The Triumph TR7 is the Most Controversial Sportscar of All Time

Of all British Leyland's strokes of genius and failure, none seem to evoke quite as many mixed emotions as their '70s wedgy sportscar - the Triumph TR7.
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[@garygriffiths2911]

Yet another insightful look back at our motoring past from someone far too young to have been around at the time. The increasingly well scripted and smoothly presented output of this channel is I think a credit to its creator. Indeed, although obviously made on a shoestring and very much a 'one man band' effort these videos remind me strongly of the kind of the broadcast quality stuff Quentin Wilson used to produce for the BBC some years ago now - and I mean that in a good way!

[@TwinCam]

Thanks Gary, that's very kind of you to say :)

[@unbalancedcrank]

Yes definitely!

[@menwaralanazi47]

well said !

[@thatcheapguy525]

yes, Quentinesque but without the pomposity

[@keithmartin1328]

@@TwinCam For someone so young you have an excellent knowledge about the British car industry.

[@davidbowie2046]

My Dad used to make these in their Speke plant, Liverpool. People always blame the unions for the failure of this car, but I remember being stood outside the plant, with my Dad when they were on strike. They were struggling to get the parts to make the cars, machinery wouldn’t work, designs would not match and a whole load of other problems that had nothing to do with the actual workers, but designers and management. It still holds a special place in my heart and always thought they looked so cool and still do. Thanks for bringing back a lot of happy memories.

[@robertfaulkner7152]

I would totally agree with you on that. I'm sure it was the Bean counters fault, especially when it came to that crappy Lucas electricals. My best friend had a brand new 1981 TR7 5 speed. I absolutely love that car except for all the electrical problems that car had and we're talking brand new. Unfortunately that car spent more time in the shop getting fixed. Then it did on the road. But it was still a blast to drive!

[@mikes6961]

I remember the commercials for the TR7. " the shape of things to come" as it pulled into a wedge shaped garage.

[@Arltratlo]

wow, did the garages still build for those cars???

[@glennmorrell4907]

40 years ago I had a friend who had a TR7 like this and after we got off work at 6AM we’d cruise the highways for an hour or so going up to 100 mph. What a blast we had…loved that car. Then one dayhe traded it for a Dodge Charger 2.2 and the good times were over…

[@davidw6469]

Brilliant video. As a young lad about 9 years of age, one of these lived around the corner from my Mum and Dad’s house. It had a private registration plate that were my initials. How I wanted that car. I just had to make do with my Corgi TR7 rally car!

[@Frank_Nemo]

RON 5R ?

[@martynanstis1620]

I had a convertible of the same year and colour as the car featured. I loved it at the time, my first sports car even though the brakes could fade badly with constant use and pushed hard. Definitely a comfortable ride.

[@ericgleixner4074]

I remember when they came out. Biggest problem was the Datsun 280z really had them beat in the market. Smoother more comfortable and esthetically desirable, mechanically last forever. Datsun totally took the customer base that triumph was shooting for.

[@TheLeylander]

I've had two of these and loved both first when I was 18 years old ,and I still have a soft spot for the TR7 , they were a massive part of my younger years , still a beautiful car in my opinion. Thanks for sharing this really took me back 😀

[@flybobbie1449]

Yes had mine in the 80's.

[@garyt123]

Yep. Still a beautiful car IMHO.

[@xavierdaume2757]

It was 1979 when my parents bought me a TR7 , I really enjoyed it too, it was a lot of fun to drive and the girls in College loved riding on it, but after a while the car started with constant electrical problems and the intonation of both carbs was a headache... But I still loved it, you know how it is when you´re young and you don´t care that much.

[@UberLummox]

Unigue looking, but not in a bad way. If I hadda find something not great, it's a little stubby looking maybe. And the wheels were never what you'd call amazing looking. The ones on this one however really help the car out. (who made those?) Its color doesn't hurt either.

[@toberwine]

The wheels are original fitment alloys

[@arthurthedane9204]

I had a TR7 from new. I used it for my daily commute from West Sussex to Wimbledon for 2 years (500 miles a week). I then took it to Oslo for my daily commute. Oslo gets to minus 30 degrees C in winter & other than needing to fit studded tyres & a block heater to stop the engine freezing up, it never let me down. I remember it fondly.

[@TBfilms657]

so it was a triumph basically?

[@guaporeturns9472]

Buddy had a new TR-7.. thing was in the shop mor than it was on the road

[@Poz100]

An interesting video, well presented and researched. I suggest the featured TR7 DHC (41 years old judging by the number plate) is in need of steering maintenance if the presenter feels it’s steering is heavy at anything above parking speeds. The TR7’s steering is light and communicative (not dead from feel as described) once on the move. Also if you’ve grown up with power steering and not used to manual, you won’t be used to moving the car before turning the steering wheel. I’ve had my TR7 DHC since 1986 when small cars weren’t expected to have PAS like larger upmarket cars. It’s a generational thing. Over 30 years ago I converted mine to an uprated TR8 specification. It’s an absolute riot!

[@phuketexplorer]

I owned a Speke built rot box in 1996. Within a week of ownership the cylinder head warped because of the incorrectly positioned header tank that could remain full of water with an empty radiator. It took two head skims and months off the road to discover the ongoing cause! So bad was this car, I decided to buy another in 1980. A Canley built masterpiece. It NEVER let me down over 12 years of ownership - not once! I wish I still had it 😭

[@JamesGale1]

Something doesn't compute... "I owned a Speke built rot box in 1996", and then "I decided to buy another in 1980" (which lasted you until 1992). Did you have a time machine?

[@robertfaulkner7152]

My best friend had a brand new 1981 TR7 and I got to drive it more than he did. I have to admit I do have a special place in my heart for that car even though it had the dreadfull Lucas electrical & ignition amplification system, It was still fun to drive! Thank God it had the five-speed manual because the automatic would have been a dog! Just to see you drive it and hear the engine noise definitely brings back the years. I have a BMW 645 CI in grant it it's light years in technology ahead of that 1981 TR7, That old TR7 left an impression on me. Great video!

[@TheCurlyP]

Love these as well! There was a gold one that used to cruise the same streets we did when I was at college in the 90s. Not sure what had been done to it as the driver nevrr stopped to talk to us, but it had wide tyres, dual twin pipes, had the loudest burble, and could keep up with motorbikes... and I loved it's retro wedgey shape

[@jakekaywell5972]

Ah, the TR-7. As much as Internet pundits try to put it down and call it a miserable failure, it was not. It deserves better than the reputation it has today, but you can blame BL for that. At least it keeps prices low even today, as even mint examples tend to be around the $6k mark. Personally love the Coupe's styling quite a bit. Weird, whimsical, wonderful! Chuffing review too, mike quality's noticeably improved.

[@TwinCam]

Thanks for the feedback Jake :) The mic quality is a funny one. This video was actually recorded before the last few, but circumstances have meant it's not too bad for some reason. Funny. Indeed. It's certainly a failure by its predecessor's standards, but all in all, they still sold loads of the things!

[@C.Fecteau-AU-MJ13]

British Leyland: Turning great ideas and even better designs into ownership disappointment and commercial failure.

[@jakekaywell5972]

@@C.Fecteau-AU-MJ13 That's exactly the problem. The TR-7 wasn't a commercial failure at all. It was the single most sold TR model ever. Also, the ones built at Canley and Solihull tend to be much better quality-wise than the Speke-made ones.

[@patagualianmostly7437]

@@jakekaywell5972 "better than the Speke built ones" Wow! There's a surprise! Those c#nts couldn't make a turd look good in a wedding dress. Although they tried. Nothing out of Speke was good at that time. I was there. Bastards. All of them.

[@jonnycando]

I remember when this debuted….in the States we thought it way ahead of its time….some people wouldn’t have it…we young ones knew it was the new wave!

[@patagualianmostly7437]

Yeah , right, that turned out well didn't it!

[@jonnycando]

@@patagualianmostly7437 it had its day…but the overheating issues were there…and sadly too few BL dealers who really knew how to work on them….still folks bought them and liked them.

[@kieranrichmond5864]

Superbly presented and thoroughly researched. Would be great to see a review of a Gilbern Invader sometime.

[@philhawley1219]

How interesting to hear this young chap speaking so eloquently about cars made decades before he was born. I reckon he has a bright future ahead in motor journalism .

[@TwinCam]

Thanks Kieran, if ever I get offered one, I will! :)

[@TwinCam]

Thanks Phil, that's very kind of you to say.

[@chrisg6086]

@@TwinCam And a Bond Equipe! (And I can offer you one ;) )

[@bobhoward6676]

In "77 I bought a '76 TR7 I think around $2200. Drove it about a year before selling for a bigger car. Loved it until the mechanical fuel pump failed. $300 for a replacement. Dad installed an electric inline pump for about $30 and it worked perfect.

[@mikecunningham7621]

Thanks for the great video! I am just finishing up an engine rebuild on an '80 TR7 DHC 30 year garage find. I have owned several Triumphs throughout my life including a 2 TR3's, several Spits, 2 GT6's, and 2 TR6's. I have made some mild performance upgrades on the 7 engine and replaced the marginal water pump and circulation arrangement with an electric system.Hoping the car will be a nice driver. Being a bigger guy I am amazed at the roominess of the car. I was one of those who never really recognized the TR7 as a "real" Triumph but I have come to appreciate the design and am happy to see a real following developing.

[@eduardopena5893]

Another curse of this car not pointed out was the extremely common electrical failures. I had a best friend who's father owned one for nearly a decade that I'd known him. It sat in a garage, a stunning, shiny yellow TR-7. But it never saw the road because they could never get the electrical gremlins sorted. I always liked the look of the car. Not extremely pretty or staggering, but just a good looking car. Even in the 90's when I saw this car, it didn't look out of place or dated even though the bubble car era was beginning.

[@markpatterson4917]

Loved the wedge and pop up head lights. As a child i was envious of the bloke owned the corner shop. He had a white one it reminded me of the lotus elite (james bond). It definitely influenced me buying a 1991 Celica GT (I'm a sucker for pop up head lights) still my favourite car I ever owned.

[@merrytrek]

In the mid 1980s my friend's brother collected him from school in a TR7 that had been traded in to his parents garage. It looked cool, sleek shape, popup headlights.

[@andrewrees5426]

Another great presentation Ed, I had a DHC in the early ‘90’s. Used it and abused it for two years then sold it on. I’ve had countless cars since, even ventured into Porsche territory. The problem with modern sports cars is most of the time they are just too fast. They become very frustrating as you hardly get beyond second gear before you run out of road. I’m now back with a nice DHC again and loving it! Simple car with no silly modern driving aids to ruin your driving experience, I would say get one while you can, not many left now and gaining more and more interest.

[@TwinCam]

Thanks Andrew :) I certainly agree regarding performance, see my video on the Hyundai i30 N! Just this morning, I had a ride out in a friend's one-day-old BMW M240i. Wonderful six-cylinder machine, but far too quick for public roads. Scary.

[@andrewstones2921]

I always loved the TR7, and I remember them going on sale when new. On British Racing Green was always a stunning car. It was the radical styling more than anything that made it get such negative press.. of course being a 70s BL car the rust issues were seen evident and I know lots of owners in the 80s who literally watched them disintegrate into little heaps of ferrous oxide where they were parked up. I myself have always thought the TR 7 was a great car and a future classic.

[@Martin_in_Cheltenham]

The TR7 is one of the few cars that has aged well and to me looks better now than when it came out in the 70s. A great video -many thanks.

[@wakeisland7613]

A fellow Marine in our squadron owned a red TR7. In 1978 we drove from South Carolina to New York. Middle of the night, I was driving, and the dash was dark. I read the temp gauge as the fuel, and we nearly ran out of gas in a back road near Virginia. It was a fun car to drive. You felt really low to the ground compared to the other vehicles. Good times back then.

[@hoodagooboy5981]

I had a 1976 TR7 back in the 80's, green with dark interior. I loved how it handled, but didn't like it's build quality and lack of power. I had to carry a flashlight ( electric torch ) in the car because the dash lights would quit working at times. One night while parking it I turned off the lights and the right headlight wouldn't go down, that took a while to find the short. One day, as I was getting out, the drivers door fell off ( the pins fell out of the hinge ) in front of a group of people. When ever I met another TR7 owner the common greeting was, "So, what problems have you had?". I got rid of it after a year of a love/hate relation with it. Years later I was looking at a Convertible TR7 ( Yellow w/black interior) and when I tested the headlights they went up, I turned them off and they went down.... then back up and right back down. They wouldn't stop, I pulled out the key but they keep on going up and down. The owner took his hands and pushed down on the lights and held them down until they quit. He looks at me and sheepishly says, "Ya, sometimes they do that". I thanked him and walked away.

[@born_again_torinos]

Great comment Robert.

[@andrewthomas695]

My first car. Occasionally, I dream it is still waiting for me in my garage.

[@georgebeaton4544]

I was a wee boy when the TR7 came out and I loved it! It looked so modern and cool. The Tr7 and the XJ-S both suffered from the same problem……..their predecessors were universally loved.

[@ronaldderooij1774]

There was one in my dads garage (at work) for years. Just standing there. Fresh red paint very low mileage, but with engine trouble (don't remember what it was). The owner abandoned it. Refused to get it and it just stood there. Year after year. I sat in it thinking I would buy it. But I went to university and had no money to buy it, repair it, or drive it. Then it disappeared. Just scrapped.

[@Maddpunx]

Great vid, very enjoyable on a dull Sunday morning.

[@TwinCam]

Thanks mate 🙂

[@mrbeancounter90]

Thanks for a BRILLIANT review. I am currently rebuilding a 1976 Fixed Head Coupe that we pulled out of a barn and love everything about it. Thanks for explaining the socio political factors on US legislation (hard top, bumper), fuel crisis (engine size) The design is Modernism (as opposed to modern) which is why all (early) interiors are entirely man made plastic or vinyl, there is no wood, leather, organic fabric or chrome to deliberatley reject the pastiche of earlier periods of wire wheels, wood trim, chrome bumper. Which is why it is hated by so many earlier TR owners. Even the tool bag is a black plastic rectangle (rather than a traditional cotton tool wrap) And I love it,

[@TwinCam]

Thanks Marco, very kind of you to say :) All the best with your project!

[@robertgoidel]

In looking back to this TR7 after the TR6, I never could get an answer to my question of why BL could not get a inline 6 cfyinder engine to up the Horse Power this car really needed. Excellent video of explanation.

[@panamafloyd1469]

I'm one of those US sportscar fans who was a Triumph fan at the time. I was an older teen, driving a used 1969 GT-6 Mk.2 (called the "Plus" in the States). The new generation of sportscars from Japan really piqued my interest! Datsun Z and Mazda RX-7. I loved the TR-7, when it arrived I thought, "At least they're building modern cars now." But the build quality on the early Speke-built cars was so horrendous that they were pretty much doomed once 'the word came out'. An aside: back when i was Club Racing a friend of mine raced a TR-7. Was better in the corners than the 1st Gen RX-7, but didn't have the pace on straightaways. That 16v head might have made a difference here in the US. I've heard of conversions on a TR-7, but never seen one. Dolly Sprints are so rare over here that they're worth more as collector cars than engine swap "donors". Great channel! I've subscribed.

[@doriensutherland8893]

I had one while living in Motortown USA. Loved it. Wish I had one today in 2022.

[@Bikerbuoy]

And don't forget the TR7's factory rallying exploits with Tony Pond at the wheel.

[@TwinCam]

Don't worry, I certainly didn't! I just need to try and control the length of these videos or we'd be here all day! Hopefully, if I can find enough footage, there will be a video on Leyland Special Tuning and Motorsport.

[@jamesh5460]

I had a TR6 and a TR7. Loved and still love the TR6. I put a TON of aftermarket and essential parts into my TR7 to make it "more" reliable but it still was a bit fussy. It has some cool wedgie aspects but that wedge has some drawbacks whilst driving around town. Now I have an MG-A and an MG-B that have been restored and they are also both fussy cars... Love them.

[@josephseverino674]

I remember here in the USA TV comercials in 1970s ( '`THE SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME``) driving out of a wedge shape garage LOL i allways liked the TR7 i thought its cool looking car.When you think about it,the style of the car wasn't bad just look at the fiat x19 the porsche 914.T he TR7 was a very popular car in the USA ,we American love brintish sports cars.

[@paulhaskins5191]

I loved the late TR7 I owned. Although the steering was a little heavy it was confortable and great fun. And yes it was ver striking. Thanks for highlighting this underrated car

[@johnknowlden1655]

Great review and bang on accurate. I owned a White W Reg in the mid 1980's. The steering was soulless. But I still loved the car. Really like your reviews. Yiu should be on TV

[@TwinCam]

Thanks John, that's very kind of you to say :)

[@doctorzaius4084]

My friends' dad across the street had one of these when we were kids - two of them actually, one was strictly for parts. The "running" one I only ever saw move about 3 or 4 times, but it looked cool sitting in their garage and we used to play in it.

[@johnmull59]

I love TR7/8's but never been bold enough to take the brave pill. Top quality video as always.👍

[@TheSoupdragon1968]

Take your time join the tr register and find a good one, I had a very late one and loved the thing.. it's comfortable easy to live with parts a silly cheep. Anyone can work on it...... Just make sure it's been driven and looked after... If it's been restored and rust proofed then all the better.... They are easy to tune, they can be turned into a sports car if you want.

[@TwinCam]

Thanks John :) I think, as @thesoupdragon1968 said, they're rather dependable cars nowadays. They're of an age where build quality is a none issue, as so many have been messed about with, and parts are plentiful. The TR7/8 communities are massive.

[@phuketexplorer]

The 2L TR7 was too heavy up front, so much so it made the rear wheels spin with just a dusting of snow on the road. The 3.5L V8 TR8 only made that worse. They worked well with a couple of bags of concrete in the boot. 😅

[@bryanpalmer9660]

The TR7 was a car of it's time built in a period when BL was riddled with strife,unwilling changes,etc the TR7 was never given a chance and died the death of a thousand cuts,only now a properly built and maintained/upgraded is being appreciated for the good car that it is

[@davidhinkson8856]

One of my favorites when I was a child, had a model kit of it as well. The styling is I guess a bit unusual but I always liked it, though to my mind the convertible is more striking. This one here is in a really lovely colour and is either well kept or a great restoration job.

[@iancoggin6126]

The video flatters my car. It's unrestored and has many blemishes. But it is used all year round.

[@Gaspipenicklioni]

I had a 1976 model in early 90s, I put in a 455 olds, 2 speed power glide, 3.08 posi from a mustang, with dual exhaust out the back. The engine fit under the stock hood with a 14" diameter air cleaner, what a ride.

[@UKAbandonedMineExplores]

I remember these when they were new, and compaired to most of the drab designs of the time, this was like it was from another world, loved them, still do.

[@Tripoutski]

This was my first car. Mine was a 1976 and did not adorn the wreath or those wheels, rather it was similar to the red one that you showed briefly (mine was blue with the silver factory striping on the side). The reason that it was my first car is that my parents could not deal with the repairs anymore and they gave it to me as I cut my teeth on car repairs as I turned 16. There was not mention of Lucas in this video which no doubt added to the demise of this car. The problems were simple, yet important things. The vacuum system was flimsy and thin and always coming apart. I had a bolt fall out of the main gear in the differential and lock up the rears at speed only to find that they were ALL loose despite having steel fold-ups on them. However, the absolute worst part was the 13-tooth reverse idler in the trans. Parallel parking uphill was a sure disaster waiting to happen. A tranny repair in 1983 was about $1,500 USD at that time. I found a British junkyard in San Pedro (CA- US) that had a pile of old British gears out back. I got to know the guys running it and they would let me climb up the piles of gears to find TR7 replacements. I would find spare laygear, 1st gear, and idlers in the piles (those are the 3 that were destroyed every time the idler shattered) and store them up at my house. I left many of the bell housing bolts out so I could get the trans out quickly. I could remove the trans, rebuild it, and get it back in by myself in a day (those 50 pesky needle bearings gave me grief every time - butter was the trick!). There was also the headlight issue - in the year of my car BL used a primer paint on the headlights that was inferior. The tops would start chipping and rusting from the front of the tops where that black trim was. It was only used on the headlights, so the rest of the car was fine. This was corrected in subsequent years. Don't get me wrong, I LOVED the car and it did (for better or for worse) teach me a lot about fixing them. I simply tired of the mechanical issues and donated it to a university as a project car - with the trans out again due to the idler. I believe that Triumph eventually made a rebuild kit for the trans with a more robust idler, but I was not aware of it at the time. Sadly, the TR8 was reportedly a very solid car with many of the issues of the TR7 addressed. However, the legend of the TR7 had essentially sunk BL and the 8 really never got a chance. I did indeed really enjoy this trip down memory lane. There were many facets of the interior that I had forgotten about.

[@Invictus357]

I do believe I was the same age as you are now when I dreamed about owning a TR7 when they were launched. I ended up with a Ford Escort. Love the videos from Australia 🇦🇺

[@grayfool]

This car stands as a perfect summation of the mess that was BL. It should have been great but was barely adequate. The looks were truly shocking at the time, we looked at it and just had to gawp in a speechless, stunned state of dismay. It has aged very well though. Can't believe I would have ever said that, but there you go. The drophead was really nice. The TR8 was epic. Too little too late agin BL. Good job ED. ANother excellent video. Thanks very much.

[@TwinCam]

Thanks as always :)

[@richsherman3673]

I was a teenager in the 70' and lusted after a TR7. I owned 3 MGB's instead, last one was in 1995, a 73' MBG with SU HIF Carbs and thousands in upgrades. Old, Aromatic interior and a Monza Exhaust that would set off Car Alarms in Shopping Malls in idle. Love these cars, and their problems were legendary as well. The Triumph Stag angled Cylinder Head Bolts were the pinnacle in folly engineering and blown head gaskets, all happening in the Arab Oil Embargo of 73...... vrooom. The TR8 was awesome too.

[@macraemorse]

My old university professor had the convertible version and he used to lend it to me. Loved driving it but once the throttle cable broke on it even though it was nearly new. I was in very small place but by luck there was a mechanic there who specilised in British car and he was able to get me back on the road. I remember the great adverts they had for the car at the time as well.

[@Brian-uy2tj]

I always thought they were a great looking car, still do.

[@markzarraonandia6975]

My 1st car I bought was in 1986, a 1979 Triumph TR-7 Convertible with a rare Automatic Transmission in that same Platinum color and a Red/Black plaid interior. I loved that car. I actually took that car off-road. It was a blast. Tons of torque. I drove it several times from Norfolk, VA to my parent's house in East Central Florida (almost 800 Miles). Yes, engine had issues, the warping head was my biggest problem but I had a machine shop that would heat the head to a point where they would flatten the warp. Did that about 3 times. Electrical issues were always fun. I removed something called "the Eureka Wire" and eureka....the car never had electrical issues afterwards. Being an automatic, I always got weird looks. British Sports cars don't have automatics! Well mine did and i never had a problem. I never had rust issues because whoever owned it before me had this stuff called Ziebart Undercoating put on it. That stuff is bombproof. I had it for 10 years until a drunk t-boned me at a stoplight and totaled the car. If that accident wouldn't have happened, I probably would still have the car but with a Buick V6 Conversion kit.

[@DieselsHOGVlog]

I just picked up a 79 convertible 2 weeks ago here in Canada. My first British restoration (my hands only) so I'm quite excited!

[@davesclassicgaragetours]

A great film featuring the car that made me fall in love with cars. Nice one Ed.

[@barrielambert7505]

Bl**dy hell !! what a brilliant appraisal of wedgie my driver for the last 20+ years ..... ( Canley built TR7 Drophead owner)

[@TwinCam]

Thanks Barrie :)

[@alairlibreinsfreie5785]

i still remember when i was a little boy and a total spitfire fan... the dad of a shool-mate had a white one and to me as e boy in germany it was the coolest thing on earth... and how shocked little me was when i saw the first tr7.... giving it a good look now, on your video-images, after all those years... little me was not better than the press of the day... i didn't understand this car. i still love the spitfire to this day. but i realy came to love the tr7 too after all...

[@KevStevens-Music-Drums-Art]

I loved my TR7 - a black one. I had it from 1983 to 1986. I bought it second-hand from Hartlepool Headland garage, North East England. I drove it home 15 miles with my Father-in-Law in the passenger seat and my wife crouched in the footwell. I gave it a full engine overhaul and a full professional body respray during which I had it converted into KITT from Knight Rider with the nose reshaped exactly to match and accommodate the scanner lights. Back then, it was the closest car I could possibly afford to a Trans-Am and at that time Knight Rider was hugely popular in the UK. I had tan Recaro seats a smoked glass roof fitted. It was great fun at the time and cost me a fortune to buy and modify it but I traded it in for an XR3i and it was sold the following day. Happy days.

[@dansdinc]

Great vid with tons of good info. Well done chap.

[@thestevedoughtyshow27]

The tag line. The shape of things to come. There also was the TR8 with the Rover V8. British Leland was working on a NEW MG, the MG D, it was based on the wage, like the TR, but this was mid engine, a Lotus 1600 mated to a Honda 5 speed transaxle. British Leland went under before the MGD made it off the drawing board.

[@markallen2984]

I remember this era, some of the most persistent criticism was that the car had mid-engine styling but did not have a mid-engine layout. A Fiat x19 was regarded as having cornered the high-tech corner of the sports car market.... the TR7 with its somewhat similar styling but old-fashioned Powertrain layout was considered unexciting from the beginning. Add to that the fact that there was no convertible initially available the car was DOA in the US

[@carlmarkwyatt]

There used to be a beautiful (if a little tatty) orange one of these round the corner of my youth club in Rushden back in the late 90s, used to love looking at it, I've hardly seen any on the road since.

[@gordonmills2748]

Back in 1986, a friend of mine and I took a cross country (across America) road trip in his 1980 convertible TR7. In retrospect, it was a crazy idea. The maintenance log was actually longer than the trip log. We spent two days in Denver. Not because we wanted to be there, but because that's where it broke down badly enough that it needed a couple days to fix. Then we went through the Rockies, and it barely made it to altitude. The handling was great on the Pacific Coast Highway, but the entire trip was dicey to say the least.

[@robbiejsaris3586]

these clueless TR7 reviews infuriate me, regurgitating the same old guff he’s read off the internet. As for the steering, it is anything but ‘dead’ and the weight of it could be any number of things, including the driver…

[@TwinCam]

Lmao I’ll await your review 💀 I love BL cars and own two of them, but if you believe it’s just ‘guff from the internet’, then you do you 🤣

[@BlackWolf-di9gq]

I have to admit i agree with you. The TR7 is great fun to drive! Looks great, & in my experience, is very reliable, comfortable, & is just very cool! Love it!

[@TwinCam]

I'd like to ask actually - as it enrages you so much - what is this 'guff off the internet'? Unless you have a Tory MP's relationship with the truth, what's wrong with the facts I present here?

[@georgiamcdermott5140]

That's some pretty strong kool-aid you're drinking if you think a guy who pretty much raves about BL cars for a living is at fault for it driving like shit lmao

[@michaeltutty1540]

Very insightful and interesting video about a car I am familiar with. w Well done, Ed. By the time the TR7 was out of production, Porsche had built a car that would have been a fantastic Triumph, even if it wasn't a great Porsche. I mean the 924, of course. It shared the basic wedge shape, 4 cylinder engine, and rear wheel drive but the proportions were nicer, the hatchback design more graceful, and the unassisted steering felt alive and connected. Come to that, the "Spridget" and MGB also came alive in the hands of the driver. The way you describe the steering in the 7, it is worse than the steering in the concurrent Volvo 240 Series. At least in the 240, whether power assisted or not, the steering always feels connected and alive. The car is part of the fun. In fact, the power assist on a 240 is so mild that if the belt falls off you don't feel a thing until the first slow speed, tight turn. That is on the estates. Early 4 door ne all 2 door saloons in base and sport trims did without power steering at all. I was shopping for a new car when there were still some Bs and 7s floating around unsold. I test drove both. The 7 left me cold. Ma's Volvo 240DL Estate with a 3 speed automatic felt more lively. Oops. The MGB did not go home with me because trying to engage first had the transmission trying to engage reverse at the same time. I ran rather than walked away! It was a sad time seeing what had become of those once proud and illustrious Marques.

[@davidroffey9639]

I used to own one of the last of the TR7 convertibles and thoroughly enjoyed it but my wife found it rather heavy to drive. I chopped it in exchange for a new Toyota MR2 and what a revelation that was!

[@ameliaroyal6111]

Ok, just off first impression, I actually love it😂 my grandfather would hate it.

[@nosefirst]

I had a TR7 for a few years. Seeing it leave my garage with a new owner was a relief.

[@zeroceiling]

In 1980, I drove an almost new TR7 across Canada from Toronto to Vancouver. I did the same trip in a 1979 Porsche SC 911…and a 1981 Corvette. To explain the trips, we came home to Toronto every year after a hockey season in Vancouver…that’s why the back and forth....and different cars. But with that being said, for pure handling and joy of the drive, nothing came close to the TR7! It certainly wasn’t the fastest by far, but it’s handling and response we’re in a word…joy. *Just as a post-script…when we were going pedal to the metal in the Corvette on the straightaways of Saskatchewan, we were easily passed by a mid 1960’s Olds Vista Cruiser…driven by a two octogenarians…one reading a newspaper..while the driver was holding on to a big-boss Tim Horton coffee mug. Even with that, they blew by us do fast..it nearly blew our doors off….and dammit ..we were really trying.

[@FharishAhmedPortfolio]

I used to be at awe, whenever one of these drove by. When I was a kid, a neighbor had one, but, in white. Pure nostalgia, right here.

[@johnelectric933]

A friend of mine bought one when they first came out and insisted I test drive it (I used to like to scare him in my car). I noticed the same disconnection until I got to the last corner before the road went back to straight and flat. There was a raised portion on the camber right at the middle of the curb. If I went too wide and hit it I would bottom my suspension. I went wide in the TR7 and it just absorbed it. No bump steer, no bottoming. I agree with the rest of your opinions about it.

[@blackaponu]

I’m an American with English blood and an English heart. There is however one benefit of being tragically Americans and that was the opportunity to own one of the California specked Spider editions with factory EFI. I’ve owned a 1977 FHC and a 1980 30th Anniversary DHC and by far my favourite is my current 1980 spider EFI. It’s not quite as peppy as the sprint but you can give it the beans it responds and accelerates much better than the carbureted cars. It actually does in fact have a few more bhp as well. Lovely video with lots of interesting content

[@nathanbritt7977]

Thank You, I have had 2 TR7s and loved both but now I understand more about the issues by your wonderful reporting. Both 77 year and both motors died but the Chevy 6 cyl. made it all better, my Dad and I put the motor in ourselves and it was great. I understand your comments about the interior but I think the design and over all look was really good. Next one I get will have a s

[@jetsons101]

1:28 AM here, Redondo Beach, found this while shutting down my laptop. Guess I'll be going to bed late.

[@TwinCam]

Top man ;)

[@anthonygray333]

Great video. I have a 69 TR6 so I’m slightly biased but I think the problem is, as you said, that it followed the 6. The 6 was the quintessential LBC with its sweet motor and drop top style. If the 7 was introduced as a Targa, it would have been compared more like the Fiat X1/9. Doesn’t mean that coupes were not beloved…Mustangs and Camaros and Firebirds weren’t drop tops since the second gen came out in 70, but later in the decade they came out with the popular T-Tops which suited the bill much better than any sunroof. A TR8 ragtop is a different animal altogether.

[@JoeR203]

I wanted a TR-7 and a Mazda RX-7 (1st Gen), MGB, Datsun 240/260/280Z and a Fiat X1/9 so bad when I was a teen. I got to sit in an MG Midget, but at 6' 2", 240lbs., it was a struggle to even close the door. I test drove an RX-7 and that same car lot had a TR-7 but they couldn't get it started. Along with a Porsche 911 with a Whale Tail, Ferrari 308 and a Lamborghini Countach, the MGB, TR-6, TR-7, 240-280Z, X1/9 and RX-7 are the only foreign cars I want. Other than that, give me American muscle cars!

[@jonlyons1033]

Oh you just earned yourself a subscription buddy. Top notch.

[@freeone6711]

Still love the memory of pushing my TR7 down the street hopping in the driver seat and popping the clutch to get her going on those days the electrical didn't work. Fun to drive when it ran.

[@helixvonsmelix]

loved my TR7 convertible. GJM 739W

[@geraldscott4302]

I loved the TR7 and Fiat X1/9 back in the '70s, but I was a teenager, and couldn't afford a new car. Finally, in 1986, I was able to buy a new Pontiac Fiero. I absolutely loved it, and kept it for more than 11 years, finally replacing it with my dream car, a 1975 Corvette, which I still have.

[@patturk7408]

In 1982 I test drove a TR7 and I was "meh". Two days later I test drove a Porshe 912 and the light bulb went on. That was what a "sport" car was supposed to be. It was like driving a feather. The 240Z was also memorable, and the 240Z based Scarab still leaves a grin on my face thinking about it.

[@tantraman93]

My neighbor owned one (Louisiana USA 1978). It was always broken down. I never knew the why but apparently there were several issues. It was beautiful to look at but I never saw it in motion. The same neighbor had a Citroen a Peugot a FIAT and an MG so he wasn't 'unfamiliar' with British/European cars.

[@PTTM2006]

I loved those, back in the days here in Canada I thought they stood out in a nice way, Mind you back then my family second car was a 1969 mgb that was only summer driven so I already had a soft spot for british cars

[@chrisjones2224]

Had one in the 80's and did the engine swap for a Rover V8, there was a guy in Evesham that did sold all the parts ( before Grinnall) he must have had contacts with BL ( tuning, rally or special vehicles department) had a few interesting vehicles, including a V8 Sherpa

[@tobygathergood4990]

About 35 years ago I built up one of these up with a full frame, 9" Ford rear posi diff, a ford 4 speed manual trans, a twin turbocharged 351ci Windsor engine with dual Weber side draught carbs.

[@MrTaxiRob]

For 45 years I haven't been able to figure out what I don't like about it, and I just realized it's the grilles on the B pillars.

[@americanpatriot2422]

That's why I chose to collect MGBs. The reliability for MGBs far exceeds the Triumph. The root problem was Build Quality. Employees at Triumph were constantly sabotaging the cars. Constant strikes also had Management and the work force working against each other.

[@handleymachine4421]

I remember reading an article about the TR7 in a car magazine, many years ago. A part of the article spoke of build quality amongst different factories. And advised avoiding a particular series of chassis # that was built in Speke “The assembly site of the dammed!” Lol. I now gather it was due to some sort of labor dispute. I did own one about 20 years ago. (I believe must have been one of the possessed models) And besides some spooky electrical gremlins. It was a great little car to drive! Planted is an excellent description the driving experience. So low to the ground compared to North American cars.

[@Jodyrides]

I remember these cars. They were pretty groovy looking. They were $4999 new. They had one Achilles’ heel. If you didn’t do something to prevent the rust in areas where they salt the roads in the winter, they rusted almost as fast as fiat 124 spiders did… I saw one that the metal rusted away, and the sheet of paint was still intact, covering nothing.. when I saw that I sprayed under my 1958 mga up on the lift at the gas station I worked at after school and on Weekends in 1968 and 69. A good thing because, I still have my mga here in 2023.

[@DanielS2001]

My Dad had a white one here in the U.S when I was a little kid. I think it was the first model to appear over here, it being left hand drive and a black vinyl top.

[@mhoppy6639]

This example is beautiful. What a car. Have ALWAYS loved them even back when they were deeply unfashionable. Especially the convertible ones. It’s styling hasn’t dated at all and so sad that pop ups were banned (is that true) you just don’t see them anymore. ..

[@TwinCam]

Indeed, pop-ups were banned. Not directly, but by pedestrian protection legislation in 2004.

[@mhoppy6639]

@@TwinCam thank you. Are they illegal elsewhere eg USA. I suppose by default they will have a “global production” mantra so manufacturers will not want to design cars that are suitable for own market and not another? …

[@ltcterry2006]

My dad was stationed in Germany at the time. It seemed like every other lieutenant colonel living my neighborhood found an excuse to take a work trip to London buy and drive home in a TR7. Fun to watch the video.

[@OXOtwo]

Enjoyed that review have always liked the TR7. I was 12 years old when they came out. I hope you review a Saab one day.

[@bryantsherman7263]

My first car was a British Racing Green Victory Edition Triumph TR7. I learned to drive a stick and it was the coolest car in the high school parking lot, students or faculty.

[@Mzungu_matt]

Being the English man that I am. I feel that the English sense of sensibility ALWAYS shines through in these cars. This is a true 70s early 80s English creation that shot towards the battling intercontinental markets of the time. A fashion or fad of sorts . As many challenges and difficulties that these cars put us through, the TR range of cars will always hold a place of pride and belongng in the expanse of UK motoring history and a place that I will always hold quiet close to my heart. In my eyes the TR7 is and always will be, an iconic piece of British motoring. Thank you

[@djkarlantony]

Great Video, i owned a TR7 and later on an Us spec TR8 many years ago. The poor build quality and rust issues cannot be understated. I got through 2 gearboxes and had to upgrade the springs as well as many other issues. A fun car back then and great memories. The TR8 with its larger bumpers and V8 lump made the car a beast and got me my first speeding ticket (no speed cameras at that time) Just for reference i went from the TR8 to a Datsun 280ZX but that is another story.

[@axelniesczeri3149]

Nice looking car at the time, however, the engine, clutch and transmission never did meet each other.

[@Rusty6450]

I purchased a brand new 1980 TR7 Convertible in British racing green and REALLY loved driving that car, when it ran. As a brand new car, it had 2 radiators and a head gasket replaced. As much as I loved driving the car, I spent more on rental cars (repairs) than my payment for the car.

[@feedingravens]

For a channel called "Twin-Cam" - how about a video about the Vauxhall Calibra? It is a wedge, clean and pure, low drag, its 4-cylinder twin cam is said to have been the most efficient engine of its time. I own an Opel Calibra, from 1994, a V6 twin cam (i.e. 4 cams) 24V with 170 horsepower. Nice. I know, it is not much more than a Vectra Coupe (back then I had a "Calibra Kombi", a hatchback Vectra)...

[@doloresm7396]

I loved this car! My boyfriend had a yellow TR-7 and we had such great times back then. If he just didn't get high and decided it would be a great idea to drive it into a snowbank with his buddy. He wrecked it, totaled it. I was devastated, needless to say his poor decision making was a factor in cutting him loose. I used to love the sound of the horn, I can still hear him blowing the horn for me with that high pitched toot, toot. The shape of things to come! Except it ended up in a completely different shape. I was in my early twenties when he drove up in this and it was love at first sight - with the car. I never did get my Triumph instead I ended up with a Mustang and a few after that. I feel I always missed out but life went on and so did David off & on through the decades. Thanks for letting me relive the past, it was nice. I would buy one now in a heartbeat if they were still being made. I'll stick with my Corolla Sport. Not your average Corolla.

[@matthewparker8099]

Sir, your videos are very well researched, and very well presented. Well done. On the subject of the Triumph TR7 and the steering, please be aware that TR7 was a product aimed at the man who could wrangle a Watney's Party Seven, whilst smoking a Castella! Water off the proverbial duck's... On a more serious note, it is Important to remember how and why Triumph found themselves in Speke, and the parallel that we can draw with Rootes and Linwood.

[@jeffd1986]

First car I ever owned with its wonderful Lucas electrical system. Lots of fun, lots of problems. I do miss that little car.