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  • Triumph Acclaim (1981-1984)

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Motor Cars
Britain
1980s

Triumph Acclaim

 1981 to 1984
Triumph Acclaim motor car history
Overview
ManufacturerBritish Leyland/Honda
Production1981–1984 133,626 made
Body and chassis
Body style4-door saloon
RelatedHonda Ballade
Powertrain
Engine1335 cc Straight-4
Transmission5-speed manual 3-speed automatic
Dimensions
Wheelbase91 in (2,311 mm)
Length161 in (4,089 mm)
Width63 in (1,600 mm)
Height53 in (1,346 mm)

 

The Triumph Acclaim was a front-wheel drive medium-sized family car made by British Leyland (BL) from 1981 to 1984. It was based on the Honda Ballade and used a Honda-designed engine, but met United Kingdom component-content requirements. It was the final model of the Triumph marque.

The development process began in 1978, when British Leyland entered into negotiations with Honda to develop a new small family saloon. This was originally intended as a stopgap measure until the Maestro/Montego models were to be ready for production in 1983. On 26 December 1979 Michael Edwardes officially signed a collaboration between the two companies. The new car went into production 18 months later, badged as the Triumph Acclaim and based on the Honda Ballade. It replaced the Triumph Dolomite of the 1970s. The Acclaim was officially launched by BL on 7 October 1981. The end of Dolomite and TR7 production meant that the Acclaim was the only car to wear the Triumph badge after 1981.

The Acclaim was significant as the first essentially Japanese car to be built within the European Economic Community (now the European Union), to bypass Japan's voluntary limit of 11 percent market of the total number of European sales. The Acclaim was also a major turnaround point for BL itself, with the car sporting good reliability and build quality from the outset. The Acclaim holds the record for the fewest warranty claims for a BL car. Unlike previous Triumphs, it was assembled at the Pressed Steel Fisher Plant at Cowley Oxford, taking over the withdrawn Austin Maxi production lines. It paved the way for the Honda-based, Rover-badged range of cars which BL (and successor organisations Austin Rover and Rover Group) would develop throughout the 1980s and 1990s.

The most notable outward change from the Honda was the appearance of a central badge on the grille. At the time, the Japanese model had "Honda" to the right-hand side of the grille. Other changes included twin Keihin carburettors (the Ballade had only a single carburettor), the mirrors were situated on the doors, the independent front and rear MacPherson strut suspension was tweaked for the UK market and the seats were based on Morris Ital frames. The Acclaim was provided in a more luxurious interior trim than its Honda equivalent, even in its base models. The brakes were disc at the front and drum at the rear.

All Acclaims were powered by the transverse-mounted all alloy and overhead-cam 1335 cc engine found in the Honda Civic driving the front wheels through either a five-speed manual gearbox or a three-speed Trio-matic (which was a manually selectable automatic transmission) gearbox (the same as the Hondamatic) and the interior was nearly identical (except for the seats). The usual BL trim levels were offered: L, HL, HLS and the top of the range CD, which had front and rear electric windows, chrome bumpers, headlamp washers, 165/70 tyres (the L had 145/80 tyres and the HL & HLS had 155/80 tyres), plastic wheel trims, velour upholstery with seat pockets on the back of the front seats, front seat head restraints and optional air conditioning. The car remained largely the same throughout its production life. A Mark 2 version of the Acclaim came out in 1983 (from VI No. 180415 onwards). The main changes were to the exterior door handles, an electronic digital clock replaced the previous mechanical one, a restyled steering wheel, a restyled gear knob, the rear interior door handles (they were just swapped) and the heater recirculation control, which was moved. Mark 2 HL and HLS cars were better equipped than the earlier ones.

  • PERFORMANCE
    max power (DIN): 70 hp (51 kW) at 5,750 rpm
    max torque (DIN): 74 1b ft, 10.2 kg m (100 Nm) at 3,500 rpm
    max engine rpm: 6,000; 52.4 hp/l' (38.6 kW/l)
    power-weight ratio: HL Saloon 25.5 lb/hp (34 6 lb/kW), 11.5 kg/hp (15.7 kg/kW)
    Fuel consumption: 34 mil gal, 28.3 m/US gal, 8.3 1x 100 km at 75 mph, 120 km/h.

Triumph Acclaim dash view

There was a limited-edition Avon Acclaim that had leather seats with piping to match the body colour, leather door panels, wooden and leather trimmed dashboard, wooden door cappings, two-tone metallic paint, colour-coded wheels with chrome embellishers, chrome-plated grille, colour-coded headlamp surrounds, vinyl roof and extra soundproofing. There was also an Avon Turbo, which had Lunar alloy wheels with 205/60 tyres, suede upholstery, front air dam, and side decals. A Turbo Technics turbocharger increased the engine's power output from the standard 70 bhp to 105 bhp. It is thought that there are only four surviving Avon Turbos including the press car (VWK689X), which was the first Avon Turbo.

In 1982 and 1983, the Acclaim featured in the top-ten-selling cars in Britain, the first Triumph to achieve this feat since records began in 1965.

Production finished in the summer of 1984 when the Rover 200 was launched, based on the next incarnation of the Honda Ballade. A total of 133,625 Acclaims were produced, the vast majority of which were sold in the UK.The last Acclaim off the production line (a silver CD with the Trio-matic) is now in the Heritage Motor Centre. The Acclaim's demise saw the end of the Triumph marque as a car (although the name continues in motorcycles), as Austin Rover's restructuring retained only the Austin, Rover and MG marques.

Triumph Acclaim rear sise view

On Sunday 9 October 2011, to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the launch of the Acclaim, 23 Acclaims were gathered at the Cowley works where the cars were built and the Heritage Motor Centre. This included the oldest known surviving Acclaim, the first Avon Turbo, the final production Acclaim and the only known nut-and-bolt restored Acclaim.

Triumph Acclaim history 1980s cars Britain

Related items
Triumph Acclaim | Honda related | Britain 1980s | Vehicles launched in 1981 | Turbo Technics

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Technical

Technical
  • Triumph Acclaim Technical details and specifications (1981-1984)


    ENGINE
    Honda, location front
    4 stroke, stratified charge; 4 cylinders, vertical, in line
    Engine capacity: 81.5 cu in, 1,335 cc
    bore and stroke: 2.83x 3,23 in,.72 x 82 mm
    compression ratio: 8.4:1
    light alloy block with cast iron liners
    light alloy head
    5 crankshaft bearings
    valves: 3 per cylinder (one intake and one exhaust in main combustion chamber, one intaké in auxiliary chamber), overhead, Vee-slanted, rockers
    camshafts 1,overhead, cogged belt
    lubrication rotary pump, full flow filter
    6.3 imp pt. 7.6 US pt, 3.6 1
    2 Keihin Seiki twin barrel carburettors
    fuel feed: electric pump
    emission control by. CVCC controlled combustion, catalytic converter and exhaust gas recirculation
    water-cooled
    (Optional) air-conditioning

    TRANSMISSION
    driving wheels: front
    clutch: single dry plate (diaphragm)
    gears: 5, fully synchronized
    ratios: I 2.916, II 1.764/ III 1.181, IV 0.846, V 0712, rev 2.916
    (Optional) gearbox: mechanical-semi-automatic (Trio-matic) with, torque converter
    (1 2.047, Il 1.370, Ill 1.032, rev 1.954)
    gear lever location: central
    final drive: helical spur gears
    axle ratio: 4:642

    CHASSIS
    integral, front auxiliary frame
    front suspension: independent, by McPherson, coil springs/telescopic damper struts, lower Mishbones (trailing links), anti-roll bar
    rear: independent, by MCPherson, coil springs/telescopic damper struts, lower wishbones (torque arms).

    STEERING
    rack-and-pinion
    turns lock to lock: 3.30.
    turning circle: 32.1 ft, 9.8 m
    BRAKES
    front disc (diameter 8.50 in, 21.5 cm), rear drum, servo
    swept area front 127 sq in, 820 sq cm
    swept area rear 43.7 sq in, 282 sq cm
    total 170.7 sq in, 1,102 sq cm.

    ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT
    12 V
    45 Ah battery
    60 A alternator
    contactless fully electronic ignition
    2 headlamps - HLS and CD saloons 2 halogen headlamps.

    DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT
    wheel base: 91.34 in, 232 cm
    tracks: 53.54 in, 136 cm front, 54.33 in, 138 cm rear
    length: 161.22 in, 409 cm
    width: 62.99 in, 160 cm
    height: 52.95 in, 134 cm
    ground clearance: 6.49 in, 16 cm
    weight: HL Saloon 1,784 1b, 809 kg - HLS Saloon 1,797 1b, 815 kg - CD Saloon 1 ,819 1b, 825 kg
    weight distribution: 60% front, 40% rear

    © Motor car History

Service
  • Triumph Acclaim Service Guide (1981-1984)

    Fuel: 91 oct petrol
    Oil: engine 6.3 imp pt, 7.6 US pt, 3.6 1, SAE 20W-50, change every 7,800 miles, 12,500 km
    Gearbox and final drive 4.4 imp pt, 5.3 US pt, 2.5 1, SAE 80 EP, change every 31,100 miles, 50,000 km
    Tyre pressure: front 24 psi, 1.7 atm, rear 24 psi, 1.7 atm.
    Coolant capacity: 88 imp pt, 10.6 US pt. 5 1.
    Width of rims: 4.5"
    Tyres: 155 x 13 - CD Saloon 165/70 x 13.
    Carrying capacity: 882 1b, 400 kg
    Fuel tank: 10.1 imp gal, 12.1 US gal

    © Motor car History

Manuals

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    Triumph Acclaim motor car details specification Production years,history vehicle body Variant types.
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