It’s the perfect pictorial opening, a 1980 Triumph TR7 on the back of a flatbed. Some will say, “Well, of course, it’s a 31-year-old barn find”, while others will say, “That was the normal perch for my TR7 while I owned it”. Everyone has a different experience so let’s take a look at this example and see what’s what. This TR7 is located in Eloy, Arizona and is available, here on craigslist for $5,000. Thanks to craiger for this tip!

Produced between 1975 and 1981, the Triumph TR7 sold rather well with about 112K copies finding new homes. Primarily offered as a coupe, there were approximately 28K convertibles assembled as well, starting in 1979. This particular example is referenced as a 30th Anniversary Edition which the Triumph Wedge Owners organization describes as a dealer-installed option that included:

• A 30th Anniversary Edition dash plaque
• The same steering wheel as the TR8 with a black and gold Triumph laurel wreath in the center cap
• Steel wheels with polished aluminum trim rings (as used on the 1975/76 USA TR7) and center hub caps (specific to the 30th Anniv. Ed.)
• Gold, black, or silver pinstripes along the sides of the car and across the lower edge of the boot lid
• Gold, black or silver ‘2 LITRE’ decals on the lower front edge of the rear wings
• Brown coco floor mats
• Luggage rack
• Fog lamps
• AM/FM cassette push button radio

Also stated is that this package, “was advertised as a no-cost option in various US periodicals in 1980. While it does show up on 1980 cars, it is not unusual to see it on 1979 models as well“.

We are told that this 79K mile TR7 is an all-original example, (except for the wheels) and it has been barn bound since 1990. While it’s dirty and the flat black trim, bumpers, etc. are faded, it actually shows pretty well. There is no sign of rust or body damage and the slotted alloy wheels could be considered an image enhancer. The folding canvas top may need some help, but that’s about it for exterior needs.

While the interior might be snappy with its era-correct plaid upholstery, there’s a real mold factory going on in there. It’s excessive to the point that the interior features cannot be easily discerned. In particular, the carpet looks pretty well destroyed but the rest of the environment may be usable as is after a thorough cleaning – it will take some elbow grease to know with certainty. Interestingly, there is a dash pad cover in place, and it probably has been there since 1990 so the dash may have been the first component to show some damage. The mold is disconcerting because it’s indicative of three decades in a damp setting.

Ran when parked? Of course, it did! The 86 HP, 2.0-liter inline four-cylinder engine does turnover, however, so at least it’s not seized. And on the surface, the engine looks complete and doesn’t appear to have any missing or disconnected components. A five-speed manual transmission handles gear shifting chores.

The seller suggests, “Would not take that much to get it on the road“. That probably remains to be seen but on the surface, this TR7 looks like a reasonable undertaking, and the top-down aspect would add to the fun. Let’s face it, the TR7 was a star-crossed sports car, I have some bad memories of a ’77 example, as have many others – it doesn’t take a lot of digging to find their stories. But there are probably some that have enjoyable memories too so let’s not discount the TR7 entirely. Does anyone have a TR7 story that they would like to share?