Background
The globally renowned 1960’s BMC competition department was axed by then BL chairman Lord Stokes in 1970. The firm’s motor sport activities were by then more of a twilight operation run under the British Leyland Special Tuning banner. And this division was running Sprints before it was even announced: a pre-production car was entered in the 1972 Scottish Rally where Brian Culcheth and Johnstone Syer placed 19th overall and second in class. They retired from the Portuguese TAP Rally that same season.
Rallied extensively from 1974 to 1977 the factory-backed Sprint programme was nonetheless far from overt and concentrated primarily on the Group One category. Too heavy to go toe-to-toe with the ubiquitous Ford Escorts, the Sprint’s sole overall victory was the 1975 Hackle Rally in Scotland with Culcheth and Syer, who were also placed 16th outright and won their class on that year’s RAC Rally. The team was bolstered with the arrival of Tony Pond in 1976, the ex-Dealer Team Opel man scoring several class wins on route to taking the Group One category in that year’s RAC Open Rally Championship. The works equipe bowed out with seventh place and class honours on the following year’s Manx Trophy Rally with Mike Nicholson and Pat Ryan.
From May 1976 onwards, the Dolomite Sprint would run alongside the TR7 before being eventually withdrawn from rallying, the TR7 V8 taking over the mantle. In the Lombard RAC Rally of 1976, the Sprint was forced to retire with engine problems. 1977 would be the last season where factory entered Sprints would compete in any form of rallying.
This car
Unquestionably the most famous Works Dolomite built to Group 1 specification by the special tuning department at Abingdon in 1974.Notable drivers include Tony Pond, Brian Culcheth, Terry Kaby and Pat Ryan.
Its most notable results being 1975 Tour of Britain (Culcheth / Hutton) 2nd Overall;1975 Lombard RAC (Culcheth / Syer) 1st Group; 1976 Tour of Dean (Pond / Richards) 1st Group; 1976 Mintex (Pond / Richards) 1st Group 1 ;1976 Granit City (Pond Richards) 1st Group 1 and 4th Overall .
Technical
Engine: Don Moore built 1998cc 16v 4 cylinder
Induction system: Naturally Aspirated Twin Webber DCOE 48s
Drive: RWD, close ratio gearbox,4.55 rear axle with LSD
Suspension: Bilstein dampers and uprated springs
Power: 205BHP