TR4s like this are not easy to find. It's been owned and maintained locally by one owner for the last 23 years. It has the valuable overdrive transmission, a clutch with just 4,000 miles on it, an aluminum radiator and an alternator conversion.
History of the Triumph TR4
The Triumph TR4 is a sports car produced by the Triumph Motor Company from 1961 to 1965. As the successor to the TR3A, the car was based on the chassis and drivetrain of the previous TR sports cars, but with a modern body designed by Michelotti.
In spite of its modern styling, a total of only 40,253 cars were built during its 5-year production run. In comparison, the TR2 sold 8,635 units in its 3-year run from 1953–1955; 74,800 TR3s in an 8-year run from 1955 to 1962; 94,500 TR6s in an 9-year run from 1968–1976,; and 111,500 TR7s over a 7-year run from 1975–1981.
Styling and coachwork
Code named "Zest" during development, the new TR4 body style did away with the cutaway door design of the previous TRs to allow for wind-down (roll-up) windows in place of less convenient side-curtains. The angular rear allowed a boot (trunk) with considerable capacity for a sports car.
Engineering
The pushrod Standard inline-four engine, was designed for use by the Ferguson TE20 tractor. The TR4 engine was continued from the earlier TR2/3 models, but the displacement was increased from 1991cc to 2138 cc in the TR4 by increasing bore size. Gradual improvements in the manifolds and cylinder head allowed for some improvements culminating in the TR4A model.
Other key improvements over the TR3 included a wider track front and rear, slightly larger standard engine displacement, full synchromesh on all forward gears, and rack and pinion steering. In addition, the optional Laycock de Normanville electrically operated overdrive could now be selected for second and third gears as well as fourth, effectively providing the TR4 with a seven-speed manual close ratio gearbox.
The TR4 was originally fitted with 15x4.5" disc wheels. Optional 48-lace wire wheels could be ordered painted the same colour as the car's bodywork (rare), stove-enamelled (matte silver with chrome spinners, most common) or in matte or polished chrome finishes (originally rare, but now more commonly fitted). The most typical tyres originally fitted were 590-15 bias ply or optional radial tyres. In the US at one point, American Racing alloy (magnesium and aluminium) wheels were offered as an option, in 15x5.5" or 15x6" size. Tyres were a problem for original owners who opted for 60-spoke wire wheels, as the correct size radial-ply tyre for the factory rims was 155–15, an odd-sized tyre at the time only available from Michelin at considerable expense. Some original TR4 sales literature says the original radial size was 165–15. The much more common 185-15 radials were too wide to be fitted safely. As a result, many owners had new and wider rims fitted and their wheels re-laced.
