1967 Triumph TR4A Convertible Coupe

There is a kid in every person that never truly dies. The child just grows older and moves on from the big wheel to the tricycle, then the bicycle, and then to the car. This same 'graduation' marked Triumph's history.

The company, established by two German gentlemen by the names of Siegfried Bettmann and Moritz Schulte, started out making bicycles. Then, at the turn of the 20th century, the company graduated to making motorcycles. By 1918, the last year of the First World War, Triumph had become Britain's largest motorcycle maker. Then, in the early 1920s, Bettman was persuaded to start producing motor cars. Bettmann agreed to this idea, and Triumph's first foray into car production yielded the Triumph 10/20.

In the 1930s, Triumph changed its name from Triumph Cycle Co. to Triumph Motor Company. By the late 1930s, the company was in financial difficulties. This led to the motorcycle part of the company being sold. This did little to help. Soon, the company was in terrible financial trouble and would have to close its doors. The London-based company received its final blow when it was destroyed during the Blitz bombing of London early on during World War II.

What was left of the Triumph Motor Company, which was basically just the name, was purchased by Standard Motor Company in 1944. After the conclusion of the war, with the infusion of new money and a new location in Coventry, England, Triumph introduced a new line of roadsters. People were feeling hopeful after the war's end and had a 'zest' for life. The compact and sporty roadsters were meant to capture that 'zest' and provide the company with a profitable roadster. Thus, the TR series was born.

The first series, called the TR2, had a 2-liter, twin carburetor, four-cylinder engine capable of 90 bhp. The car had an independent front suspension utilizing coil springs and a leaf spring live rear axle and was capable of touching speeds a little over 100 mph.

Then, in 1955, the company introduced its next generation of roadster called the TR3. While similar to the TR2, the new car did have many improvements, including front-wheel disc brakes. This feature made the TR3 the first of Britain's production cars to have disc brakes. Horsepower increased to 100 bhp and offered such extras as a bolt-on hard top, a heater, leather upholstery, and overdrive. In all, over 13,000 examples of this popular model would be produced until it was replaced in production by the TR3A.

Virtually the same as its TR3 predecessor, the 3A offered some very keen updates. It sported a wider front grille and a redesigned nose that seemed to 'house' the headlights compared to the TR3's headlights that protruded from its own bodywork design. The 3A offered such amenities as external door handles and a locking trunk. This model of the TR ran from 1957 until 1962. Over 58,000 examples were built.

In 1962 the TR4 was introduced. Called 'zest' throughout its development, the TR4 portrayed the company's attitude with a redesigned body style. Designed by Michelotti, the nose featured a redesigned grille and headlight arrangement that it many ways seemed an evolution from the TR3A design. The doors were not cut-outs as had been on previous models. This change made room for wind-up windows instead of a fabric side-curtain. The rear end of the car too was redesigned and offered room for a trunk. Over the course of the TR4's production run, some 40,000+ were built.

Keeping with its tradition, Triumph introduced its model TR4A in 1965. The 4A was altered just slightly from the TR4 in order to address complaints about ride comfort. Therefore, about the only difference between the TR4A and the TR4 was the use of an independent rear suspension instead of the live rear axle. TR4A's produced with the new independent rear suspension were marked with a badge that had the letters 'IRS'.

The addition of the independent rear suspension with the many other changes of the TR4 made the car quite popular and even successful on the race track. The track of the TR4 was enlarged and rack-and-pinion steering was utilized. This helped to make the car handle much more predictable and stable. The transmission had been fully synchronized and the 2.1-liter, overhead valve, four-cylinder engine of the TR3A had also been enlarged and became capable of producing a little over 104 bhp.

The car offered is a 1967 Triumph TR4A. Originally purchased in 1967 and then sold back to the original dealer (Rinke Triumph of Mount Clemens, Michigan) in 1968, the car remained with the Rinke family until 2007 when it was sold to a former Triumph mechanic.

The car's exterior has been refinished in black. The engine bay has also been detailed. The car's interior has also undergone some restoration. New seat covers, door panels and carpeting had been installed.

Under the hood sits the 2.1-liter, 104 bhp four-cylinder engine with dual SU carburetors. The car consists of a four-speed manual gearbox, independent front suspension and hydraulic front disc brakes. This model chassis also included IRS.

The Triumph TR4A offered this year has been refinished and is a handsome car. This compact roadster beckons the tight, twisty roads similar to the English lanes that traverse the island nation. As it was intended, the improved look, handling and comfort offered by the TR4A more-than adequately promises to add a little child-like zest to one's life.

Sources:
'Buy: View Lots (1967 Triumph TR4A Roadster)', (http://www.rmauctions.com/FeatureCars.cfm?SaleCode=AZ11&CarID=r304&fc=0). RM Auctions Arizona. http://www.rmauctions.com/FeatureCars.cfm?SaleCode=AZ11&CarID=r304&fc=0. Retrieved 11 January 2011.

'Manufacturers (Triumph TR4A)', (http://www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/z7348/Triumph-TR4A.aspx). ConceptCarz: From Concept to Production. http://www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/z7348/Triumph-TR4A.aspx. Retrieved 11 January 2011.

Wikipedia contributors, 'Triumph TR4', Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 11 October 2010, 18:30 UTC, http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Triumph_TR4&oldid=390109947 accessed 11 January 2011

Wikipedia contributors, 'Triumph TR4A', Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 6 January 2011, 00:23 UTC, http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Triumph_TR4A&oldid=406185510 accessed 11 January 2011

Wikipedia contributors, 'Triumph Motor Company', Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 8 January 2011, 08:53 UTC, http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Triumph_Motor_Company&oldid=406647752 accessed 11 January 2011

By Jeremy McMullen