Spotted: a Triumph TR7

If the first car spot of the year is representative of the rest of the year, 2023 will be a good car year. Indeed, on January 1, we came across this Triumph TR7 in Hoorn. While it may not be the best chapter in the TR model line, we can appreciate the model. Just running into one on the street is fun anyway, of course.

The spotted specimen

The spotted Triumph TR7 was registered in 1977 and has been riding around on Dutch soil since 2002. The current owner has only owned the British sports car since last November. We wish him or her lots of riding fun in the new year.

The Triumph TR7

The Triumph TR7 entered the market in 1974 as the successor to the TR6. Whereas the TR6 was a further development of the TR5, which in turn built on the 1961 TR4, the TR7 was an entirely new car. He also had a totally different design. Instead of a traditional roadster, the TR7 was a coupe with a strong wedge shape. The TR7 and its variants remained in production through 1981. All variants combined produced a total of about 115,000 units.

Under the hood was a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, taken from the Triumph Dolomite but with enlarged engine capacity. Its power output was 78 kW (106 hp). Not much by today’s standards, but quite acceptable for the time. Incidentally, the block delivered only 69 kW (94 hp) in North America and Australia to meet local emissions requirements. Drive went to the rear wheels, via a four-speed manual transmission. Starting in 1976, a five-speed automatic transmission and a three-speed automatic were also optionally available.

Several updates followed in 1977. At the beginning of the year, the interior was updated, mainly in terms of materials used for upholstery. A “real” model year update for 1978 model year followed later in the year. For the development of the convertible version, about which more later, also in the case of the coupe, the tank filler opening was reduced and the interior lighting modified. Furthermore, the Triumph TR7 received different wheels, the partially matte black rear end was discontinued and the type designations were changed slightly. It also received an additional rise in the hood in connection with the development of the V8 version.

The Triumph TR7 drophead coupe

The Triumph TR7 was quite popular in North America. This was anticipated during development, which is why it was developed as a coupe. Indeed, it seemed that the US was going to ban new sales of convertibles for safety reasons. When those regulations turned out not to pass, Triumph still developed a convertible version of the TR7. That was the TR7 drophead coupe, without capital letters. The coupe version was retroactively called fixedhead coupe.

The Triumph TR8

Also for the American market, they developed a more powerful version of the Triumph TR7, with the 101 kW (137 hp) 3.5-liter Rover V8 under the hood. To emphasize the presence of the V8, the car was positioned as a separate model under the name TR8. Against the odds, it was not a success. The cars did not have a best image in terms of build quality, but most of all, they were quite expensive due to an unfavorable exchange rate of the pound and dollar. The TR8 was basically there only as a convertible, but 400 coupe versions were built as homologation copies for participation in the Group 4 rally championship.

Limited edition Triumph TR7

In 1980, the U.S. importer developed the TR7 Spider, a limited edition with specially assembled equipment and a run of 1,070 with carburetor, plus another 548 with fuel injection specifically for California’s then stricter emissions requirements.