Archive for August, 2009
More Ads From The ’60s
I enjoy these, so I will keep posting them as I find them. Just a few more ads to show how the TR4 was put forward by Triumph in the 1960s. Always interesting to try to glimpse a contemporary view of the cars instead of a view shaded by history and nostalgia.
Period Ads
Found a couple of period magazine ads online that I thought were pretty cool. Can’t wait to head to our Friends of the Library book sale in hopes of actually finding some of these in person.
Cool TR4 Poster
Found this very cool TR4 poster available from The Art of Motoring website. As soon as I get some spare change I hope to order one!
The Triumph TR4 was introduced in September 1961 to replace the TR3. The bodywork was designed by the Italian stylist Giovanni Michelotti and featured a stylish ‘bulge’ in the bonnet to accommodate the twin SU carburettors. A 2138cc engine gave a healthy average of 25 mpg and a top speed of 110 mph. The TR4 encompassed wind-up windows and a decent sized boot. Our ‘cutaway’ poster was reproduced exactly from an original and very rare version and is an absolute ‘must’ for anyone owning one of these great British sports cars.
TR4 Hoods (Bonnets)
Well, I thought that the hood, or bonnet as it would be called in the UK, was wrong because of the bulge. Early TR4s had a bulge that ended several inches short of the trailing edge while later TR4s, TR4As, and even TR250s/5s, had a bulge that went all the way to the trailing edge.
Turns out that, according to Roger Williams’ TR4 restoration book, the switch from short bulge to long bulge took place at car CT6435. That means the switch took place 34 cars before mine. So, great news in that the hood is the correct type for the car. I know, not that much to get excited about, and my wife gave me a very long suffering look. But, not only does this mean I don’t need to start looking for an “original” hood, but it also helps alleviate worries I was having that some damage had been done to the car that necessitated the hood swap.
Yes, sometimes it doesn’t take much to make me happy.
Tuning Standard Triumphs
Another online book! Today’s find is David Vizard’s Tuning Standard Triumphs Over 1300 c.c.. This was originally published in 1970 by Speed and Sports Publications.