TR7 F.A.Q.

Here's a few commonly asked questions regarding the wonderful wedge that is the Triumph TR7....

1. When was the TR7 built?
2. Why is it called the TR7?
3. Who made the TR7?
4. What's the TR8 then?
5. I remember those TR7s - didn't they get laughed at?
6. How many did they make?
7. DHC and FHC what are you on about?
8. I want an old car as my daily run about, would the TR7 be a viable option?
9. Do they rust?
10. It looks a bit like an MR2 MK1 if you squint...
11. It looks fast, is it?
12. Can you still get parts for them?
13. Are the owners all a bunch of weirdo's with beards?
14. What should I look for when buying one?
15. Who are TriumphTR7.com?
16. What clubs would you recommend?
17. I've heard that 85% of all Triumph TR7's are still on the road?
18. Do you make any money from this website?
19. I've a standard TR7 will it take leaded petrol?
20. Where can I buy a body kit from?
21. The engine is in the back yes?
22. My hairdresser has one? Is it a bit of a girl's car?
23. The convertible is much nicer than the coupe isn't it?
24. What's the TR7 Shop all about?
25. My question isn't here what should I do?

The TR7 was in production from October 1974 through to October 1981 with the convertible being introduced in 1979, at about the same time as the TR8. The car was launched in April 1975 in the USA, which was the first to get the convertible and the TR8. Virtually a year of production was missed from November 1977 through to October 1978 due to industrial action at the Liverpool plant. This period saw the complete cessation of production from November to March as relations between management and workers broke down completely, a small number of vehicles rolled off the assembly line between April and May of 1978 before production was suspended again... this saw the machinery moved to Canley (Coventry) before TR7's started to roll off the production line once more.

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The TR7 was the last of the great Triumph marque of 'TR' sports car. We won't nit-pick here as the TR8 was really just a model variation rather than an entirely different car (no arguments okay!). The range started out in 1953 with the TR2 and went on to comprise of the TR3, TR3a, TR4, TR4a, TR5 and TR250 (hmm the naming went a bit askew here), TR6 and finally the TR7 and TR8. I believe the TR8 should really have been the 7a!

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The TR7 was built by British Leyland of the UK. British Leyland was a monolithic conglomerate which had over the years acquired most of the British Car industry - Triumph and MG were just two of the many names swallowed by this leviathan which eventually strangled the life out of them and spat them out. British Leyland lives on as MG-Rover though the name Triumph is owned by BMW.

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The TR8 was the beefier version of the TR7... the TR7 was 'under powered' due to impending USA legislation and the fuel crisis of the 1970's. The TR8 bestowed the power to go with the looks but came too late to save the car.

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It's true to say that the TR7 was met with howls of derision from some quarters. Many people held (and still hold, bless 'em) the opinion that it "wasn't a proper TR" - mainly due to it not be an open-top car when it was initially introduced. The TR7 was also less powerful than it's predecessor and was a step back on the technical side - a small 2.0l 4 cylinder 8 valve engine and a much more basic suspension set up. Most of the TR7 was cobbled together from bits of other British Leyland vehicles in production at the time. Though it's true to say it doesn't have the handles of the Austin Allegro... the Austin borrowed them from the TR7!!!

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Have a guess? No wondered British Leyland was deep in financial mire, they couldn't even count the number of cars they made. The TR7 figures are a mess mainly due to the continual shifting of the production line! Figures vary but to say in the region of 115,000 wouldn't be too wide of the mark, most of these were destined for the USA market. The TR8 was never officially launched in the UK, those Right-hand drive vehivles that were built were done so for competition purposes and development... though one or two did sneak through.

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DHC - Drop Head Coupe, otherwise none as the convertible or cabriolet.
FHC - Fixed Head Coupe, the tin-lid or closed top... many were fitted with a sunroof, though in the early model this would have been an aftermarket fitment.

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They certainly can be. Reliabilty is always an issue with an old car, you should either know a bit of mechanics yourself or know someone who does! With the right regime and weekend tinkering the car is a viable option as a daily runner. The mechanicals are simple which means you can do most of the servicing yourself - there's no complicated injection system or on-board computers on these cars!

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Do they rust? If rusting was an Olympic competition the TR7 would have waltzed away with the gold medal at Montreal 1976 and again at the Moscow Olympiad in 1980!! The shape of the car didn't help and with poor rust protection old Tin Worm could settle in. The latter you can do something about, the former you can't... waxoyl is a TR7 god, and you should be prepared to go the extra mile when cleaning your car!

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There is a likeness there, but the MR2 MK1 does have more in common with the Fiat X1/9 which came out a few years prior to the TR7.

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One of the adverts claimed the TR7 'goes like a bullet' and during development it was known as the 'Bullet' project. If it's as fast as a bullet then there's some very slow bullets around! In it's day the TR7 had okay performance, acceptable for a sports tourer but not really out-right fast. Nowadays a 0 to 60 time of around 10 seconds and a top speed only a notch or two over 110mph is by no means fast and it would probably not be wise to challenge you granny in her VW Polo to a race down the dragstrip!

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The majority of parts are readily available with a number of specialists in Europe and USA/Canada.

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Hopefully not! Though I may have some stubble from time to time! Generally the owners seem to be a very normal down-to-earth bunch who are only too willing to lend assistance and advice!

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Check out the 'buying advice' article... as with buying any car do your research, and don't buy the first one you see (unless it's a cracker at the right price!!! lol)

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Just enthusiasts with a liking for the old wedge... read 'about us'.

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Without being a member of all Triumph Clubs in the world I couldn't possibly comment! I am a member of Club Triumph and TR Drivers Club (both UK) and find that both are friendly, the latter is a TR only club with a heavy TR7 bias, the former is for all Triumphs (Acclaim included!) with some good natured banter between the different cars.... especially those GT6 owners! The TR-Register also caters for the TR7 and the current registrar (Malcolm Paris) frequents our forum. I would steer clear of the TSSC (Triumph Sports Six Club) who have only recently accepted the TR7 into their folder and appear to be chasing your money - once they have it don't expect any help!!!

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True! 10% made it home, 5% are on the back of a breakdown truck and the other 85% are stationary on the road awaiting recovery.

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No. It's all ran at my expense, the hosting isn't free and the site doesn't recover any of those costs... so don't have a go if I'm slow in replying to e-mails, but feel free to ask how you can make a donation! (Errr slight change.... read about the 'shop').

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That old chestnut... read this article.

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Both Rimmer Bros and S+S Preparations in the UK do body kits for the car, some of the more extreme variations were produced by Grinnall - alas they've left the TR7 in their past.

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This is a British car - get with the beat baggy! The mid or rear-engine option for the TR7 was knocked on the head early in the development stages due to the cost implications. Front engine, rear wheel drive was not a technological challenge and thus it was the cheapest option.

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The TR7 crosses genders (that's not to say it's a cross dresser!) it probably has more male drivers purely because they need regular servicing and old cars tend to be more of a male hobby than female. The car has enthusiasts from both genders and generally wide appeal, no matter what sex the vehicle still generates a love/hate response.... and that's neat! Gatherings tend to bring out the pilots and co-pilots alike so there's always a good mix with plenty of chatter.

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No. And don't you dare say otherwise in earshot of TRisha!!! It's all down to taste, personally I have always preferred a Coupe to Convertible. Remember Tony Pond in his TR7v8 rally car? How silly would he have looked in a convertible?

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The TR7 shop is provided by 'MakeMyMegastore', neither TriumphTR7.com or any of those associated with TriumphTR7.com have any involvement in the manufacturing of these products. TriumphTR7.com do not hold any of these items in stock - they are all made to order, hence the higher cost than a mass produced item. All payment, shipping and refunds are handled by MakeMyMegastore who will not disclose any of your details to TriumphTR7.com or anyone connected with this site. The shop offers secure payment so you can purchase safely. A small percentage of any sale does come to TriumphTR7.com which will help pay our hosting costs.... if anyone actually buys anything!

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Either pop along to the forum or you could use the contact page or maybe you prefer e-mail.

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