News : 4×4 Triumph 2500PI on sale in Switzerland

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For lovers of the might-have-beens of the British motor industry, who have a few quid in their pocket, the opportunity to buy this wonderful Ferguson Formula Triumph 2500PI Estate might be too hard to resist. It’s a 1972 model, currently on offer with Classic and Vintage Cars AG in Switzerland for 55,000CHF, or around £36,900.

The car was converted to run four-wheel drive by Harry Ferguson Research, an offshoot of the tractor company, which introduced its pioneering all-wheel drive system into the automotive world via motor racing. The most famous car converted by the company was its first production model, the Jensen FF, built between 1966 and ’71, with 320 produced.

However, after the FF, the Ferguson Formula was also applied to other cars, often in prototype form, including the Dodge Challenger, Ford Zephyr and, more recently, the Opel/Vauxhall Senator, which proved rather effective during the latter days of the Cold War in East Germany as tour cars for BRIXMIS (click to read more about that).

The Triumph 2500PI for sale was built as a one-off for a Swiss customer – a doctor, who wanted a Triumph that could get him anywhere in this mountainous country. Its four-wheel drive system features a viscous coupling for its centre differential, said to be the first road car to be so equipped. It was delivered in 1972 and featured in Autocar magazine, and the doctor kept it until 1983, when it was sold to its second owner, who used it as transport for his holiday home.

It was then re-sold in 2000, to its third owner, who had the car restored in 2003. Since then it’s covered a further 20,000km (12,500 miles), and the seller says it’s in very good condition. The car comes with its interesting history extensively documented (we’d love to see that), and is one of many Triumph prototypes or one-offs that have survived.

[Click here for the advert: Triumph 2500PI FF for sale]

 

Keith Adams

10 Comments

  1. Very interesting car. The Triumph Estates were rare in any form. I liked any 2000/2500 model (particularly the twin round headlamps.) – shame they were deleted along with the Rover P6, in favour of the SD1.

    The asking price for this car still seems high, though its FF exclusivity probably accounts for that.

  2. These always looked good in Saffron but I don’t like the bonnet/bulge [no doubt necessary to clear front of rocker cover] looks like a pattern part from some body part supplier left in its pre primer colour?.

    • The bonnet bulge looks like it came off a 3 litre Capri!
      Interesting vehicle considering that with Ferguson Research being a spin-off from the old tractor company which was also originally part of the Standard-Triumph group…

  3. Nice to see it still retains its original injection system and has not fallen foul of some ludite and been fited with carbs!

  4. Hi Keith
    Did you knew about the existence of this car, Triumph 2500 PI Estate FF 4×4?https://www.car4you.ch/triumph/2500/4927880/foto
    Like to hear from you.
    fr. gr.
    Marcel

    Hi Marcel, thanks for letting us know… you are welcome… 🙂

    Yes, the existance of this car is well known – interesting to see it is for sale currently.
    Ferguson also converted an Austin 1800 from FWD to 4WD including a 70/30 (if I remember correctly) front/rear split torque still featuring the transverse 1800 engine layout – so much ahead of the time!
    Regards,
    Alexander

    Great spot – and a lovely news story to add!
    K

  5. NIce car.

    Never been in an estate version and certainly not a 4×4 version. My dad had a white Triumph 2000 (TPT 94E) and two 2500 PI’s. These were J regs. These newer cars were much better and had that lovely dash, which is still beautiful today. One was orange and the other blue. Classic cars, much missed, but never out of the garage. Good job they were company cars

  6. That was our case when new! I want old enough to drive at the time and my father didn’t keep it very long but I always liked it because it was fast and nimble. We owned a series of cats that were converted to the FF All Wheel Control system over the years including a Daimler saloon with the same drive train as the Jensen FF and a Stag that had originally been converted for GKN. Lovely to see it’s still around.

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