Details:
Oldtimer Australia is delighted to offer for sale a 1963 Triumph TR4.
The Heritage Certificate on file confirms this Australian delivered, factory right hand drive example was built on the 24th October 1963 and left the factory with Signal Red paint and a red interior. The car was delivered with the following options: 590 Rayon tubeless tyres, black hard top, windscreen washers and overdrive.
The early history of this car is not known. It is understood the car was purchased by the prior to previous owner in a disassembled state in July 2002. He was an old school British motor mechanic who subsequently restored the car. Unfortunately, he passed away sometime after that and the car was sold to the previous owner in May 2016. At that time the odometer read 2,847 miles, which is understood to have been the mileage since the car was restored. When he acquired the car he took it to highly respected Triumph specialist Greg Tunstall Mechanical in Brisbane a check over and some minor repairs. A compression test was done and the compression reading was an even 175 psi over all 4 cylinders. He has enjoyed the car throughout his 5 years of ownership and had the car regularly serviced by marque specialists. In his ownership, amongst a few other things, the speedo & tacho were repaired and a new radiator was installed. In July 2021 both rear wheel brake cylinders and worn steering rack boots werereplaced and in January 2022 a new brake booster was fitted.
This car is well known to Oldtimer Australia, having been sold by us to the current owner in January 2022. At that time the odometer read 8,224 miles. In his ownership he has used and enjoyed the car, travelling some 1,500 miles. He has continued to maintain the car and has had the clutch master & slave cylinder and the starter motor overhauled, the suspension bushes replaced and new ball joints installed. He also discovered a small crack in the fuel tank (where the fuel pipe joins the tank) which he had repaired.
Today the odometer reads 9,706 miles.
This Triumph TR4 is a beautifully presented car that runs and drives every bit as good as it looks. Being an older restoration, it is not in concours condition, which makes it the perfect car to take to cars and coffee, a club event or just out for a nice Sunday morning drive. Everyone would comment . . . what a lovely TR4!. The red paintwork is still in very good condition and it has a strong depth of colour with a deep gloss finish. There is some very light wear and minor defects evident consistent with its age. All the external trim, including the lights, lenses and chrome (particularly the grill, bumpers and badges) are is in very good condition. The panel gaps are generally very good. The aftermarket Minilite style 15 wheels are like new and suit the car perfectly. The wheels are fitted with Kumho Solus KH17 tyres all around which are date stamped 0512 (week 5, 2012). Whilst they are still in a good condition it is probably time to replace them based on age. This TR4 has a soft top and tonneaucover, both are black and in very good condition with no rips or tears.
The black upholstery has been trimmed with white piping, which is a perfect combination with the red paintwork. This is complemented beautifully by the timber dashboard and Motolita style steering wheel. The upholstery is in excellent condition and the seats are firm and supportive. The black carpets are also in very good condition with minimal wear. All the instruments are in very good condition and in working order. The car is also fitted with seat belts.
The engine bay is clean and very well presented. The car retains its ID plate and body number tag, which look to be original and correct. The Heritage Certificate confirms that the chassis, body and engine numbers all match. The boot is also very neat, clean and tidy.
This car looks the goods, but whats it like to drive? You slide in behind the steering wheel, get comfortable and fire up the 2,138cc 4 cylinder engine. From cold the car needs full choke to start. The exhaust note is raspy and the little engine just wants to rev! It only gets better from there once the engine warms up. First impressions are extremely positive and one can quickly confirm that this TR4 drives every bit as good as looks! It is tight on the road for an early 1960s open top British sports car. The engine feels strong and the car pulls well through the rev range. The gear changes are smooth and for those longer drives the car is equipped with the desirable overdrive. The steering is direct, the car handles well and the brakes pull the car up efficiently.
The car is accompanied by an owners manual, service book, parts catalogue, service receipts going back to 2016 other miscellaneous documentation, tonneau cover and a spare wheel
The Michelotti designed TR4 is one of the best looking of the TR series Triumphs and we think offers great value for money. Dont miss this opportunity to own a fabulous example of the quintessential British sports car.
Highlights:
- A beautifully presented example
- Finished in a perfect colour combination.
- Fitted with 15 Minilite style wheels.
- An absolute delight to drive.
Price $56,950.
Background:
In 1885 Siegfried Bettmann, a German living in London, founded S. Bettmann & Co and started importing bicycles from Europe. Initially, he was selling them under his own trade name, however, in 1886 the name changed to Triumph. In 1897 the company was renamed as the Triumph Cycle Co Ltd and in 1902 the company started producing motor cycles at their factory in Coventry. Business was booming, thanks to big orders from the British Army which needed motor cycles during the First World War and by 1918 Triumph had become Britains largest manufacturer of motor cycles.
In 1921 Bettmann acquired the assets of the defunct Dawson Car Company and started producing cars. The first car to wear the Triumph name was the Triumph 10/20. This car and its immediate successors were only produced in small numbers, however, that all changed with the introduction of the Triumph Super 7 in 1927. This car was a success and it was sold in large numbers through until 1934.
In 1930 the name of the company was officially changed to the Triumph Motor Company. Times were tough and Triumph was struggling to compete with larger car companies. The company started having financial problems and in 1936 the bicycle and motorcycle business were sold to Jack Sangster of Arial. In 1939 the Triumph Motor Company went into receivership and the factory, equipment and goodwill were offered for sale. They were sold, but the Second World War stopped production and the Triumph factory was completely destroyed by bombing in 1940.
After the Second World War, what was left of the Triumph Motor Company and the trade name were purchased by the Standard Motor Company. In 1946 the first new Triumph, the 1800 Roadster, was released to directly compete with Jaguar. In 1950 the company decided to use the Triumph name for all sports models and the Standard name for saloon cars. History now says that this was a strategically brilliant move as it signalled the birth of the Triumph TR series cars.
The TR series Triumphs stand as iconic British sports cars that are well known and loved by enthusiasts all over the world. It started back in 1952 when the Triumph 20TS, a prototype sports car which later became known as the TR1, was shown at the London Motor Show. Reactions were mixed, however, Triumph thought they were on to a good thing and the prototype evolved into the TR2 that was subsequently shown at the Geneva Motor Show in 1953. Triumph built over 8,500 of these 1991cc 4 cylinder sports cars from 1953 1955 and as they say the rest was history. The model evolved into the TR3 (produced from 1955 1962), the TR4 (built from 1961 1965), the TR4A (built from 1965 1967), the TR5 (built from 1967 1968) and ultimately the TR6 (1969 1976). Subsequent TR models were interesting cars, but it is fair to say the evolution of the TR2 finished at the TR6.
Triumph built 40,253 TR4s during its 5 year production run, the majority of which were left hand drive and sold into the United States.
An Australian delivered, factory right hand drive example is relatively rare.
