My interest with Triumph TR7's began in 1976 when I was a motor rally fan. I attended a couple of rallies in Yorkshire, one stage held at Harewood House on the Hill Climb course. A new car to the rally was the British Leyland Triumph TR7 driven by Tony Pond, which stood out from the usual procession of Mk11 Escorts, in white and blue the car looked futuristic and spectacular, This car had the Dolomite Sprint 16 Valve 2 Litre Engine, and I believe Tony did not finish the rally due to suspension failure in Kielder Forest. The second TR7 on that event was driven by Brian Culcheth. 

The following year the TR7 was out in force on the RAC Rally, Again driven by Tony Pond, and Brian Culceth, with Pat Ryan also driving, moving up from the Dolomite Sprint. A further entry was Markko Saaristo. Tony Pond finished a credible 8th against opposition mainly from Escort RS1800s driven by Swedish and Finnish stars. I believe the other TR7 drivers fell by the wayside.

1977 was a reasonable year for the TR7, with a win in the  Boucles de Spa in Belgium, 2nd in the Scottish Rally and 3rd on the Mintex and Tour of Elba. By this stage I was now following the TR7 round most of the British rallies, having got fed up of the Ford Escort procession with its foreign drivers, and Tony Pond was truly an excellent and entertaining driver. 

1978 saw the introduction of the TR7 V8 with a competition version of the Rover 3500 engine. This car truly sounded and looked awesome, and showed some promise.

Tony Pond took honours in the car with 1st in the 24hrs of Ypres and the Manx International. The RAC rally that year again had 4 TR7,s, Leyland ran 3 cars, 2 sponsored by British Airways with Pond and Simo Lampinen and a car in BL Union Jack colours driven by John Haugland. There was also a private entry by Ruben Borjesson, an unknown Swede.

Pond finished in 4th place, under a gaggle of Fords driven by Mikkola, Waldegaarde, and Russell Brookes, John Haugland finished in 12th on his usual only British outing of the year, driving mainly on the Safari and other long distance events. My report from a rally magazine from 1978  says that Simo Lampinen was forced to attempt a clutch change and went OTL, very ambitious for a driver to attempt this mid stage.

1979 saw Tony Pond leave the Leyland team to Drive a Talbot Sunbeam Lotus, his place been taken by Per Eklund, Per took the TR7 V8 to 8th in the Rally of Finland and 13th in the RAC Rally. Simo Lampinen again drove on the RAC Rally finishing in 17th, and there where 2 new drivers in TR7 V8,s, Graham Elsmore who finished 16th  and John Buffham, from the USA who only appeared once a year on the RAC Rally, his car died in front of me in Hamsterely Forest, in the famous ford the engine took on water, started to die, coughed on for a few more corners, and then all went quiet. Despite  being pushed by spectators he never got going again. Tony Pond was entered into the 79 RAC in the Talbot Sunbeam Lotus, he failed to finish, crashing out in a ditch.

1980 saw Tony again join the Leyland team, he had done a sterling job at Talbot, helping to make the Sunbeam Lotus reliable, but for some reason moved on to Leyland. He took 1st place in the TR7 V8 on the Rothmans Manx Trophy, Manx International, and Ypres. Other results where 1st in the televised Eaton Yale Rally Sprint, 2nd in the Pirelli Tour of Cumbria, and 4th on the Scottish. He had a couple of non finishes in Portugal and Sardinia.

Sept 1980 Car number 4 Tony Pond/Fred Gallagher 1980 Rothmans Manx Trophy

Position 1st Overall   

Reg No TUD 683T (Later JJO 931W) (Photo courtesy of Bert Smeets)

The RAC that year saw 4 TR7 V8,s for Tony Pond and Per Eklund, Roger Clarke in Sparkrite sponsorship, and John Buffham. Pond finished in 7th despite a spectacular crash in the Lions Enclosure at Longleat, which totally wrecked every panel on the car.

Tony Ponds battered TR V8 held together with gaffa tape, I gave my only print of this to Bert Smeets, who now has this car.

Per Eklund, who had taken 3rd in the Finnish Rally in his TR7 V8 failed to finish due to a broken oil pipe, whilst to the dismay of Leyland Roger Clarke failed with 2 stages to go (engine failure) and John Buffham stopped on the very last stage (Broken Diff)

Roger Clarkes Sparkrite Sponsored TR7 V8 sandwiched between 2 Talbot Lotus Sunbeam and 2 Chevette HSR,s. Park Ferme RAC Rally 1980.

          Tony Ponds TR7 V8 on way to 7th Place 1980 RAC Rally

                      Roger Clarkes TR7 V8 1980 RAC Rally

  Tony Ponds Battered TR7 V8 on way to 7th Place 1980 RAC Rally

Incedently, Henri Toivonen took the Sunbeam Lotus to 1st place in 1980, many say due to the hard work put into the car by Tony Pond.

That was the end of the British Leyland Rally Team, the following year, 1981 saw a few private entries of TR7 V8,s in British Rallies, these cars presumably sold off by British Leyland. John Buffham entered the 1981 RAC Rally with a private TR7 V8 Car number 24 HRW 251V but failed to finish.

                         1981 RAC Car 24 John Buffham

Trofeu model of Pond/Gallagher TR7 4th 1978 RAC Rally

Bert Smeets with one of his original Ex Works Rally Cars - JJO 931W.

Bert rallys these in anger in historical rallying, to see his website click

the following link Historical Rallying 

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