1934 Triumph Dolomite 8C 2400

The Triumph Dolomite, with its supercharged straight-eight engine, was built for motorsport competition. Triumph would use the Dolomite moniker for several models built between 1934 and 1939 before it passed into receivership. Among the list were the 14/60, the 1.5 Liter, and 16 wearing elegant 'waterfall' radiator grilles designed in-house by Walter Belgrove. The 14/60 employed a 1,767cc overhead valve Triumph four-cylinder engine that was paired with a four-speed manual gearbox and available in Saloon, Drophead Coupe, and Roadster guise. The Saloon was built in the highest quantity, with 166 examples built.

Triumph introduced the supercharged straight-eight Dolomite in October of 1934 and was the work of Donald Healy, Tommy Wisdom, and Sir Claude Holbrook. Six engines were built along with three chassis (only one originally created by Triumph). The engine used an Alfa Romeo 8C design and produced approximately 190 horsepower. The 8C Alfas were 2.3-, 2.6-, and 2.9 liters in size. The Triumph originally displaced 1,990cc and was paired with a four-speed Armstrong Siddeley Wilson type Pre-selector gearbox. The Dolomite had a fully live setup at the rear with leaf springs and Luvax hydraulic dampers at the rear. The front received Hartford Friction shock absorbers with semi-elliptic leaf springs. Lockheed-Alfin hydraulic drum brakes provide the stopping power.

There are two surviving cars, with one incomplete car (as it was involved in an accident) residing in the Brighton Museum of Transportation in England.

The car registered as 'ADU 4' (chassis DMH 1) was raced by Donald Healey in the 1935 Monte Carlo Rally. This car was destroyed during the race when it challenged a train in Denmark for superiority. Donald had tried to beat the train across a crossing but lost at the expense of the Dolomite, and he was very lucky to have survived. The car was repaired (some state using the third chassis) and re-chassised but retained the 'ADU 4' designation. It received a bored-out 2,485cc engine without the supercharger and paired with smaller brakes. It competed in the 1936 Monte Carlo Rally, where it placed 8th overall (it ran as high as fourth).

DMH 2 was the second chassis built but never received coachwork by the factory. It was shown in 1934 at the Olympia Show.

Tony Rolt acquired the Monte Carlo car with the supercharger re-installed (along with spare parts). Rolt raced the Dolomite in 1937 at Donington, where he placed eighth overall. The car and the spare parts were later acquired by High Speed Motors who commissioned Corsica to re-body the Monte Carlo car. The second chassis was also given coachwork. Since then, the Monte Carlo car has received a restoration with the Corsica body being reworked to more closely resemble its original styling.

by Daniel Vaughan | Dec 2022