1980 Triumph TR7

The Triumph TR7 was manufactured from September 1974 to October 1981. Initially, they were produced at the Speke, Liverpool factory, before moving to Canley, Coventry, in 1978 and then finally to the Rover Solihull plant in 1980. The car was launched in the United States in January 1975 with its UK home market debut in May 1976. High demand for the vehicle was the reason for the UK delay.

The Triumph TR7 had a unique 'wedge' shape which was courtesy of Harris Mann, who also designed the wedge-shaped Princess. Its design was commonly advertised as 'The Shape of Things to Come.' The wedge shape was complimented by a swage line sweeping down from the rear wing to just behind the front wheel. Power was supplied by an eight-valve four-cylinder engine which had a 1998cc displacement size and offered just over 100 horsepower. It had the same basic design as the Triumph Dolomite Sprint engine and was mounted in-line at the front of the car. The power was sent to the rear wheels via a four-speed gearbox initially, with an optional five-speed manual gearbox or a three-speed automatic from 1976. The front independent suspension used coil springs and damper struts and a lower single link at the front, and at the rear was a four-link system, again with coil springs. There were front and rear anti-roll bars, with disc brakes at the front and drums at the rear.

by Daniel Vaughan | Jan 2017