Relic or Wreck?..1979 Triumph TR7 Convertible

Spotted in Dover Delaware is this 1979 Triumph TR7 Convertible. Introduced in 1975 as the replacement for the “Iconic” Triumph TR6 parent company dubbed the wedge shaped TR7  as “The Shape Of Things To Come”  Little did they know that the underpowered door stop looking horror would indeed be “The Shape of Things To Come” if that thing was poor build quality, labor strikes, reliability issues and eventualy the exit of Triumph in the USA. The idea was a giant leap forward compared to the designed in 1960′s TR6.  Unibody construction with a real suspension and creature comforts but the execution was terrible and British Leylands refusal to admit anything. “Oh how English of them”  To add to the misery it just didn’t have the robust TR6 six cylinder engine. The biggest mistake the Triumph made was not understanding that the reason people would put up with all the discomfort, creaking, leaks and frustration of a British Sports car was that on a perfect summer day you would flip the top down and got to hear that glorious TR6 six  cylinder and all that a classic roadster offers. The TR7 came with a mix-master sounding Slant four cylinder engine with an exhaust note that was Pinto like rather than Austin Healy like.The other mistake was due to US safety regulations the Convertible or “Drop Top” wasn’t introduced till 1979. Even with the Drop Top and the introduction of the upscale “Spyder” poor sales a dismal quality killed off the TR7 and Triumph in the USA in 1981. As per C.A.R.S. Classic Auto Appraisals due to strong values of other TR’s and great club support TR7′s values are holding and will be on the rise soon.So maybe somebody needs to save this little Drop Top. Hey who knows maybe it really was the “Shape of Things To Come”  

In 1976 Triumph was bragging about the TR7 as you can see from this classic TV commercial. The only thing they didn’t show was the tow truck you needed to get the stinkin thing home..