North Bay British Car Club
INTRODUCTION
-Triumph
TR4
In 1961 the TR4 arrived to replace
the TR3A. It was built with wider tracks and rack and pinion steering. The larger
2.1 liter engine was fitted as standard as were a new all synchromesh gearbox.
The body styling was entirely new, based largely on the Zest experiments. It
incorporated a number of important refinements like wind-up windows, through-flow
ventilation and a uniquely designed hardtop. In this hardtop the rear window
was a rigid structure bolted to the body. The roof section between the windscreen
and the rear window was detachable for open air motoring. A fabric roof option
for this section was called the "Surrey top".
Vynide was still the upholstery material, but this was no longer used as a covering
for the fascia. The metal fascia was painted white and incorporated two large
outlet vents at either end for the through-flow ventilation system. The two
main instruments were still directly in front of the driver with the smaller
instruments in a black panel in the centre of the facia. Switches were positioned
in a separate panel below the smaller instruments while the warning lights were
placed between the two main instruments.
The North American distributors were hesitant about accepting the new model,
so they ordered a supply of the old model which became known as the TR3B. This
used the old body and chassis but incorporated the new gearbox and offered the
choice of either the 2.0 or 2.1 litre engine. This version was only supplied
to the North American market.
The Leyland Motor Corporation took over Triumph around this time and they were
unenthusiastic about competition, so the LeMans cars were sold. A racing coupe
had been designed by Micholetti and built by Conrero, a respected Italian tuning
expert, and this project was cancelled.
The Triumph management were obviously very persuasive as the following year
a works team was re-established and four TR4s were prepared for competition.
These cars were fast, light and possessed excellent road holding. They distinguished
themselves in the 1962 Alpine Rally and proved their reliability in events as
diverse as the Tulip Rally, RAC Rally and the Canadian Shell 4000. Their last
outing was in 1964.
TR4A
By 1965 potential buyers were complaining that the TR4 had a very hard ride
compared to competitors like the MGB and Sunbeam Alpine. To cater for these
views the company introduced the TR4A version. It had a new frame with a coil
sprung independent rear suspension. The body and styling remained almost identical
to the TR4 model. The most notable change was the grille which now consisted
of plain, horizontal slats, in place of the egg-crate design used for so many
years previously. The side lights were moved from their former position in the
top corners of the grille and placed in chrome plated plinths on the front wings,
which also incorporated side repeaters for the direction indicators. A chrome
flash ran back from these plinths to the door handles.
As with the original TR4 five years before, the North American distributors
demanded a live axle version in case buyers did not take to the irs model. (The
North American market was beginning to get troublesome around this time.) Performances
were improving all round and it was necessary for Triumph to take steps to stay
ahead of the competition. However, exhaust emissions regulations in the US were
starting to strangle the output of all but the largest capacity engines.
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