Giovanni Michelotti founded his own design firm at age 28; he had been working since age 16. He crafted Ferraris, Alfas, BMWs, Maseratis … he worked for OSCA, Fiat, Volvo, Alpine … and he had a strong affiliation with Standard Triumph, starting in the 1950s. He sketched the Italia, Herald, Spitfire, and Stag. While the TR2 and TR3 were styled in-house by Walter Belgrove, the new TR4 was assigned to Michelotti. Here on eBay is a decent driver-quality 1967 TR4A IRS, with an asking price of $13,950 or best offer. This car represents the tail end of production, before the TR250 was introduced to condition buyers for the upcoming TR6. As British roadsters go, the TR4 variants provide a lot of smiles per mile at a reasonable price point, and this one doesn’t require much in the way of reconditioning.
“IRS” translates to independent rear suspension, and Triumph employed it in response to criticism of its predecessor’s live rear axle. Yet, some fans preferred the more rudimentary arrangement, so in the US, the TR4A was available with or without IRS. By the time this car exited Coventry, the 2138 cc four-cylinder engine was producing 104 hp – and this engine has been rebuilt. The original radiator has been replaced with an aftermarket aluminum version. A four-speed manual was standard, though overdrive was available at an extra cost. The seller notes rust along the rocker panels and repairs to the frame – not uncommon on IRS cars as the chassis was redesigned to accommodate the new geometry.
The interior is slightly worn all the way around: the piping is damaged, the driver’s seat is torn, the wood dash needs refinishing. But the parts are all present, the convertible top is quite nice, and the car does run and drive. For bonus points, this TR4A comes with five painted 60-spoke wire wheels and its original jack. All the gauges and lights work.
The paint has a few minor blemishes; a careful application of polish might improve the shine. TR4s rattle a bit – not in a disconcerting way, more in an endearing way – and it’s not unusual to find panels askew. But these are straight, and the gaps are good. Someone has cared for this little roadster in its recent past. Regarding prices, if you’re in the market, you’ll have a wide variety of TR4s to pick from – all years, all conditions. Project cars can be had for less than $2k, while well-restored IRS cars might sell for mid-thirties. Today’s example deserves a close look, with its rebuilt engine and overall decent condition in its favor.
Well written and presented Michelle. Probably (to me) one of the nicest roadster designs of its era. As a youngster I ached for the 250, with its bonnet stripe and slightly more torque.
I drove a couple 250s and thought that model was the sweet spot. I had a TR4 in forest green – very dark, very pretty – for a short while. Nice, spritely performer.
I had a TR250 just like this one, BRG with wires. I bought it when I was 19 and kept it over 3 decades (and 2 restorations!). Best thing I ever did for it was the piston shock conversion kit to ditch the lever shocks. Before that, I encountered a few scary situations. After that, it was truly a joy to drive.
Agreed to previous comments. I liked the 4’s and the 250’s the best! Classic styling and 67 was a good year! The 6’s were OK for me but I preferred these!
Looks like a nice driver example!!
British Racing Green and wire wheels. Nice combo. Looks like it was photographed in its natural habitat – rain.
Nice car but I’ve always preferred the TR4 without the IRS rear end.
For thirty years, through youth and middle age, I wanted one of these. Badly. Instead, through happenstance and serendipity, I wound up with five MGBs. Go figure.
Maxwell Smart Approved, 99 agrees.
I drove an exact duplicate of this one in grad school. My girlfriend was working, and she swung the loan for $1,200 so I could buy it. A few years later, I sold that sweet car for $1,900 to finance our honeymoon in 1980.
As we approach our 47th anniversary, I still feel it was worth it.
Miss that TR, though…
Beautiful cars, my buddy Rob had a TR4 growing up in the Oakland/Berkeley hills back in the day. Lucky kid!
Lovely design. A beautiful classic. But anything out of the northeastern United States is likely to have rust in areas you’d never think possible. It is always worse than you think. If you are interested, get a very solid PPI from a trusted mark-specialist trained in the specifics of TR4A body, frame and floor work.
After restoration and repair the sale price of that pristine TR4A (linked) on BaT will look cheap by comparison.
Beautiful car in a classic color. Priced about right.