Poor little Triumph

[Moppie]

Ment to replace the Famous TR6 the TR7 was a bit of a flop, and got relagated to being nothing more than a Girls car. Whats even sadder is that after the colapse of British Leyland Honda Introduced the Prelude into the UK badged as a Triumph TR model, poor TR7 got a short production run, and was then replaced by an even more Girly japanese car, its Heritage consisting of some of Brittens greatest sports cars was lost for ever.
Using a Monocoque chassis with a live axle at the back, and to start with no Option for a roadster the new TR7 was designed to be diffret from all that had gone before. Saddly it was a little to diffrent, It shared none of the classic styling cues that had been carried right through the TR range since the TR2, and was one of the first of the Wedge Shapes that would invade '80s car design.
It was also fitted with an underpower 4cylinder engine, and with a curb weight greater than its 6 cylinder powered father the TR6 it was also slower. People wondered at the point of buying a sports car that was slower then the previous model.
Sales were never strong, even after a Convertiable model was added to the line up. It was almost saved by the introduction of a Rover V8 to the frount end, but only a very limited number of Factory V8s were ever made before BL collapsed. Today however a favorite past time of many Triumph enthusists is using one of the avaliable kits to transform an ordinary TR7 into a much faster and slightly evil TR8, giving the car the sort of image and performance it should have had 20 years ago.

[Mister-Infinity]

anyway here is a pic....

[Hudson]

I don't remember this "Triumph-badged Prelude." The TR8 (V8-powered TR7) was the last of the series. The Triumph badge continued for a few years with the Triumph Acclaim (Honda Ballade/Civic), but I don't recall a Prelude based model.

Triumph, along with a few hundred (okay, more like a dozen) brand names, was put in storage. British Leyland became Austin Rover, which became Rover, which was absorbed by BMW. BMW sold Rover to a private firm in early 2000 and it was renamed MG Rover. The Triumph badge, however, still belongs to BMW along with the Mini brand.

It could rise again.

[Moppie]

Originally posted by Hudson


It could rise again.

But will it ever be the same? I doubt it, as Great is BMW is, the whole phillosphy behind Triumph died in the late 70s with British leyland, and it can never be recovered.


Thanks for adding the pic
Iv seen pics on the net of the Preludes badged as Triumphs, and I know several ex Brits who all claim to have seen them. But they wern't common.

[Hudson]

After a brief search of the `net, I found nothing more than I already believed to be true. One site actually claimed that the Acclaim was the last Triumph-badged car when it was introduced in 1981. I found nothing to lead me to believe that there were any other Triumph models introduced after the TR7/8.

[Hudson]

If you could, please post a link to any picture of this car...because I can't find a Triumph "Prelude".

If BMW were to revive Triumph, it couldn't be any worse than what British Leyland did to it. A 1981 Honda Civic is hardly a Triumph. BMW's got too much on their plate currently, but if this nostalgia thing keeps going, who knows. BMW has discussed (in the past) reviving Austin Healey (I still don't know that they have the rights to the "Healey" part of the name) and Triumph. They've already revived (ok, so it wasn't completely dead) Mini.

[Moppie]

This is one of those cool discusions that can go on for ever.

One of the things in my mind that make the old britsh cars so great, is the people who designed and built them, and the attitudes and philosophys of the companys they worked for.
Its what make the MGTF a delicate little sports car, and the TR6 a more grunty handfull. OR the P6 Rover a technical experiment that succeded (but looked ugly) and the Triump 2500TC A perfect combination of new and old tech. (disc brakes, independant rear suspension, all alloy gearbox, but old style overdrive instead of 5spd and an engine from the early 50s)

After BL got involved not only did the people change, but the company philosopy changed, the whole motivation behind the cars was lost.
Unless that can be ressurected (And I believe Honda has some of the right attitudes and produce's cars with a similar spirit, e.g. my 160hp 1600cc Civic, or the old S600 or the new S2000) then anything more is just badge enginering. Iv yet to see a new Mini in the flesh, and I will do my best to drive one, but I get the feeling its really nothing more than a Brillant marketing exercise, and an appeal to nostalga, much like the new Beattle.

There is a certain asthetics behind a car, and it would be quite a challange to recreate that, once it is lost.

[dejoux]

Originally posted by Hudson
. BMW has discussed (in the past) reviving Austin Healey (I still don't know that they have the rights to the "Healey" part of the name)

They do have the rights to Austin Healey.
Healey is still owned by the Healey family and is still in production somwhere in the UK making kits that look like Frog eye sprites and technically these are as much a healey as a silverstone or any other model.

BMW cannot make a healey sports car but they can make an austin healey sportscar. I think they have enough on their plate and the moment and at least in the short term this will not happen. especially since it would be in direct competition with their Z3 and Z8 models

[Moppie]

Originally posted by dejoux

I think they have enough on their plate and the moment and at least in the short term this will not happen. especially since it would be in direct competition with their Z3 and Z8 models

There were rummors that BMW were talking about giving the Z3 a Triumph name badge.
Would have been intresting, but only the 6cyl cars really deserve the name. The 4cly cars are to much of a girls car, and so more suited to the MG name.

[dejoux]

Originally posted by Moppie


The 4cly cars are to much of a girls car, and so more suited to the MG name.

Oi you NO!!

yeah the Z3 would make a good Triumph, more of a high speed tourer than a real sports car

[Hudson]

Originally posted by dejoux


They do have the rights to Austin Healey.
Healey is still owned by the Healey family and is still in production somwhere in the UK making kits that look like Frog eye sprites and technically these are as much a healey as a silverstone or any other model.

BMW cannot make a healey sports car but they can make an austin healey sportscar. I think they have enough on their plate and the moment and at least in the short term this will not happen. especially since it would be in direct competition with their Z3 and Z8 models

I don't believe this to be true. The Healey family does (as far as I know) own the rights to the "Healey" name for cars and the "Healey" replicar sold in England is not associated with the family but does use their permission for use of the name.

"Austin-Healey" is a co-branded name and, as far as I know, need the permission of the Healey family. When the final Sprites rolled off the assembly line, the "Healey" name was removed and the cars were sold as "Austin Sprites." The same thing happened during for the final versions of the "Jensen-Healey" when they were sold as Jensen GTs.

BMW may own the rights to "Austin" and could prevent anyone else from using the "Austin-Healey" brand, but I don't believe that BMW has jurisdiction over the use of "Healey" in that name. This may have changed since Donald Healey's death a few years back or the Healey Estate may have sold the rights of "Austin-Healey" to BMW (this latter one I wouldn't have a problem believing). But these things would have had to occur in the recent past.

[poop]

you ppl are talking the TR7 down so much, i looked at that car as a challange, and when you run 11.89 1/4 miles in a TR7 with the origonal 4 banger (except for new cam, pistons, and a few other *minor things ;) Plus there that huge engine bay intended for a v8 that you have room to fit all kinds of toys, set up your ecu ( an imb think pad 133mhz that you picked up for 50 bucks, that controls all the toys that the TR7 otherwise couldn't, not to mention tha the tr7 for all the trash that gets talked about it, handles better than(again about 500$ woth of suspenson upgrades)*some BMW production cars. so why not pick yourself up a TR7 for 600USD throw in about 3000-6000USD of mods, and you got a car that will take on any f-body car out there. If there is anyone you there that thinks their car can out run and out handle my tubbed little beauty, id like to hear about it....oh yeah, if you didnt build/rebuild it yourself its not your car. anyone can buy performance, not everyone can make it.

[Moppie]

An 11sec TR7?

NICE! :ylsuper


You have to admit that in standard form the 4cly cars were a let down when compared to they TRs that went before them, but like the previous cars and like most triumphs there was lots of room for imporvment.

Have you got any pics of your beast?
And could you enlighten us a little more on exactly what you did to it?

[Hudson]

The engine bay can fit a V8, but not much more than the 3.5L V8 they put in them (TR8). If you're doing work on the four-cylinder, you should know that it's related to the Saab four-cylinder offered in the 1970-1980s. Parts MAY interchange and that would allow you to turbocharge it cheaply. If you're swapping engines, the OHV V8 used in Land Rover/Range Rovers is an upgraded version of the TR8 engine and allows for up to 220 reliable horsepower in stock trim.

[Kiddo]

Well, I haven't started yet but you may have heard tell of successful conversions to a v6 taurus SHO engine for the little guy. That's my plan as of now. I'll be doing that before I start the usual volley of restoration chores. Toss on a handful of exhaust/suspension/intake mods and I'm done. Heh, wish me luck.

-Jeff