1965 Triumph TR4

As far as back stories go, this left-hand drive, British Racing Green Triumph TR4 has a belter because its first and only previous UK keeper worked in the USA for thirty years as a race engine builder and found this Triumph during one of his many visits back there.

He bought his one as a nearly-complete restoration from a musician who’d found it in Texas and reimported it in April 2020 before finishing it and consigning it with us.

We sold it to the vendor back in November 2020 and he’s really enjoyed his nigh-on four years with it, albeit adding only three thousand-odd miles in that time.

Mind you, pretty much all those miles were accrued driving it between the UK and his place in Portugal, a trip he’s done three times now “and it’s never let me down!”
 

The British Racing Green coachwork looks great, doesn’t it? Beautifully aligned and free of dents and damage, it presents very well indeed.

The silver pinstripe adds interest as well as drawing your attention to the panel alignment, which is spot on. It’s got a great shine to the BRG paint and it is a credit to the seller. (Having given it a polish, you can see why he’s now wobbling about selling it, can’t you?)

Centre-lock chrome wire wheels are a staple of the British classic sportscar world for a very good reason and that reason is obvious. Fully 15-in in diameter, they glisten and gleam beautifully

It’s much more than just a show car though because those shiny wheels are also fitted with matching and expensive 165R15 Michelin XZX tyres – but then what did you expect given the previous owner’s racing history?

We will never get tired of telling you that experience shows that matching high-quality tyres are an infallible sign of a caring and mechanically sympathetic owner who is prepared to spend the appropriate amount in maintaining their car properly.

As for baubles and fripperies, the TR4 doesn’t wear much chrome but what it does have is good with only very gentle pitting and a few light scratches. In other words, there’s absolutely nothing about the brightwork for you to worry about.

The rest of the coachwork is in the same condition: The lamp lenses are free of cracks and damage; the fabric hood furls and unfurls as it should, has crystal-clear plastic windows, and looks nearly new; and the silver and black numberplates suit the TR4’s brooding looks perfectly.

As for flaws, there is a small dink in the bonnet and an almost unnoticeable vertical scratch on the nearside front wing. That’s it, and you could live with those, couldn’t you?
 

The black leather and vinyl interior is every bit as well presented as the coachwork.

Take the seats and door cards, for example, which are piped in white. Every piece is in fine fettle and the seats, which have leather centre panels and vinyl outer edges, show only the very gentlest of creasing. Not any real wear, you understand, just enough to take the newness out of them.

The carpets are matching black jobbies, and they are in a very good condition thanks, in part, to having been protected by some very good overmats.

The wooden Mota-Lita steering wheel is superb, as is the matching gearknob.

The wooden dashboard is, perhaps, the weakest area but it shows that everything is relative because it is only the quality of the finish that lets it down: There is no damage to the wooden surface, just what looks like an over-enthusiastic application of a somewhat darker varnish than we would expect to see.

While we’re being pedantic, the instruments’ chrome bezels are a little pitted but then the key word in that sentence is ‘pedantic’ rather than ‘pitted’…

Because it really is a lovely place to be and the only people who will find work to do in there will be fastidious types like us.

NB: Speakers have been fitted, along with the cage for a stereo inside the glovebox but no headunit is fitted. Mind you, when you hear the exhaust note you appreciate why the seller hasn’t bothered.
 

The TR4 was still fitted with its American Stromberg carburettors when the seller bought it, and he wasted no time in changing them for a pair of reconditioned SUs. These, along with a 123 electronic ignition conversion, have transformed the car making it “much better to drive”.

The first 1,000-mile trip proved “a decent shakedown” and his chap in the UK tightened up a few nuts and bolts and generally gave it a onceover, including a new steering rack and track rod ends.

A new battery is fitted too, and the seller reports it now drives “really nicely”. So nicely in fact that he had sufficient confidence to go to and from Portugal again, racking up another couple of thousand miles travelling through Spain and the UK to do so.

We are told the gearbox is a real highlight of the car: “It’s one of the best I’ve ever come across in a classic car. It might lack an overdrive but fourth gear is higher than usual to compensate, so it’ll sit at 70mph on the motorway very happily. But it’s on B-roads when it really shines as you’re constantly snicking between second and third gear. It’s like a rifle bolt to use and I’m having second thoughts about selling it!” he laughed.

In fact, he says he nearly sold it to a chap on the ferry coming over here and would undoubtably have done so if the man’s wife hadn’t intervened…

As for the engine, the video shows it starts on the button, idles and revs as it should, and while the ammeter and rev counter don’t work, the oil pressure gauge does and registers a healthy oil pressure.

Lifting the bonnet demonstrates an attractive induction rasp through the twin SU carburettors – and what seems to be an exhaust leak. Nonetheless, moving to the rear allows you to enjoy an exhaust note that’s wonderfully out of proportion to the engine’s diminutive capacity.

The new and oversized battery might look out of place, as does the plentiful plastic wiring conduit. However, both add practicality, and we’d happily live with them for the added peace of mind they bring. 
 

The Triumph doesn’t have a current MoT certificate, and while it is exempt by virtue of its age, we would strongly encourage the new owner to have it MoT’d at the earliest opportunity. The cost of an MoT is a small investment when offset against the purchase and upkeep of any classic vehicle, and it gives an independent, third-party assessment of the car’s condition, which not only provides reassurance to the owner (and any subsequent purchasers) but might also be invaluable in the event of a bump when negotiating with the police and any interested insurance companies…

The recent Vehicle History Check is clear bar the markers for being an imported car. The history file contains Certificates of Title from Texas and California plus its Texas numberplate, Californian insurance cards, a Restorer’s Guide, and a stamped service history book that covers its first few services in 1965.

The owner has added some paperwork from Portugal too, including invoices for work to upgrade to an electronic ignition system as well as £1,500-worth of fettling to the engine and fuel system.
 

The Triumph TR4 is popular for a reason; it’s tough, easy to maintain, decently fast, and enormous fun to drive. It also feels wonderfully vintage and ticks a great many of the boxes for those of us who hanker after a hairy chested British roadster.

And this is a very nice example indeed being almost completely rust-free thanks to that Texas and California history.

With a proven record of intercontinental travel you could buy it here and drive it down to your place in the sun this autumn where it’ll be ready and waiting for you next spring; imagine using this to whizz down to your local bar or cafe for a spot of lunch before ambling your way back in search of a siesta.

As to value, we reckon it’s going to fetch between £17,000 and £20,000, which isn’t the cheapest Triumph TR4 you’re going to find on sale but then it’s very far from being the most expensive too; quality will always out and in this case comes with an attractive price tag. 

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 Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, and read our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.