A 1966 Triumph TR4 on display at the Quay Green Classic Car Meet, part of the 2018 Sandwich Festival, Kent
The Triumph TR4 is a sports car produced by the Triumph Motor Company from 1961 to 1965. Code named "Zest" during development, it was 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. As 40,253 cars were built during its production years it proved to be very successful. 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. 1964 TR4 with "Surrey Top" backlight Advanced features included the use of adjustable fascia ventilation, and the option of a unique hard top that consisted of a fixed glass rear window (called a backlight) with an integral rollbar and a detachable, steel centre panel (aluminium for the first 500 units). This was the first such roof system on a production car and preceded by five years the Porsche 911/912 Targa, which has since become a generic name for this style of top. On the TR4 the rigid roof panel was replaceable with an easily folded and stowed vinyl insert and supporting frame called a "Surrey top". The entire hard top assembly is often mistakenly referred to as a Surrey top. In original factory parts catalogues the rigid top and backlight assembly is listed as the Hard Top kit. The vinyl insert and frame are offered separately as a Surrey top. Features such as wind-down windows were seen as a necessary step forward to meet competition and achieve good sales in the important US market, where the vast majority of TR4s were eventually sold. Dealers had concerns that buyers might not fully appreciate the new amenities, therefore a special short run of TR3As (commonly called TR3Bs) was produced in 1961 and '62. As of Q1 2011 there were approximately 739 licensed and 138 SORN TR4s registered with the DVLA.
Size: 5452px × 3674px
Location: Teh Quay Green, Sandwich, Kent
Photo credit: © John Gaffen / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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