Friday 31 October 2008

4WD Triumph

Five years ago I put together a web page with some photographs and details of the 4WD Triumph put together in the late 1960s. Unfortunately the web page was lost a while ago, but I recently found the photographs on my computer, so I'm uploading them here in case anyone is still interested.

Background Information

Sometime in the 1960s, Triumph designed a 4WD utility vehicle utilising 1300 FWD derived components, called the Triumph Pony. From what I can tell, Triumph never went into production with the vehicle, instead series production was taken up by a company called Autocars in Haifa, Israel who turned the Pony into the Dragoon.

Triumph Pony / Autocars Dragoon
Triumph Pony / Autocars Dragoon

Autocars Dragoon
Autocars Dragoon

Triumph Pony - registration CHP 786C
Triumph Pony - registration CHP 786C


Triumph Pony / Autocars Dragoon Technical Specification

Engine
Triumph 4 cylinder, I-I-W-F (cylinders in line, valves in head (OHV), water cooled, front mounted), 1498cc, 56 bhp @ 4300rpm

Transmission
4F1R x 2

Brakes
Hydraulic

Tyres
6.50-13

Wheelbase
2.01 m.

Overall
l x w x h : 3.43 x 1.57 x 1.93 (max) m.

Weight
991 kg. GVW on/off road : 1638 / 1435 kg.

Note
Normally front-wheel drive, engagement of rear wheel drive also engages low range. DeDion front axle. Semi-elliptic springs front and rear. Produced to British design (Triumph 'Pony').

Triumph Pony Gearbox

Pony Gearbox from Canley Classics (shown with genuine Le Mans Spitfire wheel)
Pony Gearbox from Canley Classics (shown with genuine Le Mans Spitfire wheel)


Motorsport

However, the story doesn't end there. The Triumph Competition's department took a 1300 FWD, and fitted a Le Mans Spitfire 70X spec engine, 2000 LSD rear end and the Pony 4WD system. Now we're talking! The result is shown below, being driven to first place by Brian Culcheth at a televised Autocross at Lydden in Kent, in February 1969.

Getting some air!
Getting some air!


Brian at the Wheel!
Brian at the Wheel!


Unfortunately, in an event later in the same year at High Egdorough, the car with Brian Culcheth at the wheel broke a trailing arm, rolled and was comprehensively written off.

Oh dear!
Oh dear!


'finishing lines' - courtesy of Classic Cars Magazine
'finishing lines' - courtesy of Classic Cars Magazine


Letter from Brian Culcheth to Jason Chinn
Letter from Brian Culcheth to Jason Chinn


Further reading

I'm assuming (until David Pearson tells me otherwise) that the Pony gearbox will bolt on to the back of the FWD engine in a similar fashion to the FWD gearbox -

FWD transmission
FWD transmission


Here's a more detailed cross section of the arrangement of the FWD gearbox. It would be great to get a similar diagram of the Pony gearbox arrangement -

FWD cross section of clutch, gearbox and final drive
FWD cross section of clutch, gearbox and final drive


Here's the arrangement of the RWD rear axle. Note the mounting points of the "trailing suspension link (2)" and the "semi-trailing radius rod (4)" -

RWD rear axle
RWD rear axle


Here's the arrangement of the FWD rear axle. I'm assuming that the FWD rear axle shares the same mounting points as the RWD rear axle.

FWD rear axle
FWD rear axle


If anyone's actually up for doing this conversion, I'd be very interested to see the results!

6 comments:

rusliesophian said...

Good work Craig,
I never knew that Triumph do the 4WD vehicle.
Thanks for ur info.
Regards,
Ruslie
http://gapis4WD@blogspot.com

Unknown said...

I have in my possession some photos of a Standard 4X4 truck dating to summer '64. I think they are of a predecessor of the Triumph Pony

Unknown said...

I have in my possession some photos of a Standard 4X4 truck dating to summer '64. I think they are of a predecessor of the Triumph Pony

Gareth said...

above you put 2000 LSD rear end but the photo of the underside does not look like a 2000 do you know what it was from?

Craig Gingell said...

Hi Gareth, I think you're right. If it's not a 2000 rear end, I've no idea (yet) what it is.

Unknown said...

Hi Craig

I have a copy of the factory workshop manual for the Triumph Dragoon, it has diagrams of the 4wd gearbox. if you'd like me to seen you some pictures I'm "That man" on the club triumph forum.