1965 Triumph TR4

The untrained eye might find it very hard to believe that this very fresh-looking TR4 first put its rubber on some tarmac in 1965, when the Beatles were shouting for help, Tom Jones was asking a pussycat for a news update, and Mick Jagger was telling anyone prepared to listen about his struggle to find any kind of satisfaction.

But it’s not that hard for us to believe it.

Why?

Well, having sold it twice before we’re really rather familiar with it and we know just how good it undoubtedly is.

And it just keeps getting better, as each new owner picks up the baton from his or her predecessor and manages to add yet more value to the car during their tenure of curation.

The British man who found the car in the US and bought it to this country some 6 years ago had spent 30 years working as a race engine builder in California and Oregon. He bought the rust-free car from a Californian musician who, in turn, had found the car in Texas.

Once the car was back in the UK, the race engine builder finished off the restoration. We auctioned the car on his behalf in 2020.

The next owner enjoyed 4 years with the car, adding around 3,000 miles to the odometer through trips to and from his place in Portugal.

One of the first things he did was to replace the American Stromberg carburettors with a pair of reconditioned SUs. These, along with a 123 electronic ignition conversion, transformed the car and made it, in his words, a “much better drive”.

The Portugal trips were completed without the car missing a beat and gave the owner the shakedown feedback needed for him to know that a new steering rack and track rod ends would further improve the car’s already impressive handling characteristics.

He also fitted a new battery at that time.

The car went under our virtual, online hammer again in 2024.

The successful bidder - the vendor today - knows his way around a TR4. He’s got three others.

He loves classic cars and hates breaking down in equal measure, which is why this car is now as properly mechanically sorted, fettled, tested and proven as it could possibly be.

It is a pleasure to drive, the (non-overdrive) gearbox is one of the best we’ve encountered in a TR, and the car starts, goes and stops with impressive competence and capability.

Well, the outside of this car presents a very handsome vista.

Aside from a small, very shallow and almost imperceptible crease on the driver’s door, the bodywork is happily devoid of any dinks, dents or other aberrations of consequence.

The shut-lines and panel gaps are at least as crisp, consistent and even as they would have been when the car left the factory, and the doors close with a decent amount heft and precision.

The paintwork is pretty good but there are a few swirly scratches here and there, particularly on the boot lid: some small patches of micro-blistering on the bonnet and elsewhere; plus the usual scattering of stone chips and minor scuffs in the usual places.

There’s a thin 4” vertical split to the paint on the passenger door and a paint chip on the tip of the o/s/f wing where it meets the bonnet.

The chrome everywhere is bright and shiny, the wire wheels appear to be in excellent order and there looks to be plenty of life left in the matching Michelin XZX tyres.

The black vinyl roof fits snugly and goes up and down with a minimum of dissent or reluctance. The rear screen is clear and bright, and the car’s various tonneau covers are in equally fine fettle.

As for the car’s lights, lenses, badging, trim and other exterior fixtures and fittings, they’re all following the same script as the rest of it in terms of condition and preservation.

There’s a tiny starburst crack on the passenger side of the windscreen, plus a few scuffs left by the movement of the wipers.

Basically though, it’s all very good indeed.
 

If anything, the interior of this utterly charming car is even better than its exterior counterpart, and the pervading ambience exudes authenticity and very much of-the-period aesthetics.

The black with white piping seats are comfortable and supportive.

The leather facings on the backrest and seat cushions have yet to earn more than a light patina, let alone any of the sort of deeply ingrained creasing and cracking you might expect to find in a car that’s 60 years old.

The vinyl on the seat backs looks to be entirely untroubled by the passage of time.

The door cards are excellent, as are the black carpets, Triumph-branded mats and roof-lining.

We spotted a tiny patch of nascent bubbling under the green paint on the metal just below the window on the passenger door.

The wood inserts are fine everywhere, and the gear lever and Moto-Lita steering wheel set the whole look off perfectly.

All dials, instruments, switches, toggles, buttons and knobs are in decent order and, as far as we’re aware, everything does what it’s supposed to do.

The black-carpeted boot is every bit as good as the rest of it and contains a spare wheel and various tonneau covers.
 

The engine and engine bay are impressively clean, dry and orderly.

Everything looks to be in its right and proper place.

Although the car was pretty near as good as it could be when the vendor took charge of it, it was still some way off the high standards he sets for his classics.

So, among other issues he quickly addressed were the following.

•    Replace brake master cylinder. Flush through old brake fluid. Bleed brakes
•    Replace clutch master cylinder and slave cylinder, bleed system, check operation
•    Remove electronic ignition distributor, oil pump gear found to be 180 degrees out, reset timing, install Lucas distributor, reconditioned by Distributor Doctor
•    Tidy up wiring, crimp on new terminals, rewire relay to electric radiator fan
•    Remove tacho, send to Speedograph, fit new drive cable to replace broken item
•    Remove speedo head, send to Speedograph for reconditioning, refit
•    Make up new brake pipe from master cylinder to 3-way junction
•    Remake dynamo charging circuit to regulator
•    Replace leaking rocker cover gasket
•    Make up rubber seals for retaining bolts and adjust tappets.

The car’s undersides appear to be possessed of oodles of structural integrity and look thoroughly solid and sound.

We’ve seen nothing to make us tut, frown or otherwise question the car’s honesty or character.
 

This car comes with all sorts of bills, invoices and receipts covering work carried out since it first returned to these shores a few years ago.

There’s also an original service book bristling with stamps from its time in the US, starting with its first service stamp at 3,579 miles from Hackett Imported Cars of Westport Connecticut in 1965.

Work carried out this year includes:

• Replacing of brake master cylinder and bleeding of brakes
• Replacement of clutch master cylinder and slave cylinder and bleeding of system
• Removal of Electronic Ignition and re-installment of a refurbished Lucas component
• Tidying and correction of electrical wiring
• New tacho drive cable fitted
• Speedo head reconditioned
• Fabrication of new brake pipe from master cylinder to 3-way junction
• Replacement of leaking rocker cover gasket

The car comes with a V5C and a clear HPI report.
 

This car isn’t in concours condition and, in our opinion, it’s all the better for it.

The current vendor has carried on, and perfected, the work started by his predecessors: namely, to make this car a reliable, spirted, optimally fettled joy to drive and own.

With all the hard work already done by other people, it’s ready and waiting for its next lucky owner and is sure to give many years of pedigree motoring pleasure.

We are happy to offer this car for auction with an estimate in the range of £18,000 - £22,000.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at Bonhams|Cars Online HQ. Viewings are STRICTLY BY APPOINTMENT and we are open weekdays between 10am - 12pm or 2pm - 4pm. To make a booking, please use the ‘Enquire About This Vehicle’ button on the listing. Feel free to ask any questions, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.