Same Family For 40 Years: 1964 Triumph TR4

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This cherry red 1964 Triumph TR4 has been in the same family for over 40 years! It’s currently listed for sale here on Facebook Marketplace in Durand, Illinois. It looks like the family took great care of their European sports car. Thanks for the tip, T.J. The asking price is $18,850.

This is not a jump-in-and-drive situation, though. The seller informs us the car was “gone through” 1o years ago “with tires, belts, hoses, and more to make it reliable, but it has not been driven since.” The vendor pulled it out of storage, but it still has the old fuel and will need a battery installed. The mechanicals should revive—the simple-as-all-get-out Triumph has only 48,000 miles on it.

“Very clean inside and out.” In this case, the car lives up to the hype. The paint gleams, the chrome is intact and shiny, and the interior looks tidy, with a decent wood dash, all of the Smiths gauges, and either the original seats or a re-upholstery in the correct pattern. Nothing appears missing, and the wooden shift knob is a nice touch. We have to guess about the top because there’s no picture with it up. The undercarriage looks clean.

The TR4 is, of course, a styling upgrade of the more basic TR3, with a then-modern Italianate design from Michelotti. Development began in 1956, and the first prototype was built by Vignale on a stock TR3 chassis. The “Zest” design was shown in Geneva in 1957 but was deemed too expensive to produce. A second Michelotti design with a full-width body, “Zoom,” was also created. The finished design used elements of both creations. Finally, a Triumph sports car had roll-up windows, a concept that took quite a while to take hold in Britain despite its wet weather.

Mechanical progress was incremental. The rack-and-pinion steering was an upgrade. The TR4 retained the Standard four-cylinder engine of the TR3, but now it was 2,138-cc instead of 1,991. Both Zenith and SU carbs were used. And now the four-speed had synchro on all forward speeds. An electric Laycock de Normanville overdrive (also used on the P1800 Volvo) was an option.

The TR4 was produced from 1961 to 1965, so the 1964 example offers benefits from a series of continuous improvements. Total production of the TR4 was 40,253, with 37,661 being exported—mainly to the U.S. Britons looking for rust-free cars head for California or the southwest.

It’s very likely this TR4 needs a minimal amount of work to get back on the road, but you never know—it’s been 10 years. These cars have been dropping in value, and Classic.com has them at $23,322. The TR4a IRS with independent rear suspension is worth a bit more. Some buyers will want to pony up a few more dollars and get a car that’s a known quantity and already on the road. But this pretty one certainly is enticing.

Comments

  1. Fordor

    For that “asking” price, the car needs to be a good driver with ALL the mechanicals sorted through.

    Like 4
  2. On and On On and OnMember

    Wanted one of these ‘so bad’ in high school . Ended up with a Bugeye Sprite a year later which I traded for a high end stereo system in 1970. Did I have a confused youth? Yep, you bet. Now I’m a confused senior who still holds cars and memories in high regard. And yes I want to relive all those great times, it’s not illegal and tons of fun to boot. My latest relive scenario is my all-time fav, a decent driver 912 Porsche.

    Like 1
  3. JerryK

    Had one in the mid 60s…never a problem

    Like 0
  4. Jimbosidecar

    I worked in a gas station my last 2 years of high school. My shift was from 3 PM until closig at 10:00 PM. My co-worker had a 1967 TR 4A and I had an A-H 100.4. We had to take all the cash and credit card receipts to the bank after work each night. The bank was about 3-4 mils away. So, every night we’d match up on the road and have a drag race all the way to the bank. I would usually beat him off the line but by the first mile he would pass me. We did theuis almost every night for nearly 2 years. I really liked the interior of his TR 4A with the wood dash, roll up windows, full floor carpeting. It just seemed way more luxurious than my bare bones Healey with it’s painted metal dash, plastic side curtains, and not so comfortable seats. After high school I sold my Healey and finally bought my own 1967 TR 4A, But only after a seller renegged on a 1960 Italia that I thought I had a gentleman’s agreement that he would sell to me.

    Like 0

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