Triumph Acclaim...Turbo!

[robinmasters]

The Avon Body Company were coachbuilders, originally making complete bodies. In the Seventies they began producing specialist body conversions for Land Rover, Range Rover & Jaguar (including a Series III estate ). In the early eighties they began modifying Triumph Acclaims.

They produced a higher-specced version; two-tone paintwork, vinyl roof, leather interior, wood, chrome grill; Triumph's equivalent of a Vanden Plas model. More interestingly, they produced a turbo version of the Acclaim. This kept the two-tone paint & vinyl roof, but had a suede interior, front & rear spoilers, and alloys. It used a Garrett T3 on the standard 1335cc Honda engine, which produced 105bhp & 123 lb/ft of torque. 0-60 in 8.8 seconds*, and a top speed of 120mph.

www.aronline.co.uk/images/avonacc_02.jpg [/img]

www.aronline.co.uk/images/avonacc_04.jpg [/img]

www.aronline.co.uk/images/avonacc_05.jpg [/img]

They only made around 200, and there may be as few as 4 left; internet pictures of them are just as rare ;D They're flippin' cool, and I want one.

More here: www.a222.org.uk/acclaim/avoncoachwork.html
And here: www.retrocaricons.com/article/Triumph_Avon_Acclaim_Turbo_109

* Possibly 9.6 seconds

[smithy13]

Would like to see an engine pic. Could be the combax turbo engine fitted to the honda city turbo. The power figures look very similar to one of those.

[will]

Do like an Acclaim and have owned 2 in the past neither of which was a Avon turdblower



A couple of non turbos for your viewing pleasure

[will]

Dec 7, 2011 1:30:29 GMT smithy13 said:

Would like to see an engine pic. Could be the combax turbo engine fitted to the honda city turbo. The power figures look very similar to one of those.

Engine pic in the second link of the OP which holds plenty of info too;)

[skoda_norman]

Fantastic. I wish more survived.

[MrSpeedy]

I was having silly thoughts about these a couple of months ago, cos I knew where there was a 'spare' D16 lump sitting about and thought it would fit in the Acclaim engine bay rather nicely.

Proper OAP spec sleeper!

[RobMorris]

That is so cool - id love an Acclaim

[mrzee]

had two of these myself. First one was an absolute heap, 2nd one was the best car I ever owned. Neither were turbo's though. I've got some photos somewhere (I'll have to scan them).

[Geordie]

Found these pics...

[DarrenW]

Avon Triumph Acclaim 1 by retromotoring, on Flickr


Avon Triumph Acclaim 2 by retromotoring, on Flickr

[Geordie]

[skoda_norman]

Was a little too expensive then. Shame.

I like the discreet boost gauge!

[scoobypete]

Seems a shame to go to all that trouble to fit a turbo then add all that extra weight in the shape of bad 80s spoilers/stickers etc

Top car otherwise,shame theres next to none left i quite like um.

[MK2VR6]

I drove a standard, non-turbo one about 17 years ago. Apart from needing about 2 solid days of welding to get it through Mot, it was ridiculously lively even in standard form. Love the idea of a turbo strapped on.

[hoopsontoast]

Standard Acclaims will wheel spin everywhere (especially on standard 145 width tyres) and are 'fun' in the wet!
Make sure you like understeer, but they are very chuckable, and much better on wider, newer tyres and 0-40 is pretty swift!
Propper OAP as well!

On bottletops-

mmmmmmm....

BBS






Great cars though, 40mpg, nothing to go wrong/reliable and when it does overheat, turn off re-fill with coolant and carry on, bulletproof engine!

[stocky]

these are realy growing on me!

[Graham]

They were a great car

[alolympic]

Not really sure about these. Acclaims were fairly common when I was a kid and were never desirable in any way.
In some ways, the performance from a 1.3 is pretty impressive for the time.
On the other hand, smaller engine size aside, this is a slower, less desirable car to the Dolly Spint that Triumph were selling 10 years earlier. Progress?

[hoopsontoast]

Well the acclaim is a lot better put together, much more reliable and I guess cheeper to make than the dolomite. Its more of a newer 1300, rather than a dolomite. (Cheep, FWD, economical, basic but with comfy seats)
It cant really compared, as there really was not much triumph in an acclaim. Not that thats a bad thing, as mentioned, they resist rust pretty well (for a BL/J product) and are very reliable, well put together etc. Basically everything 70's Triumphs were not

[alolympic]

Dec 10, 2011 10:20:10 GMT hoopsontoast said:

Well the acclaim is a lot better put together, much more reliable and I guess cheeper to make than the dolomite. Its more of a newer 1300, rather than a dolomite. (Cheep, FWD, economical, basic but with comfy seats)
It cant really compared, as there really was not much triumph in an acclaim. Not that thats a bad thing, as mentioned, they resist rust pretty well (for a BL/J product) and are very reliable, well put together etc. Basically everything 70's Triumphs were not

It's a compact 4 door saloon with Triumph badge on the bonnet, I don't think a comparison is exactly unfair.

Sounds like you are an Acclaim fan after all. Funny, I thought you were trying to swap yours for a Toledo/Dolly only a few months ago after being underwhelmed? Seems odd;)
Only jesting, each to their own I guess.....