Beschreibung:

Triumph was late to the postwar sports market, its first real sports car, the TR2, not appearing until 1954. The marque did not lack a sporting pedigree. Triumph Glorias had taken class titles in the Monte Carlo Rally before the war, and the Dolomite roadster of 1934-38 was particularly handsome and performed well. In 1945, the foundering company was acquired by John Black’s Standard Motor Company, then seeking to broaden its market appeal. The first Triumphs to come from this combine were a series of handsome, if upright, roadsters and a razor-edge saloon latterly called “Renown.” Standard, meanwhile, was readying its own postwar car, the American-influenced Vanguard. While the Vanguard’s body was anything but sporty, looking not unlike a fastback ’46 Ford, its engine was state of the art, a wet-sleeve overhead valve four of 2-liter capacity, and incredibly sturdy. The TR2 had its roots in the TRX, an envelope-body sports study commissioned by Black in 1950. Intended as a successor to the earlier roadsters, it did not go into production. Instead, a smaller, more basic car was devised using a similar chassis. The production TR2 had cut-down doors, prominent rear fenders and a hallmark tunneled grille. Triumph’s ads gave the nose unusual prominence, advising motorists that if they saw it in their mirrors they should pull over and let it race by. In 1956, the TR2 was succeeded by the TR3, with a more conventional grille and front disk brakes. Engines gained more power as the twin SU carburetors were enlarged. For 1962, a total restyle was completed by Michelotti, resulting in the TR4, introduced in August 1961. The chassis gained rack-and-pinion steering; the body was longer, lower and wider, with roll-up windows in the doors. The engine, enlarged to 2,138cc, developed 105 brake horsepower. In 1965, independent rear suspension was added, and the model designation changed to TR4A. Nearly 30,000 were produced in the three years it was built. This 1967 TR4A was recently restored, finished in French Blue. The leather interior was completed in 2008 and is light camel in color. The trunk lining was also replaced at this time. It has the characteristic Triumph wood dashboard and steering wheel. The car was gone over mechanically, and carburetors and braking components, including power front disks, were renewed and readjusted as necessary. The engine, the ultimate development of the legendary Vanguard unit, runs smoothly and energetically, and the IRS renders it one of the best-handling early Triumphs, making the car more than fun to drive.