A convoy of more than 20 Triumph Acclaims came home yesterday, three decades years after the classic car was launched in Cowley.

Enthusiasts from across the country met at the Bullnose Morris pub in Blackbird Leys before driving to the BMW plant where more than 133,000 Acclaims were made from 1981 to 1984. Rally organiser Phil Trenchard (pictured) said: “There must be thousands of people around here who were involved in making the cars.

“This is certainly the spiritual home of the Acclaim. When I drove past the factory a few minutes ago I had a lump in my throat. It was absolutely wonderful.”

He added: “We have a passion for these cars. They are a Marmite car – you either love them or hate them – and they are fairly unique.

“But it was the last of the Triumph marque and it kept the British car industry going a few more years.

“This is probably the largest gathering since the 1980s.”

The car was launched on October 7, 1981, but there are now only 316 registered on the road. The convoy left Oxford and travelled to the Heritage Motor Centre in Gaydon where fans saw the last Acclaim ever made.

Acclaim owner Barry McGrath, 46, from Hull, said: “This car saved the British car industry. It was not just the car, it was the ethos behind the way it was made.

“It made a massive difference. It broke the mould because it worked.”