Vehicle Description
1976 Triumph TR7 Coupe
Introduced in 1975, Triumph's TR7 coupe represented a bold new
styling direction for the British automaker, whose other coupe and
convertible offerings were beginning to show their age. With a
distinctive and futuristic wedge shape, the TR7 put the company
back into the spotlight, and accomplished its mission of drawing
sports car buyers back into Triumph showrooms. As described in this
print ad from the TR7's first year on the market, the car's
slippery shape "knives through the air, forcing the front wheels
down," for "solid" and "uncannily precise" handling. The low drag
shape had another benefit too: enhanced fuel economy, a major
selling point to buyers with vivid memories of fuel shortages and
drastic gas price increases.
For consignment, a 1976 Triumph TR7 coupe with an engine redux in
2021 and a repaint, the car has also been the recipient of service
performed by Ragtops and Roadsters, one of the premiere British car
shops in the country.
Exterior
A prominent black bumper fronts the wedge which is painted British
Racing Green, contrasted in the back as well by the rear bumper and
along the rocker panel trimmed in black. There's also a unique
black trim piece on the rear pillar and the laurel wreath Triumph
logo decal on the nose of the hood. Hidden headlights help the car
slice through wind while a pair of hood vents relieve the engine of
some heat. The back of the window and door gap share their angle
with the steeplyraked windshield which leads to a straight roof
line that drops vertically at the rear window. The lines repeat
over a straight trunk lid and vertical tail, interrupted only by
the luggage rack on top. Twin tailpipes extend past the rear bumper
and 13-inch wheels wear tires with a late 2020 date code. The very
British taillights are small and spread wide, flanking the recessed
cove where the license plate lives with enough room for a European
plate. Imperfections include some bubbling in the paint, chipped
paint on the door handle, and some orange peel paint.
Interior
Green and black plaid patterned inserts highlight the door panels
which feature small sized hardware to fit the car's diminutive
scale. The bucket seats share this pattern on the inserts,
surrounded by black vinyl in shapely side bolsters and small head
restraints. The Triumph embossed steering wheel leads to a tidy
black backed dash and gauge cluster behind plexiglass with simple
gauges, while the center stack houses two more gauges and a variety
of switches over the vent controls surrounding an AM/FM radio. A
leather booted stout shifter is in the center console and low pile
black carpet covers the floor. A light colored headliner is up top,
loose in some spots but fully intact. Overall, the interior is in
great shape with no cracks or glaring marks on the seats, or
plastic components.
Drivetrain
Though the strut towers show some chipping paint, the engine itself
is very clean and is a 1998cc SOHC inline 4 cylinder rated at 86
horsepower and fed fuel by the 2 Su carburetor setup. A 4-speed
manual transmission sets the green wedge in motion and sends power
to the rear wheels where 3.67 gears are found. Power brakes are
onboard with discs in front and drums in the rear.
Undercarriage
Patina in the form of surface rust is prominent underneath but
we're not seeing invasive rust, sludge build up on the knuckle, nor
much in the way of leaks. The rear differential has residual oil on
it but the underneath beyond that is mostly dry. MacPherson struts
are up front while semi-trailing arms and coil springs are in the
back. The single exhaust runs from headers to a single glasspack
style muffler just before exiting through chrome tips.
Drive-Ability
We're rarely disappointed by well sorted Triumphs and this one is
consistent with that. It's a spry little wedge that takes to the
test loop with adequate acceleration, fantastic handling, and very
good braking. A few things of note include the speedometer and
odometer are not functioning, the reverse lights do not illuminate,
and the clock is not working. All other functions operate as
intended. While Classic Auto Mall represents that these functions
were working at the time of our test drive, we cannot guarantee
these functions will be working at the time of your purchase.
A British Car from the bicentennial year. How's that for irony?
Meanwhile, in 1976, the Brits were still doing small sports cars as
well as anyone in the world and this wedge shaped TR7 represented a
revolutionary new shape, (revolutionary, see what I did there?).
Anyway, these are great little cars with a strong American
enthusiast following, and not a single traitor in the bunch!
Seriously, well sorted British cars like this one are collectible
and fun and they don't take up much room in your garage.
ACL0016209U
A-Speke Assy Plant
C-TR7/TR8
L-1976 North American Coupe
0016209-Sequential Unit Number
U-USA Spec Car
Classic Auto Mall is home to more than 1,000 classic and
collectible vehicles for sale via consignment in a climate
controlled 336,000-square foot showroom (that's more than 8
acres!). The largest single location consignment dealer of classic
and collectible vehicles in the country is located in Morgantown,
Pennsylvania, just 1-hour west of Philadelphia off Exit 298 of the
I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. For more information visit
www.classicautomall.com or call us at (888) 227-0914. Contact us
anytime for more information or to come see the vehicle in
person.
With so many great cars, you know we have a lot to talk about, and
we do that each week on the Classic Auto Mall Podcast with host
Stewart Howden. Stewart discusses new inventory as well as trends
in consignments and car prices, while interviewing celebrities and
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