Record-breaking Triumph TR saved for museum

Published: 12/03/2020

A truly iconic Triumph TR2, MVC575 which broke the land speed record for production cars under two litres in 1953, has seen its future secured at the British Motor Museum with a £250K National Heritage Memorial Fund grant.

The unique, record-breaking Triumph TR2 prototype sports car has been acquired by the British Motor Museum with £250,000 from the National Heritage Memorial Fund (NHMF) and was unveiled with a press launch on 10th March 2020.

In May 1953, during speed trials at Jabbeke in Belgium, this car reached a speed of 124.783 miles per hour, setting a record for a two-litre road car at that time. The invaluable publicity from the achievement led the Triumph TR marque becoming a household name across the world.

In 2015, the vehicle was purchased by Glen Hewitt, a TR Register member and proprietor of Protek Engineering in Wallingford who undertook an incredible restoration, lasting just under two years.

MVC 575, has now been secured for the nation for a total of £250,000 and, as an important piece of the UK’s motor history, will be displayed at the British Motor Museum in Gaydon where visitors can enjoy and learn more about it. Occasionally, the museum promise that there will be a chance for the public to see the Triumph in motion.

René Olivieri, Interim Chair of The National Heritage Memorial Fund, said: “This is a truly triumphant day. A beacon of the UK’s pioneering motoring industry in its heyday, this Triumph TR2 prototype is a very important piece of our industrial and social heritage. At the National Heritage Memorial Fund we felt it was imperative to save it for the nation, for future generations to enjoy.”

Nigel Huddleston Heritage Minister said: “The Triumph TR2 prototype is an important part of our national automotive history. This classic car reached a speed of almost 125 miles per hour, setting a record in 1953 and went on to influence a line of successful TR sport cars. I'm delighted that, thanks to the National Heritage Memorial Fund, this unique sports car will now go on display to the public at the British Motor Museum in Warwickshire."

Stephen Laing, Head of Collections at British Motor Industry Heritage Trust, said: “The Jabbeke TR2 record car is a perfect example of the lengths that motor manufacturers were going to, in order to restore their markets and promote their products in the post war years. It was also the first in a long line of modern models for a revived Triumph brand, now one of the most popular sports car names around the world. We are delighted that the NHMF has generously enabled the British Motor Museum to purchase a car that complements its collection and the story of the motor industry so well.”

FBHVC member club, the TR Register covered the rebuild extensively in TR Action Magazine, was there at the launch of the restoration at the RAC Club in Pall Mall and even took it back to Jabbeke in 2017. MVC 575 has been a part of TR Register life since the mid-1970s when it would be seen at club events and AutoTests. The arrival at the British Motor Museum marks an exciting moment in the life of this iconic TR.

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Ken Timms Chairman of Board of Trustees at the British Motor Museum and David Stocker, Trustee for The National Heritage Memorial Fund announced the addition of MVC 575 to the collection at Gaydon.