) before unloading the remnants to Ford and other suckers mercenaries investors. [Update: The Unofficial Austin Rover Web Resource sources say the concept designs (more than one) are "retro-modern in style, but with a nod to the past, carrying traces of Triumph TR4 and Stag in places." Plus the company has bid MINI distributors in the US to await "some very big surprises' in 2006/7." (Thanks, James).]
First MINI Now Triumph? [Motoring File]
Related:
Triumph and Tragedy: The Sports Car Transformed; More VTEC Fun: S2000-Powered 1963 Triumph Spitfire [internal]
Comments
Whoa, having owned a Stag I can only hope that the 'traces' don't include the crankshaft made of spaghetti, the cooling system, or the head bolt arrangement...
Interesting. I wonder how John Bloor feels about this, since he's built Triumph back up into a successful motorcycle manufacturer. BMW coming in and building a new Triumph car could severely dilute the Triumph motorcycle brand, or at least distort its image.
If it combines the looks of any of the TR-model Triumph 2-seaters* with the performance & build quality that BMW is putting into the Mini, that's a GOOD thing! (*I'm partial to the TR-4 through TR-6 ones, particularly, hacing seen them raced when I was a kid.)
Start a discussion:
Login with your username and password below. Or comment on this post via email.
Forgot your username or password? New User?