ADU7B – A Detailed Profile
JIGSAW are pleased to present ADU 7B, the only surviving ex Triumph Works Rally Spitfire, the most successful of the four original works cars built by the Triumph works to compete in the 1964 & 1965 tarmac continental rallies.
Now back in the UK for the first time since the 1960’s, having been re-united with her sister car, ADU 1B, the only racing Le Mans Triumph Spitfire from 1964/65, and under the roof of JIGSAW and ownership of enthusiast Mark Field.

ADU 7B was re-launched at the Triumph Sports Six Club International event at Stafford, August 2008, to a crowd of fellow Triumph enthusiasts, having undergone a sympathetic rebuild, which has included the reversion to RHD and the reconstruction of the bonnet having removed a GT6 bulge, the rebuild has also keep the cars heritage dents and bumps. As with ADU1B, the engine and drive train have been built up to the original factory specifications, together with the exhaust system.
Throughout this page we aim to give you some back ground into ADU7B and her sister rally cars, their build specification and drivers, along with details of the events that they entered in the two years of competition during 1964 and 1965.

ADU7B – Build Details
In preparation for the 1964 race season and in a development time of less than nine months, nine cars were built, four to compete at Le Mans, these being ADU 1B, 2B, 3B and 4B, a further four destined for the tarmac rallies, these being ADU 5B, 6B, 7B & ADU 467B, the ninth car, ADU 8B, was a test & development car that did not compete in any works competition events. An additional car, ADU 467B, was built for the use of the SMART racing team of Stirling Moss, this car was raced with some success by his secretary, Ms Valerie Pirie.
1965 saw a tenth car, AVC 654B, built for newly signed driver, Simo Lampinen, built to left hand specification at his request. This car was successful in the Monte Carlo rally, Geneva rally and with a 1296cc prototype engine in the Alpine rally.
For 1964 the rally were to run as Homologated cars and they started their life with an aluminium panelled steel body, an aluminium standard style bonnet, a close ratio Vitesse gearbox and the standard steel hardtop. After the first event, the Alpine rally of ’64, the rally cars, with the exception of 467B, received a similar glass fibre top to the Le Mans cars and also a 18 gallon fuel tank, previously having had the normal production tanks, and for the Tour de France, they borrowed the bonnets from the Le Mans cars which were painted accordingly in Wedgewood Blue, to aid with the many high speed circuit races involved in the event.
For 1965 the rally cars were to compete within the prototype class, which allowed the 1296cc engine, they also reinstated the standard bonnet which also included two additional built-in auxiliary headlamps and a centre spot lamp.
ADU7B – Rallies Entered
December 1963 saw the re-introduction of the competition department at Triumph, with the decision being made to compete at Le Mans and famous tarmac rallies on the continent.
1964
Four factory cars were prepared for the 1964 season, ADU5, 6, 7 & 8B, although 8B was prepared as the spare and never actually competed. A fifth car, in a rather awful shade of green, was prepared for Stirling Moss with his secretary Valarie Pirie being the driver.
ADU | Race No | Driver & Co Driver | Result |
1964 – Alpine Rally June 22-27 | |||
5B | 72 | Jean-Jacque Thuner & John Gretener | Retired – accident |
6B | 75 | Roy Fidler & D Grimshaw | Retired – engine |
7B | 71 | Terry Hunter & Patrick Lier | 7th GT 3rd in 1300cc class |
467B | 69 | Ms V Pirie & Ms Y Hilton | Retired – accident |
1964 – Tour de France, 6000km, 11-20 September | |||
5B | 129 | J-J Thuner & J Gretener | Retired – engine |
6B | 130 | W Bradley & R Fidler | Retired – engine |
7B | 131 | Rob Slotemaker & Terry Hunter | 10th overall GT 1st Class GT 1300 & 5th on Handicap |
467B | 132 | Ms V Pirie & Ms S Reeves | Retired – engine |
1964 – Paris 1000km, October | |||
5B | J-F Piot & J-L Marnat | 1st in class | |
1964 – Geneva, October | |||
6B | 24 | J-J Thuner & J Gretener | 5th overall, 2nd in class |
7B | 23 | Terry Hunter & P Lier | 2nd overall 1st in class |
1964 – RAC Rally, November | |||
467B | Ms V Pirie & Ms S Reeves | Retired – engine |

Alpine Rally June 1964 – Terry Hunter & Patrick Lier

Tour de France Sept 1964 – Rob Slotemaker & Roy Fidler
1965
Alongside the five cars of 1964, an additional car was prepared for new works driver, Simo Lampinen, this being the left hand drive car, AVC 654B
ADU | Race No | Driver & Co Driver | Result |
1965 – Monte Carlo, January 16-22 | |||
6B | 118 | Rob Slotemaker & Alan Taylor | 14th overall, 2nd in class |
7B | 131 | Terry Hunter & P Lier | Retired – accident |
AVC 654B | 141 | Simo Lampinen & J Ahava | 24th overall , 3rd in class |
467B | 106 | Ms V Pirie & Ms S Reeves | Retired – over time limit |
205 | J-J Thuner & J Gretener | 28th overall, 4th in class | |
1965 – Tulip Rally, May | |||
654B | S Lampinen & J Ahava | Retired – clutch | |
467B | Ms V Pirie & Ms S Reeves | Finished | |
1965 – Geneva, June | |||
5B | J-J Thuner & J Gretener | 2nd GT category & 5th overall, 1st in class | |
654B | S Lampinen & J Ahava | 2nd in class | |
1965 – Coupe de Alpes, July 19-24 | |||
5B | 5 | J-J Thuner & J Gretener | 2nd prototype |
6B | 4 | R Fidler & G Robson | Retired – broken wheel studs |
7B | 1 | R Slotemaker & A Taylor | Retired – engine |
654B | 3 | S Lampinen & J Ahava | 1st prototype |
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Monte Carlo January 1965 – Terry Hunter & Patrick Lieror

Coupe de Alpes July 1965 – Rob Slotemaker & Alan Taylor