TRIUMPH TR7

The Mike Cutmore Website!

Triumph TR7
DHC (DROPHEAD COUPE).

The TR7 was launched in the USA in 1975 at a time when conventional cars looked like bricks on wheels. It caught everyone by surprise for being unlike any previous TR. It was a revolutionary design with its bonnet sloping downward and its tail in the air. The strict two-seater became informally known as “the wedge” – a vehicle seemingly as futuristic as the plot of the 1933 Wells novel whose title inspired its advertising slogan “The shape of things to come.”

Triumph knew that America was the main sales target but fierce safety legislation had to be met including the proposal to ban open top cars! This therefore involved a completely new design over the ‘old fashioned’ TR6. The TR7 returned to the original TR2 recipe of a 2 litre engine & two seats. The convertible was not introduced until 1980 when it was realised that the proposed outlaw of open top cars would never actually materialise. Nothing like the TR7 had been seen before. And it did prove to be ‘the shape of things to come’, because within a few years almost every production car on earth displayed a similar rakish, sloping profile. Almost all still do today.

Production stopped in Oct 1981 with only 5527 UK specification Convertibles built. Although more TR7’s were built than any other TR, few TR7’s have survived in their original form. Today, well over thirty years on, the TR7 is a sensible classic to own being less temperamental than previous TR’s. It has good spares support, inexpensive insurance and is economical and ‘modern’ enough to be used every single day. In a recent six month long readers vote in “PRACTICAL CLASSICS” magazine the readers voted the TR7 in the top ten of 100 best classics, the highest placed TR.

My TR7 is a 1981 car, one of the very last ever built and registered in 1982. The last TR7 ever made (VIN SATTPADJ7AA408534) can be seen at the BMIHT museum at Gaydon, Warwickshire.

Over thirty years on from the TR7's original conception one of the things I love is that they have never looked like an 'old style' car. Tagged 'the shape of things to come' in the mid seventies the TR7 was so different- it's wedge shape hated (or loved) by many.

I still prefer the angled styling of a TR7 and sharper body lines with pop up lights (too expensive to implement into production engineering today), than the curved, bolbous look and teardrop lights portrayed by other sports cars today!

My TR7 has won some awards these include...

Third place concours (6th national TR7/8 day, Gaydon 1994).
First place concours (7th national TR7/8 day, Bentley wildfowl & motor museum, Halland, E.Sussex, may 1995).
Runner up concours TR7 DHC standard (TRDC national weekend, Billing aquadrome, Northampton, july 1999).
Runner up concours TR7 DHC standard (TRDC national weekend, july 2000).
Winner concours TR7 DHC standard (TRDC national weekend, july 2001).

Winner concours TR7 DHC standard (TRDC national weekend, july 2002).

Winner 'best trim' (TRDC national weekend, july 2002).

'Highly commended'- Rosette award (Battlesbridge motorcycle museum, may 2003).

Runner up concours, & ' Car of the show' TRDHC standard (TRDC national weekend, july 2003).

Winner concours TR7 DHC standard (TRDC national weekend, july 2004).

Winner: Modern classic cars 1960 on (Colchester loins club vehicle show, august 2004).

Winner concours TR7 DHC standard (TRDC national weekend, july 2005).

Winner concours TR7 DHC standard (TRDC National weekend, july 2006).

Pride of ownership award and Best Non MG Post 1960 (Queen Vic. Classic Car Show, Billericay, july 2007).

Runner up concours TRDHC standard (TRDC national weekend, Skreens park, Roxwell, Aug. 2007).

Top Ten prize Award National TR7/8 day (TRDC Billing aquadrome, Northampton, july 2008).

Top Ten prize Award National Weekend (TRDC Billing aquadrome, Northampton, july 2009).


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		Triumph TR7 DHC (DROPHEAD COUPE).



		The TR7 was launched in the USA in 1975 at a time when conventional cars looked like bricks on wheels. It caught everyone by surprise for being unlike any previous TR. It was a revolutionary design with its bonnet sloping downward and its tail in the air. The strict two-seater became informally known as “the wedge” – a vehicle seemingly as futuristic as the plot of the 1933 Wells novel whose title inspired its advertising slogan “The shape of things to come.” Triumph knew that America was the main sales target but fierce safety legislation had to be met including the proposal to ban open top cars! This therefore involved a completely new design over the ‘old fashioned’ TR6. The TR7 returned to the original TR2 recipe of a 2 litre engine & two seats. The convertible was not introduced until 1980 when it was realised that the proposed outlaw of open top cars would never actually materialise. Nothing like the TR7 had been seen before. And it did prove to be ‘the shape of things to come’, because within a few years almost every production car on earth displayed a similar rakish, sloping profile. Almost all still do today. Production stopped in Oct 1981 with only 5527 UK specification Convertibles built. Although more TR7’s were built than any other TR, few TR7’s have survived in their original form. Today, well over thirty years on, the TR7 is a sensible classic to own being less temperamental than previous TR’s. It has good spares support, inexpensive insurance and is economical and ‘modern’ enough to be used every single day. In a recent six month long readers vote in “PRACTICAL CLASSICS” magazine the readers voted the TR7 in the top ten of 100 best classics, the highest placed TR. The TR7 is an extremely 'adaptable' car. Many owners have decided to take advantage of modifications and have increased performance and characteristics to various uprated configurations. There appears to be no limit to what can be done to the TR7. It can be one hell of a sports car. There was of course a TR8. There were only (it is believed) 18 UK specification TR8's made. As for myself, personally, I admire the TR7 (in drophead and fixed head form) for what it was and I would never undertake any major changes or modifications that alter my car's original specification. Check out the specification, history & maintenance as it happens to my TR7 My TR7 is a 1981 car, one of the very last ever built and registered in 1982. The last TR7 ever made (VIN SATTPADJ7AA408534) can be seen at the BMIHT museum at Gaydon, Warwickshire. The Heritage Motor Centre



		The TR Drivers Club The TR Register I have been a member of two TR Clubs for many years now. The TR register and the TR DRIVERS CLUB. The TRDC also caters for all the TR range of sports cars, the majority of members being TR7 owners. Note well that you DO NOT need to own one of these cars to be a member of a club. Club membership is a godsend for information, articles and general details on everything to do with TR's. I have owned my TR7 DHC since 7th october 1988, I found her privately in Wood green, London after a long (> six month) search for such a car. She had 37,000 miles recorded and was in excellent all round condition. I remember parting with my three thousand pounds cash at the time almost to see the seller shedding a tear even though he was counting the money. Today the car is in much better condition than at that time. Over the years I have tried, rather than just maintain the car, to actually improve it's overall condition by slowly replacing old parts (where necessary or desirable) with brand new original or heritage approved remanufactured parts. Having got the car to it's present condition, there is of course little point in taking it out on wet muddy roads, but driving the car is of course what it's all about and it really is a different sort of driving experience than the 'I have to get from A to B stuff'. One tends to take it easy, look around, take the countryside routes, hang out the journey and just enjoy the fresh air! The last TR7's were built at the Solihull factory, near Birmingham, today this is a land rover plant (pictured right). There are many spares suppliers for the TR7 today and most parts can be obtained, many are remanufactured to original specification and supplied by or through heritage approved suppliers worldwide. It is not my intention to advertise or link discretionarily to any favoured outlets or trade related sites here. If you want, or have to spend some money I'm sure you'll know where to go !!! TR7 parts catalogue (Rimmer bros). WWW TR7 (lycos search) The Ultimate Battery is fitted to my TR7 On line Car Mechanic The original engine was removed, dismantled, rebuilt and refitted with new big and little end bearings, new oil and water pumps and a reconditioned cylinder head with new valves and guides in 1993. The crankshaft was reground. The engine bay was subjected to total bare metal respray. The advantage of more modern materials was exercised with the fitment of replacement brake pipes being made in copper. I have taken this policy by also fitting a complete stainless steel exhaust system. The only other deviations from factory specification also include the advantage of electronic ignition. My TR7 remains garaged throughout the year. The vehicle covers up to 1500 miles annually and every year when the weather allows the hood to be stowed, I visit the national show days and car show events at various locations around the country. It really is great to get the car out post winter and enjoy driving her again. Over thirty years on from the TR7's original conception one of the things I love is that they have never looked like an 'old style' car. Tagged 'the shape of things to come' in the mid seventies the TR7 was so different- it's wedge shape hated (or loved) by many. I still prefer the angled styling of a TR7 and sharper body lines with pop up lights (too expensive to implement into production engineering today), than the curved, bolbous look and teardrop lights portrayed by other sports cars today! My TR7 has won some awards these include... Third place concours (6th national TR7/8 day, Gaydon 1994). First place concours (7th national TR7/8 day, Bentley wildfowl & motor museum, Halland, E.Sussex, may 1995). Runner up concours TR7 DHC standard (TRDC national weekend, Billing aquadrome, Northampton, july 1999). Runner up concours TR7 DHC standard (TRDC national weekend, july 2000). Winner concours TR7 DHC standard (TRDC national weekend, july 2001). Winner concours TR7 DHC standard (TRDC national weekend, july 2002). Winner 'best trim' (TRDC national weekend, july 2002). 'Highly commended'- Rosette award (Battlesbridge motorcycle museum, may 2003). Runner up concours, & ' Car of the show' TRDHC standard (TRDC national weekend, july 2003). Winner concours TR7 DHC standard (TRDC national weekend, july 2004). Winner: Modern classic cars 1960 on (Colchester loins club vehicle show, august 2004). Winner concours TR7 DHC standard (TRDC national weekend, july 2005). Winner concours TR7 DHC standard (TRDC National weekend, july 2006). Pride of ownership award and Best Non MG Post 1960 (Queen Vic. Classic Car Show, Billericay, july 2007). Runner up concours TRDHC standard (TRDC national weekend, Skreens park, Roxwell, Aug. 2007). Top Ten prize Award National TR7/8 day (TRDC Billing aquadrome, Northampton, july 2008). Top Ten prize Award National Weekend (TRDC Billing aquadrome, Northampton, july 2009). View Battlesbridge Classic Car Show Video The first TR7 I owned was a yellow fixed head coupe (pictured below). It was a 1978 Coventry built car which I owned for three years from 1984. It ran like a dream and I covered almost 30000 miles in this car. AFX 632A was actually registered XCF 267T when I bought her (back in 1984). I managed to change this registration. Such was the condition of my car then, it made everyone perceive the car to be virtually new at the time,-WoW! I also did the same tactic to my second TR7 that I owned in 1987 from KTW 982V to CYC 702A! Hire a TR7 for the day! View Video Test drive in macutmore's TR7 (rm). Current: The Mike Cutmore Website!