Just to be clear, there are bots that link to porn channels, they have nothing to do with me as I have pointed out before. Don’t really think I’m at a level where I have to pay for 8-10 extra views?!
@@Number27 no worries at all. The written word is all too easy to misinterpret. Seeing these bots all over many different videos, they would be fine if the comments related to the topic 😂
I was a Triumph nut back in the day. My first car was a Herald, then a 1600 Vitesse, then a 2 Litre and finally a white TR5. It was a fabulous car and the injection system never missed a beat. Its SO nice to see a correct one that hasn’t been customised with walnut dash, dual exhausts and leather seats etc. And it has the super rare original stainless steel rostyle wheel covers on narrower wheels which most came with but were long lost. Lovely car.
My first car in 1988 was also a herald followed by a spitfire a few years and cars later. The closest I got to a tr was a MK3 gt6. Fun cars for me at the time but then I turned a corner and discovered higher revving engines with my first Honda being 1.6 i-16 crx.
Totally agree Tim. In the mid 70’s I had a Triumph 2000 and Stag. The 2000 was exceptional, fast, comfortable, reliable and very smooth. The Stag was my absolute favourite. Amazing car, although not so reliable, but I fixed it, drove, fixed it, drove….you know how it goes!😊
Agree with all the above. I had a couple of heralds, a TR6 and a 2 litre mk2 Vitesse. The TR6 was by far the best to drive. The Vitesse I found was much harder work than the herald but looks wise, it’s my favourite of the lot. Happy days in all of the Triumphs and seeing this makes me miss mine! Thanks Jack for another great vid.
@@theoriginaldanalogueWow, reading about all you fortunate souls relating your experience with Triumph sports cars makes me miss them all the more. Closest I got was test driving a (1972, I think?) TR-6 in that unfortunate dull brown color. Like being employed by UPS! Other than the color, I was totally enamored of the TR-6, and found the driving inputs exactly as had been reported; quite difficult to drive smoothly, at least initially. Clutch felt like it was wanting to be either all in or all out, steering was hard at lower speeds, the gear changes were hard (but nice!) Definitely no moving the shift knob with just a flick of the wrist, no way! Despite all that I really loved it. One had to get used to those characteristics and eventually you could drive it relatively smoothly. And of course, it sounded lovely, going up through the gears, and burbling nicely on the highway. Alas, the roughly $3500+ price tag made it unobtainium for me.
I had a TR-4A in 1985. What a machine. It certainly had its issues, but nothing was better than top down cruising down the highway - that exhaust note..... perfection.
With the benefit of 20-20 hindsight it becomes apparent that Triumph were knocking out of the park with cars like the TR4, 5 and 6. They have that Terry Thomas swagger and rakish manner about them. Cars to be cherished.
Crashed my tr-4a back in the early 70's during my school days....then nit long after that i crashed my rare 62 MGA...terrible driver then no doubt....😢
I worked with an automotive engineer in Jaguar who had worked in Triumph in this hey day. He said it was incredible before BL took over. They were working 24/7 shifts 7 days a week turning out 90% sports cars! Vitesse, TR5, 2.5pi, then Stag, Dolomite sprint, GT6, Spitfire.........He said the product profile made no sense but they could not put a foot wrong. I scratched the itch by getting a beautiful Hart Tuned yellow Stag a few years later when UK tax laws gave you one as a company car....what a machine.
I am afraid the fool Leyland motors chairman; Donald Stokes was seduced into amalgamating his brilliant Company into BMCH by the stupid British Government .. BMCH were about to go into liquidation and should have been broke up and sold off in the late 60’s but instead this happened in the early 80’s when the Germans and Japanese had already won the market
We used to help a collector work on his Jags for parts for the 250. Everyone used to get comments for reliability issues so the joke was we only needed 1 TR because they were so easy to work on but he needed 2 Jags so he could keep 1 on the road. Kind of true but hey, they were all fun to put together and drive.
I bought a new TR-250 in 1968. It was a rocket. It had two Stromberg carburetors and would routinely blow the doors off small block V-8’s, light to light. But it really shined on the twistiest, windiest roads you could find. The only other car that could pull it was the Healey 3000. When it was new few other cars in its class could beat it.
I am so grateful to you that you reviewed this car. I bought a TR250 in the US in 1984. It had had an electrical fire damage and I restored it myself with parts from Moss Motors. And sure it was not a TR5, the power was not there, but what a satisfying car it was!
Went from TR4A-IRS to TR250 in 1974 & enjoyed the heck out of it. The difference was in the smoothness with the 6 as you say. Not absolute power but the smile ratio was tops! Mine had painted wire wheels. Those were the days of waving at fellow British roadsters, anybody remember?
Jack, I am really enjoying your videos reviewing older classic cars. It is so awesome to see a UA-camr who has stayed with his passion and continues to deliver enjoyable reviews in their own inimitable style rather than so many who simply chase views and have become a pastiche of their former selves. This particular car is very beautiful and I love the way it is styled in its own unique way and it really stands out today as a stunning example.
I went to the dealer in 1968, and sat in this car, TR250 in Chicago, had white race stripe across front of hood, loved it. I took home the most beautiful brochure of the red car. Was 13 so car out of question. Father took home Volvo wagon in which I learned to drive later.
I really appreciated this chap’s positivity and his appreciative smile. The Triumph TR4a to late TR6 cars are cars we should all be proud of and very interesting that approximately 70% of all cars made were exported to ( mainly North America) and were certainly a great export success story for the GB car industry. Well done sir!
This chap’s presentation skills are so good he should have his own named channel. I hope both Cheftush and Elin Yakhov, (the two most well known North American Triumph restorers) and the famous Canadian “six pack” club, also follow him and show their own appreciation accordingly.
My sister's boyfriend owned a TR250 and by stroke of luck was able to buy the parts of a TR5 parting out in Puerto Rico. It included the fuel injection system and a Surrey top, like the one here.
Way back in the days when i was an apprentice, one of the fitters at work took me out as a passenger in his TR4a. I was blown away, I just couldn't believe how loud, brutally hard riding and fast it was. Of course back then the few normal cars on the road were making 50 hp and struggled to get to 60 mph and he was blasting round the near empty roads at 90!
My oldest best friend had one, hes had lotus cortinas, mini cooper s , Avenger tiger's, the list goes on I hated the Tr 4a I would say it's the worst car he ever had he didn't keep it long, bearing in mind I was about 17 at the time !!!
@@peterbalac1915 the tr4a probably wasn't that great since the guy swapped it for an even louder more brutal ford mustang imported from USA, it had those very noisy sidewinder exhausts under the doors. i have no idea where he could acquire such a car in Uk back in 1981. He named it "Mr Angry " after the Steve Wright character. Shortly awards i think he had some domestic problems and left to work elsewhere. I never saw him again, but those two cars certainly made a lasting impression on me.
Two spotlights and an AA badge on the front with the IRS badge on the back made the TR4A my favourite sportscar visually. I had a Herald 12/50 with Webasto then a 13/60 convertible in my youth but never graduated to a Vitesse, GT6 or Stag unfortunately. Did have a Triumph 2000 though. My favourite cars were Triumphs.
@@UberLummox Definitely a later one, with the suspension a little sorted. I suspect I am too tall and old to be able to drive one now. Kudos to you if you get one.😃
@@robertshears8385 Hey, thanks a lot! I do like the looks of the later ones far better. Good to know about the suspension. I'm 6' 2" and heard I might fit ok...I hope!
I had a couple of heralds and a mk2 Vitesse. Gorgeous soundtrack and I preferred the looks but the herald was more fun, easier to live with and better balanced. I had a TR6 which was a step up in drivability terms - great car. Drove a stag once. Lovely car and felt more modern but a little too laid back and boring compared with the TR
People really forget how good Triumph were back in the day. Such a shame that the brand is almost being written out of history. It is great to see you giving one a review. Hope to see more Triumph on your channel, Jack.
Their downfall was being taken over by br Leyland or whatever they were called. Should be reintroduced. Triumphs and Austin healeys were brilliant and well advanced.
Yes the first TR6s were just a rebody… but they were evolved and improved with regular updates for safety like hazard lights, seatbelt indicators, better seats, ……
The 5 was great but they are very rare. I’ve driven a load of 3,4,4a,6 but I have only driven a few TR5s. The American cars are 250s and have strombergs. Surrey tops are also rare to see today. The 4a and 4a irs are different also in the front grill area and side lights/indicators on the front wings. Bloody lovely car
Throughout the 1970's and early '80's my manager/agent (I was a touring musician) drove this exact model. We spent many a happy hour bombing along the A and B roads of Briton (including in Oxfordshire), probably on the same roads you used for this review. I remember him complaining that, at least back then, this model wasn't considered a "classic" largely due to the weight. Either way, I had a passinger-seat experience of this car driven at the limit. Thanks for a fascinating nostalgic look back. Another brilliant video!
Thank you for this video. I'm now 78 years of age. A good pal of mine had a red TR6 back then but I'm not sure of the year, however, we were still young when he took me for a spin in it. I had a Triumph Vitesse 1600 for a while which I took on the Dover to Ostend ferry and then on to Vienna in Austria and back.
My mate had one of these in the 70s in NZ. Gorgeous in a deep bluey green. I think their interior is lovely! I am surprised how quiet and civilised this example is!
I raced British sports cars in the '60s; a TR3, an MGB, an Austin Healey 3000, but my favorite was the '67 left-hand-drive Carroll Shelby mod of the Sunbeam Alpine - the Sunbeam Tiger with the top-of-the-line Mustang 289 V-8.
This very TR5 used to come into the TR Specialist that I worked at in the summer holidays as a teenager in the mid-90s. Great to see it again looking so nice still after all these years! Also My mum worked for Lambs Ltd of Woodford Green who were a Standard/Triumph dealer. She seems remembers LBK555G being brought to the garage. I guess it's distinctive reg no. makes it instantly recognisable.
In 1970, I bought a 1964 TR-4 that was nearly identical in appearance top your test article. I had the conventional black fabric top, and the badge said "TR4A-IRS" but that was a vanity switch by the previous owner and mine was the hard axel version. Lighting by Lucas [Prince of Darkness; "A Gentleman does not go motoring about after dark"; three position lighting was OFF, DIM, and FLICKER] gave endless trouble (and was the ultimate burning death of the car); the twin Stromberg carbs needed rebuild with money I didn't have; but Lordy! was it fun to drive. My wonderful baby sister was driving it on April 10, 1973 when a sudden spraying fuel leak encountered the Lucas generator and everything lit off: I am so lucky she was uninjured but my TR4 was totaled. My life compensation: earlier that day, I had met my future wife, now over a half century ago. Lovely, lovely car, great memories. Thank you for review.
Nice, thank you. I owned one of the pre-production prototypes of this car for 4 years in the mid/late '70's. ( LHP 293F, aka Press Car no 2). Still have the 'Autocar' magazine report of it being hurled round Silverstone. The fuel pump was indeed under the bonnet. On the nearside, up against the bulkhead. The factory had fitted cooling rings around the body of the pump through which petrol flowed. The only times I encountered any problems with fuel evaporation was on 3 or 4 occasions at the absolute height of summers when I was stuck/slowly moving for extended periods in heavy traffic. I'd manage to get it into the side of the road, relax a bit, watch all the other motorists fuming in their cars.., while I and the TR5 cooled off for 20 or 30 minutes.., then went on my way again. Never had any problems with the metering unit or the fuel injection. As with the the TR5 here, my car had the Surrey top, with the hardtop. In addition to the choice of hardtop on, or removed, there was a third option..., a canvas softop with a frame. For 8 or 9 months of the year, I'd have the soft top on, and only fitted the top section of the hardtop from about December through February/March. This car was my introduction to straight 6 engines, the love of which has never left me, even if I currently own a Mk1 MX5. Yes, the gearbox in the TR5 couldn't be rushed. Thanks again for putting up this video. Much appreciated.
As a teen, we had a TR-6 and I used to sneak it out (before I had my license) and really loved it. It was my first inline 6 of course, but every time I drive my E46 M3 I’m reminded on the freight train like pull. My father-in-law had a TR-4A IRS. He bought it new and sold it just before I met my wife. I do know where it is and we are hoping to buy it back. Great review. Great British heritage.
Lovely looks and relentless torque. 'Hairy chested' is not about image. It simply means you have to consciously dictate to it to make sure you are in charge. Its not an easy going Japanese car. It requires a committed driving style otherwise it will throw you off. Very satisfying!
My dad has a titanium ankle thanks to a 2L Vitesse, he also had a couple of 2L saloons before 3 2.5PI's. Mum also drove Triumphs also, she had a 2L auto for years she loved it. She replaced it with a Rover 3.5TC & then SD1. Both parents only stopped driving Triumph because the brand was discontinued. Dad went over to Volvo which he imported from Sweden himself. They were top of the range Thor models not available in the uk, big engines & all the toys estates.
What a treat this vid was! Thank you! Years back I had a '67 TR4A, and later a '74 TR6. Loved them both, and also had a friend with a TR5/TR250. He had placed a triple weber kit on his car and it was a dream to drive. His also had the surrey top, though instead of the steel cap, it was a convertible piece with metal struts connecting the solid rear window section to the crown of the windshield. I thought that was SO cool, both then and now. To me in many ways the TR250 was just the best, because you had the more classic TR4 styling with the straight six engine. Oh, and the electric overdrive was absolutely essential for maintaining freeway speeds here in California, though now with the speeds people drive at, it was be pushed to the limit.
The reason why British engines are focussed on torque rather than revs, is tax benefits. British cars have a very long stroke and low piston surface area to get it in a lower tax category. Italy had a limit of 2 liters, before having to pay a higher rate. It's funny how tax rates made up by politicians, have resulted in revvy Italian engines and torqy British engines for decades.
I had one back in the 1980's actually my old car is still on the road. You missed an important point about the Surrey Top, there was a metal frame and soft-top panel you could put in place of the steel section. This allowed you to drive the car open but put the soft panel in if it came onto rain. It was a very fast car on a good road, I loved it. I had problems with vaporization in the fuel pump, solved it by fitting a TR6 petrol tank that had the return from the pump at the top of the tank. This allowed the warm compressed fuel to cool down before being pumped around again, the fuel pump pushes more fuel to the front of the car than it could ever use so most of it gets sent straight back. Just a wonderful car to drive, totally unlike a modern car.
Beautiful TR. As a 21 year old in 1986, I had a '65 TR 4A with Surrey top. Drove it from London to Switzerland, what a road trip. Still miss it. My Surrey top was made of material, not a solid roof. It also had the interior protection cover, which would zip up all around the bottom of the window levels, and leave just the driver's seat free. Could be driven like that in drizzle, felt like driving an old Grand Prix car.
If the gearbox selector isn’t rifle bolt slick, then it just needs a quick selector rebuild. They’re one of the best gearboxes of the time, but selector cup can wear and that can make it stiff or inprecise…
There are sprinkles of the Triumph Italia in this car which was also designed by Giovanni Michelotti. It had the TR3 chassis and mechanical components were supplied by the Triumph Motor Company in the United Kingdom, and built by Alfredo Vignale in Turin, Italy. Only 329 were made, hence their skyrocketing value today.
Had a TR250 in the USA for 15 years and it was a joy (mostly) but could not be hurried or thrown around too much. Weather back in the UK made the Triumphs into rustbuckets which needed frequent bodywork care but after one body-on restoration in the USA then I never had to touch it again. Great car.... but not missed at all by my wife! ;-)
150 BHP and that 0-60 time in 1967 must've felt like an absolute rocket!! And the jump in power over the TR4 is also impressive. Looks wise, I've always preferred the TR6 but I think all the TR's are good looking cars, yes even the Cheese Wedge, but I have to admit, the TR5 looks like the quintessential 60's British sports car.
so nice to hear such a purebred brit describing my first car here in the usa i got for college a 64 tr4 straight from Switzerland, at my college some of my fellow students thought they would play a joke and lift it into the academic hall but unfortunately the steering lock short circuited and the wire harness went up in flames they came running into my room shouting mike mike the car is on fire what a shock but they all chipped in together to get me a new wire harness installed quite an experience
Oh, the joys of youth, I had a TR5 in 71-72 and wire wheels too, working for myself and getting travel expenses, whizzing around the country, so lucky looking back, even shipped it to NZ with me, fond memories for sure.
As a hard car-taxed Dane I loved the sixties TRs for their looks. Still, I remember the Original "Wheeler-Dealers" having bought one, and the Master Mechanic, Edd China wasn't very impressed with its technique and made major alterations to make it better functioning!!! As an original owner of my one British car, a 1966 BMC Mini, it was also a major collection of strange ideas and absurdly bad craftsmanship!!! Even from the frontscreen water came in from the corners! Finn. Denmark
In high-school, I lusted for a TR250. Now 40 years later, I first hear of the TR5. Never to old to learn! I got to drive a 250 - love the low end grunt, and the sweet exhaust notes!
I've always wanted a TR 250 and an MGC and a lot of other British and Italian sports cars. I love this channel because you always find the ones I like!! Great video!! Greetings from Mineral,VA. USA.
Oh Boy!! These cars should not have a radio in them. The symphony is the sound. You just gotta love the exhaust note of the inline 6. Sounds much like a Jag. Beautiful!!
A thing of beauty. I always admired the 5 but never got my hands on one. A friend of my dad's had a TR4 and as 8 to 11 year olds we were recruited as valve grinding slaves when that 2138cc 4 cylinder engine was being rebuilt and tuned. Not many cars were doing Inverness to Edinburgh in 2h30 on the tortuous A9/A90 of the 1960s but that TR4 managed it fine.
The TR250 power output was lower not only due to the twin Strombergs, but also a different camshaft. The US federal market TR6 had an official 106bhp and was the exact same spec as found in the facelifted 2500TC.
I had a 68 TR 250. Had the smog contrrol removed. Ran Great ! Have no idea of the HP with the modification. Installed a freeR exhaust and it had a great sound. Sold it because my new wife had trouble with the heavy clutch. Been married 54 years. Wish I had kept mya TR as long 😉
I once owned a TR4A and a TR3 back in the 70’s. Used of course. Lots of fun but with typical British car issues. Fun to drive but work on it every week. I am located in the US.
Owned a 1971 TR-6 for 40 years and 1 month: loved that car and did 90% of the maintenance & repairs; however, when I couldn't get in & out of the car as in my younger days...well, I had to bid it farewell !
Maserati used that same FI by Lucas in their 3500 GTi starting in 1960, making it the first production Italian car with fuel injection. It was also used on their later Sebring and Mistral models. It gave inconsistent results and replacing it with Webers was a popular solution. Eventually, someone figured out that adding an electric fuel pump back at the fuel tank fixed the problem.
I had a TR4 then two TR6's. I had the first TR6 in the record hot summer of 1976 and found that even with the fuel pump in the boot it still overheated causing a breakdown. Eventually I carried a soaking wet cloth around to cool down the fuel pump when this happened. The pump was powered by a windscreen wiper motor so was never really up to the job.
@@andrewmaskell420 haha our TR6 pump experiences were the same! If it had been Japanese there would have been a fix done straight away; the TR6 diff stub axles were also quite weak. Lovely car, but the 240Z I traded it for was another generation better, despite being only 2 years younger.
Thanks to you and the owner for bringing us this wonderfully original example of a great car - and you are quite right that it is the best looking version.
I had a 2.5 pi sedan with the Tr5 spec engine. Was a fantastic car the power would come in at around 3500 rpm and would pull well past 6000rpm. The main reason these had a bad name was because people wouldn't drive them like they were meant to be driven. They needed to rev. If you putt around under 2500 rpm they would foul injectors and plugs. You need to drive them hard and enjoy the beautiful sound they make at high revs.
Nice. I had a TR6 for 17 years but always liked the TR5. My fuel injection was occasionally troublesome with a sticking injector which I could sort in 2 minutes eventually but the noise it made compensated for any shortcomings. After 20 years in TVRs I am now in a 350Z roadster which is similar to the TR5 in many ways.
A friend in High School drove a Triumph TR250; and one of the prettiest girls (but most modest) ran a BRG Sunbeam Alpine…one nerdy bloke who must own the world today got handed a 911SC…me and my two best friends ran BMW 2002s…it was the Mid-80’s and I guess most everyone loved it…Hollywood told us..! Grateful…it was a fun era..!
The only emissions demand in the States had to do with closing crankcase ventilation into a loop where crankcase gases would be re-introduced into the induction. Consequential emissions legislation didn't begin to take effect until 1968. Perhaps, slightly earlier in California. The last of this series (TR6) to be sold in the Detroit, U.S.A. area was sitting in a Ferndale, Michigan showroom for years, if not for over a decade even. It was white with a black interior. The dealership demanded a collector's price already. Its large wheel's, inclined rear wheel angle and generally iconic design always made me want to have one
I was stationed in West Germany from Jan 1970 to Dec 1973. There was a storage, fenced and locked for personal, family gear. Boats, small trailers. But there was a British racing green Triumph. Every time I passed that area and slow down and just look at that Triumph. Many times with " does the owner want to sell it?" I don't recall if the car ever moved the entire time.
My ‘68 Triumph tr250 roadster convertible didn’t have the fuel injection but still felt like a rocket to me. The foot operated wiper pedal, a lever next to the clutch, was quite memorable but no other owners ever mentioned the feature so perhaps I owned the only one. Maybe it was for rallying. The trunk also had some sort of rack attached. I slid into a curb while doing doughnuts in the rain and it was never the same. I enlisted shortly after reaching age 17 so I called a junk guy and he offered twice the price and kept it for himself. It ran great and looked perfect but when he put it on the hook, he said the frame broke. I offered his money back but he still wanted it.
My first car was a 1969 burgandy/ tan TR6 that I drove for years until I got married and children happened. I put over 100K miles on it and had a few major problems had to deal with but it was such a blast to own and drive I didn't complain. It was always nothing but smiles! I loved that car and miss it often.
1967 TR4A loved it.....later in 1980 found an MGB 1972 with low miles and a factory hard top. We liked the TR4A better. All the TR 250 we saw had stromberg twin carbs...it was smooth bout the 4 cylinder was better handling
I restored a TR5 that I bought back in 1987. It was such a rusty worn out mess. I put it back together again turning it in to a beautiful navy blue red interior 72 spoke wire Wheel beauty. That sound from the engine that they refer to as ”ripping canvas” was really exciting. Also remember that I had some fine tuning of the engine since there were some hickups when I was reving it above 4000 rpm. The engine maestro took the engine output från 87 hp on the rear wheels up to 130. I was smiling like a fool when I drove it from his work shop. Lovely car😁❤️💪
Quicker than a Porsche *if* it's running and *if* it's running well. Based on my experience with a Spitfire (gorgeous car!) the amount of time a Triumph runs well is about 1 hour for every 2 hours of work.😆
Epic I had 2 injected tr6 and with a proper set up they were great. 90 mph all day long on the motorway with the roof down. Great cars and that is a wonderful original example
The best of both worlds - the later 6 cylinder engine and the earlier Michelotti designed body, I've always loved the combination. However, I only have a TR 4 A IRS which, although slightly tuned, is a nice car to drive. However, compensates the Triumph's 4 cylinder engine with a 6 cylinder MGC GT, also very nice! Warm greetings from Sweden!
This title definitely pulled me in as I own a TR5 and a 911. The TR5 is such a fun car to drive, low to the ground and great handling. As you say the Lucas fuel injection can be troublesome, my fuel pump is in the boot.
I had the transition year, a 1968 TR250. Paid $750.00 dollars for it. Same engine, stromberg carbs., same hub caps, had a hard top. traded a friend a gun for a custom walnut dash, got a hold of high back seats out of a 69, sweet, pretty rough when I got it but turned it into a fun ride. Easy to fix, drive, kept the corvette and let the 250 go. Wish I had kept the 250, but not all is lost, I'm pretty happy with my 87 911 cab.
I had a TR 250, which was a TR 5 with a pair of side draft carbs. Had what I called a “suicide clutch”. Until you got really accustomed to it, it seemed like it was either on or off. Slipping the clutch was an art in itself. Drove it home in Portland, Oregon rush hour. Crash course in clutch slipping 101. The only flaw seemed to be the control arm pivots. Mine had a left hand, upper rear, pivot that broke going into a driveway. I’d just been on a highway doing 60 mph. I had looked at a 250 a to buy, a while before and didn’t buy buy it because of the same exact reason. Never met a 250 owner that didn’t have the same problem.
The power bulge was actually obsolete, being a hangover from the carburettored TR4. The independent rear suspension was also a “hangover” from the TR4A (badged as IRS), as were the position lights which on the original TR4 were tucked up under the corners of the bonnet.
I first drove my mom's '62 baby blue TR4 that we had for years. Later, i acquired a '64 red w/200 cid Ford inline 6 w/190# torque. I added white '67 base TR4 straight axle to make it a pair, for many years, all gone now. These days, an old black Z3 four cyl gets me by.
Even the TR4 had plenty of power for what it was; a Sports Car. The only issue I had was headroom. The cars were great with the top down, (or off), but South Florida just had too many rainy days. Of course, you had to be an auto mechanic if you drove an English Sports Car, and I was. In 1970 I quit English cars altogether and bought a VW. I wish I had one today, though. Thanks for bringing back good memories.
The steel wheels just didn't quite work...visually, when compared to the chrome wire wheels. The car in your thumbnail, with the wire wheels...is impossible to look away from!! So beautiful...so classic!
Nicely done review! It is a shame we didn't get the PI TR5 or TR6 here in the US. But we still enjoy our LBCs (Little British Cars)! For what it's worth, that actually isn't a "Surrey top." Triumph simply called it a "hard top" in their various publications. You are correct that it is a precursor of the Targa top famously found on Porsches. The Triumph top came more than five years earlier, in fact. Triumph typically sold the hard top as a dealer-installed kit. They were all originally painted white. The kit includes the cast aluminum rear frame and now-impossible to replace glass "backlight", the roof section (first 500 were aluminum, then were steel), interior trim and assorted fasteners. The TR4 in pre-production was code named "Zest". Michelotti had another design Triumph called Zoom that looks much the same from the rear, but has a different front fascia, fenders and hood. There were two prototypes of the Zoom built... one with a fixed top, the other with a removable roof that looks a great deal like what many people now call the Surrey top. (While it never went into production, the Zoom design was used as a basis of the four Triumph TRS factory LeMans race cars. The design also appears to have been developed into the Triumph Italia 2000 that were built in Italy on TR3 rolling chassis.) The "Surrey top" is actually an optional accessory for the Triumph hard top. It is a foldable, vinyl panel over several support stays that can be stashed in the trunk just in case it starts to rain, when the roof of the hard top has been left at home because it is just too big to store anywhere within the car. I don't know that I agree the TR5 PI is the pinnacle of the TR series. Yes, they are nice! In fact, I own a 1962 TR4 with newr identical body and interior, but also really like the TR3s, TR6s and TR8s. While not a TR, another personal favorite is the GT6 Merk III. And of all Triumph cars, in my opinion the Italia is the prettiest!
My first car was a US-spec TR-250 with Stromberg carburetors, not fuel injection. It was a cute car, and fun to drive with the top down in Southern California. My friend's Mazda RX-2 four-door would blow the doors off of it. I don't miss it. No creature comforts. Not reliable. The car was delivered to my parents at the Triumph factory in Coventry. The Lucas windshield washer pump failed on their first trip in Europe.
I'm afraid that US emissions cannot be blamed for any reduction in power back in 1967. Real emissions rules which mandated unleaded gasoline, reduced compression and power, didn't come for 5 more years, and catalytic converters weren't until 1975. 1970 was the peak of the American horsepower wars. It had to be down to the cost of fuel injection.
The 1965 Amendment to the Clean Air Act of 1963 specifically said that imported vehicles should conform to upcoming regulations. The DoT agreed to set it to the same as California regulations for the 1967 model year onwards which the Lucas injection coould not meet. (ref: History of Air Pollution Legislation in the US)
Easy for me to make this my favorite British marque ever . I remember my stepfather bought a brand new 1967.5 TR250 in British racing green, & it had the racing stripe going across the front bonnet; He was always a Triumph guy, & I do recall he had a TR4A before. I'm a Chevrolet guy at heart, & I own a few Corvairs which were in the same class as the Triumph; Class D production in SCCA racing. I do recall a gentleman by the name of Jerry Titus was the lead driver for team Triumph which were very successful in there campaign in class D production. In short this body styled Triumph IMHO was the best styled body to come out of England for a small sports car class. The only other marque that was a bigger body style would be the Jaguar XKE that I favor as well.
Good video. Thanks to you and the generous owner. My TR memory/experience is a BRG TR4A I had in the '70s. It made a forever impression on me. These days a Miata gives me a not dissimilar driving experience, and I don't even need to own any tools. 😉 But I sure do miss looking at the TR's dashboard.
Learned to drive on a TR250 that my older brother had for a while. There was a big banked curve to get on the highway and my brother instructed me shift into 3rd, then to step on the accelerator to get the most out of the car and road. The car had the dual carbs and wire wheels. Did not remember that it had disk brakes or not. It was a soft top in mint shape till someone stole the top and hardware off it on Halloween.
I bought a used 1968 1/2 TR 250 in 1972. Fun little car. Loved the styling. The horse power 2as down due to US dot restrictions. Always desired the more powerful British model
That gearbox enjoys proper double-de-clutching both ways. The overdrive benefits greatly from using the clutch as well, even if it's just to slur the OD a bit. That engine is a wonderful unit, as is the whole car actually. Fun fact, the TR6 was a brilliant redesign of the TR4/4a/5 body by simply changing the front and rear 18 inches. It was a genius budget rework by Karmann with a typical Triumph tiny budget.
The best of the Triumph TRs without a doubt. I prefer the TR5's looks to the TR6 and the engine had the most power. I think the TR series eptomises British sportscars of the 1960s. They were realtively affordable but sold in low numbers with 90% being exported mainly to the USA.
I had a TR6 PI in the 1970s, so the same engine as the 5. I commented on yourTriumph 2.5 PI video about the Lucas injection which had the same problems as the 5 and the TR6. When set up properly - and I had this done frequently by the makers Lucas at Trafford Park in Manchester - it was a dream - 8.3 secs to 60 was at that time sub supercar performance. But it would deteriorate rapidly and it was then difficult to start, both from cold and hot. Sadly, I had to let it go because if it did not start from cold first time, it could take up to 20 minutes to do so by which time I was late for work. It was not much different when hot. A great shame because that was the car's only achilles heel. I think that this may have had something to do with the fuel pump problem you mentioned. The car, though, is still on the road today..
Maybe if the owner practised backing off the throttle when changing up into O/D and maintaining a light throttle when switching down, he would find it can be used very smoothly.
I have to say that I find the Trix (TR6) more aesthetically pleasing - the TR5 may be a brute, but the Trix was Brutalist masterpiece. BTW I remember that the quoted bhp for the Trix was 153, which means either Triumph were not precise in their literature for the 5 or they tweaked the injection a little for the 6.
Bought a new TR-250 Dark Blue white stripe while all my friends still all had their muscle cars. Guess who got more dates?? LOL 🤣 Still miss that machine
Someone has been paying for bots 😂😂
Great feature
The sound these old things produce is magical 😊
Just to be clear, there are bots that link to porn channels, they have nothing to do with me as I have pointed out before. Don’t really think I’m at a level where I have to pay for 8-10 extra views?!
@@Number27 a bit of light hearted humour is all it was
@@AVM-Music sorry if I misunderstood.. you’re not the first to point it out but many seem to genuinely believe it!!
@@Number27 no worries at all. The written word is all too easy to misinterpret.
Seeing these bots all over many different videos, they would be fine if the comments related to the topic 😂
Hahahahaha - Very funny joke!
I was a Triumph nut back in the day. My first car was a Herald, then a 1600 Vitesse, then a 2 Litre and finally a white TR5. It was a fabulous car and the injection system never missed a beat. Its SO nice to see a correct one that hasn’t been customised with walnut dash, dual exhausts and leather seats etc. And it has the super rare original stainless steel rostyle wheel covers on narrower wheels which most came with but were long lost. Lovely car.
My first car in 1988 was also a herald followed by a spitfire a few years and cars later.
The closest I got to a tr was a MK3 gt6.
Fun cars for me at the time but then I turned a corner and discovered higher revving engines with my first Honda being 1.6 i-16 crx.
Totally agree Tim. In the mid 70’s I had a Triumph 2000 and Stag. The 2000 was exceptional, fast, comfortable, reliable and very smooth. The Stag was my absolute favourite. Amazing car, although not so reliable, but I fixed it, drove, fixed it, drove….you know how it goes!😊
Agree with all the above. I had a couple of heralds, a TR6 and a 2 litre mk2 Vitesse. The TR6 was by far the best to drive. The Vitesse I found was much harder work than the herald but looks wise, it’s my favourite of the lot. Happy days in all of the Triumphs and seeing this makes me miss mine! Thanks Jack for another great vid.
@@theoriginaldanalogueTasty Classics channel has a ‘67 2 litre Vitesse right now!
@@theoriginaldanalogueWow, reading about all you fortunate souls relating your experience with Triumph sports cars makes me miss them all the more. Closest I got was test driving a (1972, I think?) TR-6 in that unfortunate dull brown color. Like being employed by UPS! Other than the color, I was totally enamored of the TR-6, and found the driving inputs exactly as had been reported; quite difficult to drive smoothly, at least initially. Clutch felt like it was wanting to be either all in or all out, steering was hard at lower speeds, the gear changes were hard (but nice!) Definitely no moving the shift knob with just a flick of the wrist, no way! Despite all that I really loved it. One had to get used to those characteristics and eventually you could drive it relatively smoothly. And of course, it sounded lovely, going up through the gears, and burbling nicely on the highway. Alas, the roughly $3500+ price tag made it unobtainium for me.
I had a TR-4A in 1985. What a machine. It certainly had its issues, but nothing was better than top down cruising down the highway - that exhaust note..... perfection.
...And I always wanted the TR-5.
With the benefit of 20-20 hindsight it becomes apparent that Triumph were knocking out of the park with cars like the TR4, 5 and 6. They have that Terry Thomas swagger and rakish manner about them. Cars to be cherished.
Crashed my tr-4a back in the early 70's during my school days....then nit long after that i crashed my rare 62 MGA...terrible driver then no doubt....😢
Sorry but what’s wrong the TR3? (same car as the 4 except for the bodywork and minor details like synchromesh in first gear LOL)
I worked with an automotive engineer in Jaguar who had worked in Triumph in this hey day. He said it was incredible before BL took over. They were working 24/7 shifts 7 days a week turning out 90% sports cars! Vitesse, TR5, 2.5pi, then Stag, Dolomite sprint, GT6, Spitfire.........He said the product profile made no sense but they could not put a foot wrong. I scratched the itch by getting a beautiful Hart Tuned yellow Stag a few years later when UK tax laws gave you one as a company car....what a machine.
I am afraid the fool Leyland motors chairman; Donald Stokes was seduced into amalgamating his brilliant Company into BMCH by the stupid British Government .. BMCH were about to go into liquidation and should have been broke up and sold off in the late 60’s but instead this happened in the early 80’s when the Germans and Japanese had already won the market
We used to help a collector work on his Jags for parts for the 250. Everyone used to get comments for reliability issues so the joke was we only needed 1 TR because they were so easy to work on but he needed 2 Jags so he could keep 1 on the road. Kind of true but hey, they were all fun to put together and drive.
I bought a new TR-250 in 1968. It was a rocket. It had two Stromberg carburetors and would routinely blow the doors off small block V-8’s, light to light. But it really shined on the twistiest, windiest roads you could find. The only other car that could pull it was the Healey 3000. When it was new few other cars in its class could beat it.
I am so grateful to you that you reviewed this car. I bought a TR250 in the US in 1984. It had had an electrical fire damage and I restored it myself with parts from Moss Motors. And sure it was not a TR5, the power was not there, but what a satisfying car it was!
Glad I could help bring some memories back! Thanks for watching!!
Lucas, Prince of Darkness.
Went from TR4A-IRS to TR250 in 1974 & enjoyed the heck out of it. The difference was in the smoothness with the 6 as you say. Not absolute power but the smile ratio was tops! Mine had painted wire wheels. Those were the days of waving at fellow British roadsters, anybody remember?
Jack, I am really enjoying your videos reviewing older classic cars.
It is so awesome to see a UA-camr who has stayed with his passion and continues to deliver enjoyable reviews in their own inimitable style rather than so many who simply chase views and have become a pastiche of their former selves.
This particular car is very beautiful and I love the way it is styled in its own unique way and it really stands out today as a stunning example.
Thank you buddy and it’s so nice to see you’re still here and watching my stuff after all this time! Thank you so much!!
I went to the dealer in 1968, and sat in this car, TR250 in Chicago, had white race stripe across front of hood, loved it. I took home the most beautiful brochure of the red car. Was 13 so car out of question. Father took home Volvo wagon in which I learned to drive later.
Is it safe?
I really appreciated this chap’s positivity and his appreciative smile. The Triumph TR4a to late TR6 cars are cars we should all be proud of and very interesting that approximately 70% of all cars made were exported to ( mainly North America) and were certainly a great export success story for the GB car industry. Well done sir!
This chap’s presentation skills are so good he should have his own named channel. I hope both Cheftush and Elin Yakhov, (the two most well known North American Triumph restorers) and the famous Canadian “six pack” club, also follow him and show their own appreciation accordingly.
A sensible response from me, unlike the bots beneath! I had a TR6 for 3 years, absolutely loved it, I love TR's.
My sister's boyfriend owned a TR250 and by stroke of luck was able to buy the parts of a TR5 parting out in Puerto Rico. It included the fuel injection system and a Surrey top, like the one here.
Way back in the days when i was an apprentice, one of the fitters at work took me out as a passenger in his TR4a. I was blown away, I just couldn't believe how loud, brutally hard riding and fast it was. Of course back then the few normal cars on the road were making 50 hp and struggled to get to 60 mph and he was blasting round the near empty roads at 90!
My oldest best friend had one, hes had lotus cortinas, mini cooper s , Avenger tiger's, the list goes on I hated the Tr 4a I would say it's the worst car he ever had he didn't keep it long, bearing in mind I was about 17 at the time !!!
@@peterbalac1915 the tr4a probably wasn't that great since the guy swapped it for an even louder more brutal ford mustang imported from USA, it had those very noisy sidewinder exhausts under the doors. i have no idea where he could acquire such a car in Uk back in 1981. He named it "Mr Angry " after the Steve Wright character. Shortly awards i think he had some domestic problems and left to work elsewhere. I never saw him again, but those two cars certainly made a lasting impression on me.
Two spotlights and an AA badge on the front with the IRS badge on the back made the TR4A my favourite sportscar visually. I had a Herald 12/50 with Webasto then a 13/60 convertible in my youth but never graduated to a Vitesse, GT6 or Stag unfortunately. Did have a Triumph 2000 though. My favourite cars were Triumphs.
How did you like the GT6? Sorta thinking maybe getting a later one - '70-'72ish
Mk IV?
@@UberLummox Definitely a later one, with the suspension a little sorted. I suspect I am too tall and old to be able to drive one now. Kudos to you if you get one.😃
@@robertshears8385 Hey, thanks a lot! I do like the looks of the later ones far better. Good to know about the suspension.
I'm 6' 2" and heard I might fit ok...I hope!
I had a couple of heralds and a mk2 Vitesse. Gorgeous soundtrack and I preferred the looks but the herald was more fun, easier to live with and better balanced. I had a TR6 which was a step up in drivability terms - great car. Drove a stag once. Lovely car and felt more modern but a little too laid back and boring compared with the TR
People really forget how good Triumph were back in the day. Such a shame that the brand is almost being written out of history. It is great to see you giving one a review. Hope to see more Triumph on your channel, Jack.
Their downfall was being taken over by br Leyland or whatever they were called. Should be reintroduced. Triumphs and Austin healeys were brilliant and well advanced.
I’ve had a TR6 for many years. It’s essentially the same car. Your review is very good. I have never had a problem with the PI. A lovely car.
Yes the first TR6s were just a rebody… but they were evolved and improved with regular updates for safety like hazard lights, seatbelt indicators, better seats, ……
I found my 72 TR6 seats particularly uncomfortable - my cloth MK3 GT6's so much better...
TR6 is still a dream car for me. Just one of the most beautiful designs in automotive history. Not a bad line on it.
I think the later TR5 Had a bosch fuel injection and not lucas though if i remember rightly....
@@dockerandy No... you're thinking of the mod by owners / specialists to replace the weak Lucas fuel pump (in the tank ?) with a Bosch unit....
The 5 was great but they are very rare. I’ve driven a load of 3,4,4a,6 but I have only driven a few TR5s. The American cars are 250s and have strombergs. Surrey tops are also rare to see today. The 4a and 4a irs are different also in the front grill area and side lights/indicators on the front wings. Bloody lovely car
Throughout the 1970's and early '80's my manager/agent (I was a touring musician) drove this exact model. We spent many a happy hour bombing along the A and B roads of Briton (including in Oxfordshire), probably on the same roads you used for this review. I remember him complaining that, at least back then, this model wasn't considered a "classic" largely due to the weight. Either way, I had a passinger-seat experience of this car driven at the limit. Thanks for a fascinating nostalgic look back. Another brilliant video!
Thank you for this video. I'm now 78 years of age. A good pal of mine had a red TR6 back then but I'm not sure of the year, however, we were still young when he took me for a spin in it. I had a Triumph Vitesse 1600 for a while which I took on the Dover to Ostend ferry and then on to Vienna in Austria and back.
J ' ai actuellement 96 ans et j'ai eu également une TR 5 dont je garde un très bon souvenir , malgré Alzheimer 😢😢😢
My mate had one of these in the 70s in NZ. Gorgeous in a deep bluey green. I think their interior is lovely! I am surprised how quiet and civilised this example is!
I raced British sports cars in the '60s; a TR3, an MGB, an Austin Healey 3000, but my favorite was the '67 left-hand-drive Carroll Shelby mod of the Sunbeam Alpine - the Sunbeam Tiger with the top-of-the-line Mustang 289 V-8.
,,, drove one , early drifting , about 1974 ,,, !
This very TR5 used to come into the TR Specialist that I worked at in the summer holidays as a teenager in the mid-90s. Great to see it again looking so nice still after all these years! Also My mum worked for Lambs Ltd of Woodford Green who were a Standard/Triumph dealer. She seems remembers LBK555G being brought to the garage. I guess it's distinctive reg no. makes it instantly recognisable.
In 1970, I bought a 1964 TR-4 that was nearly identical in appearance top your test article. I had the conventional black fabric top, and the badge said "TR4A-IRS" but that was a vanity switch by the previous owner and mine was the hard axel version. Lighting by Lucas [Prince of Darkness; "A Gentleman does not go motoring about after dark"; three position lighting was OFF, DIM, and FLICKER] gave endless trouble (and was the ultimate burning death of the car); the twin Stromberg carbs needed rebuild with money I didn't have; but Lordy! was it fun to drive.
My wonderful baby sister was driving it on April 10, 1973 when a sudden spraying fuel leak encountered the Lucas generator and everything lit off: I am so lucky she was uninjured but my TR4 was totaled. My life compensation: earlier that day, I had met my future wife, now over a half century ago.
Lovely, lovely car, great memories. Thank you for review.
Lovely story.
Nice, thank you. I owned one of the pre-production prototypes of this car for 4 years in the mid/late '70's. ( LHP 293F, aka Press Car no 2). Still have the 'Autocar' magazine report of it being hurled round Silverstone. The fuel pump was indeed under the bonnet. On the nearside, up against the bulkhead. The factory had fitted cooling rings around the body of the pump through which petrol flowed. The only times I encountered any problems with fuel evaporation was on 3 or 4 occasions at the absolute height of summers when I was stuck/slowly moving for extended periods in heavy traffic. I'd manage to get it into the side of the road, relax a bit, watch all the other motorists fuming in their cars.., while I and the TR5 cooled off for 20 or 30 minutes.., then went on my way again. Never had any problems with the metering unit or the fuel injection.
As with the the TR5 here, my car had the Surrey top, with the hardtop. In addition to the choice of hardtop on, or removed, there was a third option..., a canvas softop with a frame. For 8 or 9 months of the year, I'd have the soft top on, and only fitted the top section of the hardtop from about December through February/March.
This car was my introduction to straight 6 engines, the love of which has never left me, even if I currently own a Mk1 MX5.
Yes, the gearbox in the TR5 couldn't be rushed.
Thanks again for putting up this video. Much appreciated.
I think my friend still has or had this pre production car too . Was it white ?
As a teen, we had a TR-6 and I used to sneak it out (before I had my license) and really loved it. It was my first inline 6 of course, but every time I drive my E46 M3 I’m reminded on the freight train like pull. My father-in-law had a TR-4A IRS. He bought it new and sold it just before I met my wife. I do know where it is and we are hoping to buy it back. Great review. Great British heritage.
Lovely looks and relentless torque. 'Hairy chested' is not about image. It simply means you have to consciously dictate to it to make sure you are in charge. Its not an easy going Japanese car. It requires a committed driving style otherwise it will throw you off. Very satisfying!
My dad has a titanium ankle thanks to a 2L Vitesse, he also had a couple of 2L saloons before 3 2.5PI's. Mum also drove Triumphs also, she had a 2L auto for years she loved it. She replaced it with a Rover 3.5TC & then SD1. Both parents only stopped driving Triumph because the brand was discontinued. Dad went over to Volvo which he imported from Sweden himself. They were top of the range Thor models not available in the uk, big engines & all the toys estates.
What a treat this vid was! Thank you! Years back I had a '67 TR4A, and later a '74 TR6. Loved them both, and also had a friend with a TR5/TR250. He had placed a triple weber kit on his car and it was a dream to drive. His also had the surrey top, though instead of the steel cap, it was a convertible piece with metal struts connecting the solid rear window section to the crown of the windshield. I thought that was SO cool, both then and now. To me in many ways the TR250 was just the best, because you had the more classic TR4 styling with the straight six engine. Oh, and the electric overdrive was absolutely essential for maintaining freeway speeds here in California, though now with the speeds people drive at, it was be pushed to the limit.
The reason why British engines are focussed on torque rather than revs, is tax benefits. British cars have a very long stroke and low piston surface area to get it in a lower tax category. Italy had a limit of 2 liters, before having to pay a higher rate. It's funny how tax rates made up by politicians, have resulted in revvy Italian engines and torqy British engines for decades.
We are ruled by bufoons. And have been for centuries.
Great observation.
What tax? Road tax or purchase tax? I don't think these were affected by engine characteristics.
@@Lightw81 Reference is to RAC HP rating. That is why there was Austin 7, 8, 10 12 etc. Was based on bore size
I'd like to see evidence of this for 1967
I had one back in the 1980's actually my old car is still on the road. You missed an important point about the Surrey Top, there was a metal frame and soft-top panel you could put in place of the steel section. This allowed you to drive the car open but put the soft panel in if it came onto rain. It was a very fast car on a good road, I loved it. I had problems with vaporization in the fuel pump, solved it by fitting a TR6 petrol tank that had the return from the pump at the top of the tank. This allowed the warm compressed fuel to cool down before being pumped around again, the fuel pump pushes more fuel to the front of the car than it could ever use so most of it gets sent straight back. Just a wonderful car to drive, totally unlike a modern car.
Beautiful TR. As a 21 year old in 1986, I had a '65 TR 4A with Surrey top. Drove it from London to Switzerland, what a road trip. Still miss it.
My Surrey top was made of material, not a solid roof. It also had the interior protection cover, which would zip up all around the bottom of the window levels, and leave just the driver's seat free. Could be driven like that in drizzle, felt like driving an old Grand Prix car.
What a brilliant little gear shift!
Superb little car, that brings large amounts of fun!
Greetings from the Netherlands
If the gearbox selector isn’t rifle bolt slick, then it just needs a quick selector rebuild. They’re one of the best gearboxes of the time, but selector cup can wear and that can make it stiff or inprecise…
There are sprinkles of the Triumph Italia in this car which was also designed by Giovanni Michelotti. It had the TR3 chassis and mechanical components were supplied by the Triumph Motor Company in the United Kingdom, and built by Alfredo Vignale in Turin, Italy. Only 329 were made, hence their skyrocketing value today.
Had a TR250 in the USA for 15 years and it was a joy (mostly) but could not be hurried or thrown around too much. Weather back in the UK made the Triumphs into rustbuckets which needed frequent bodywork care but after one body-on restoration in the USA then I never had to touch it again. Great car.... but not missed at all by my wife! ;-)
150 BHP and that 0-60 time in 1967 must've felt like an absolute rocket!! And the jump in power over the TR4 is also impressive.
Looks wise, I've always preferred the TR6 but I think all the TR's are good looking cars, yes even the Cheese Wedge, but I have to admit, the TR5 looks like the quintessential 60's British sports car.
My first dream car. When I got my driving license, the car was no longer available and so my first car was a '59 VW Beetle. So much for dream cars.
so nice to hear such a purebred brit describing my first car here in the usa i got for college a 64 tr4 straight from Switzerland, at my college some of my fellow students thought they would play a joke and lift it into the academic hall but unfortunately the steering lock short circuited and the wire harness went up in flames they came running into my room shouting mike mike the car is on fire what a shock but they all chipped in together to get me a new wire harness installed quite an experience
"purebred brit" - you sound like Roderick Spode
Oh, the joys of youth, I had a TR5 in 71-72 and wire wheels too, working for myself and getting travel expenses, whizzing around the country, so lucky looking back, even shipped it to NZ with me, fond memories for sure.
As a hard car-taxed Dane I loved the sixties TRs for their looks. Still, I remember the Original "Wheeler-Dealers" having bought one, and the Master Mechanic, Edd China wasn't very impressed with its technique and made major alterations to make it better functioning!!!
As an original owner of my one British car, a 1966 BMC Mini, it was also a major collection of strange ideas and absurdly bad craftsmanship!!! Even from the frontscreen water came in from the corners! Finn. Denmark
In high-school, I lusted for a TR250.
Now 40 years later, I first hear of the TR5.
Never to old to learn!
I got to drive a 250 - love the low end grunt, and the sweet exhaust notes!
I fully agree and nowadays I’m really pleased that all of the old Triumphs are really going in popularity with restorers and collectors.
I've always wanted a TR 250 and an MGC and a lot of other British and Italian sports cars. I love this channel because you always find the ones I like!! Great video!! Greetings from Mineral,VA. USA.
Oh Boy!!
These cars should not have a radio in them.
The symphony is the sound.
You just gotta love the exhaust note of the inline 6.
Sounds much like a Jag.
Beautiful!!
A thing of beauty. I always admired the 5 but never got my hands on one. A friend of my dad's had a TR4 and as 8 to 11 year olds we were recruited as valve grinding slaves when that 2138cc 4 cylinder engine was being rebuilt and tuned. Not many cars were doing Inverness to Edinburgh in 2h30 on the tortuous A9/A90 of the 1960s but that TR4 managed it fine.
The TR250 power output was lower not only due to the twin Strombergs, but also a different camshaft. The US federal market TR6 had an official 106bhp and was the exact same spec as found in the facelifted 2500TC.
I had a 68 TR 250. Had the smog contrrol removed. Ran Great ! Have no idea of the HP with the modification. Installed a freeR exhaust and it had a great sound. Sold it because my new wife had trouble with the heavy clutch. Been married 54 years. Wish I had kept mya TR as long 😉
I once owned a TR4A and a TR3 back in the 70’s. Used of course. Lots of fun but with typical British car issues. Fun to drive but work on it every week. I am located in the US.
Owned a 1971 TR-6 for 40 years and 1 month: loved that car and did 90% of the maintenance & repairs; however, when I couldn't get in & out of the car as in my younger days...well, I had to bid it farewell !
Great video. I own both a TR250, a 70 PI TR6 and a 73 Carbd TR6. All very fun to drive. Thanks for the review.
Only one word needs saying about this car. 'Stunning'.
Maserati used that same FI by Lucas in their 3500 GTi starting in 1960, making it the first production Italian car with fuel injection. It was also used on their later Sebring and Mistral models. It gave inconsistent results and replacing it with Webers was a popular solution. Eventually, someone figured out that adding an electric fuel pump back at the fuel tank fixed the problem.
I had a TR4 then two TR6's. I had the first TR6 in the record hot summer of 1976 and found that even with the fuel pump in the boot it still overheated causing a breakdown. Eventually I carried a soaking wet cloth around to cool down the fuel pump when this happened. The pump was powered by a windscreen wiper motor so was never really up to the job.
It's surprising how much UK components are used sainsbury back axels. Never realised.
@@andrewmaskell420 haha our TR6 pump experiences were the same! If it had been Japanese there would have been a fix done straight away; the TR6 diff stub axles were also quite weak. Lovely car, but the 240Z I traded it for was another generation better, despite being only 2 years younger.
Thanks to you and the owner for bringing us this wonderfully original example of a great car - and you are quite right that it is the best looking version.
I had a 2.5 pi sedan with the Tr5 spec engine.
Was a fantastic car the power would come in at around 3500 rpm and would pull well past 6000rpm.
The main reason these had a bad name was because people wouldn't drive them like they were meant to be driven.
They needed to rev. If you putt around under 2500 rpm they would foul injectors and plugs.
You need to drive them hard and enjoy the beautiful sound they make at high revs.
Nice. I had a TR6 for 17 years but always liked the TR5. My fuel injection was occasionally troublesome with a sticking injector which I could sort in 2 minutes eventually but the noise it made compensated for any shortcomings. After 20 years in TVRs I am now in a 350Z roadster which is similar to the TR5 in many ways.
A friend in High School drove a Triumph TR250; and one of the prettiest girls (but most modest) ran a BRG Sunbeam Alpine…one nerdy bloke who must own the world today got handed a 911SC…me and my two best friends ran BMW 2002s…it was the Mid-80’s and I guess most everyone loved it…Hollywood told us..!
Grateful…it was a fun era..!
The only emissions demand in the States had to do with closing crankcase ventilation into a loop where crankcase gases would be re-introduced into the induction. Consequential emissions legislation didn't begin to take effect until 1968. Perhaps, slightly earlier in California.
The last of this series (TR6) to be sold in the Detroit, U.S.A. area was sitting in a Ferndale, Michigan showroom for years, if not for over a decade even. It was white with a black interior. The dealership demanded a collector's price already. Its large wheel's, inclined rear wheel angle and generally iconic design always made me want to have one
I was stationed in West Germany from Jan 1970 to Dec 1973. There was a storage, fenced and locked for personal, family gear. Boats, small trailers. But there was a British racing green Triumph. Every time I passed that area and slow down and just look at that Triumph. Many times with " does the owner want to sell it?" I don't recall if the car ever moved the entire time.
Loved the TR5 , never had one but had TR3A , and two TR7 conv. Liked them all but 5or 6 my goal.
My ‘68 Triumph tr250 roadster convertible didn’t have the fuel injection but still felt like a rocket to me. The foot operated wiper pedal, a lever next to the clutch, was quite memorable but no other owners ever mentioned the feature so perhaps I owned the only one. Maybe it was for rallying. The trunk also had some sort of rack attached. I slid into a curb while doing doughnuts in the rain and it was never the same. I enlisted shortly after reaching age 17 so I called a junk guy and he offered twice the price and kept it for himself. It ran great and looked perfect but when he put it on the hook, he said the frame broke. I offered his money back but he still wanted it.
My first car was a 1969 burgandy/ tan TR6 that I drove for years until I got married and children happened. I put over 100K miles on it and had a few major problems had to deal with but it was such a blast to own and drive I didn't complain. It was always nothing but smiles! I loved that car and miss it often.
1967 TR4A loved it.....later in 1980 found an MGB 1972 with low miles and a factory hard top.
We liked the TR4A better.
All the TR 250 we saw had stromberg twin carbs...it was smooth bout the 4 cylinder was better handling
Impossible to drive these without a constant smile. Just so much fun
I restored a TR5 that I bought back in 1987. It was such a rusty worn out mess.
I put it back together again turning it in to a beautiful navy blue red interior 72 spoke wire Wheel beauty. That sound from the engine that they refer to as ”ripping canvas” was really exciting. Also remember that I had some fine tuning of the engine since there were some hickups when I was reving it above 4000 rpm.
The engine maestro took the engine output från 87 hp on the rear wheels up to 130. I was smiling like a fool when I drove it from his work shop. Lovely car😁❤️💪
Quicker than a Porsche *if* it's running and *if* it's running well. Based on my experience with a Spitfire (gorgeous car!) the amount of time a Triumph runs well is about 1 hour for every 2 hours of work.😆
Epic I had 2 injected tr6 and with a proper set up they were great. 90 mph all day long on the motorway with the roof down. Great cars and that is a wonderful original example
Beautiful. I have a fast road TR4A with the nice looks, performance and sound for much less. Would love a TR5 but the TR250 tuned is also a gem.
The best of both worlds - the later 6 cylinder engine and the earlier Michelotti designed body, I've always loved the combination. However, I only have a TR 4 A IRS which, although slightly tuned, is a nice car to drive. However, compensates the Triumph's 4 cylinder engine with a 6 cylinder MGC GT, also very nice!
Warm greetings from Sweden!
Absolutely brilliant video jack ❤👍what a beautiful car and that noise from that straight 6 it's one of the best classics brilliant
This title definitely pulled me in as I own a TR5 and a 911. The TR5 is such a fun car to drive, low to the ground and great handling. As you say the Lucas fuel injection can be troublesome, my fuel pump is in the boot.
I had the transition year, a 1968 TR250. Paid $750.00 dollars for it. Same engine, stromberg carbs., same hub caps, had a hard top. traded a friend a gun for a custom walnut dash, got a hold of high back seats out of a 69, sweet, pretty rough when I got it but turned it into a fun ride. Easy to fix, drive, kept the corvette and let the 250 go. Wish I had kept the 250, but not all is lost, I'm pretty happy with my 87 911 cab.
I had a TR 250, which was a TR 5 with a pair of side draft carbs. Had what I called a “suicide clutch”. Until you got really accustomed to it, it seemed like it was either on or off. Slipping the clutch was an art in itself. Drove it home in Portland, Oregon rush hour. Crash course in clutch slipping 101. The only flaw seemed to be the control arm pivots. Mine had a left hand, upper rear, pivot that broke going into a driveway. I’d just been on a highway doing 60 mph. I had looked at a 250 a to buy, a while before and didn’t buy buy it because of the same exact reason. Never met a 250 owner that didn’t have the same problem.
The power bulge was actually obsolete, being a hangover from the carburettored TR4. The independent rear suspension was also a “hangover” from the TR4A (badged as IRS), as were the position lights which on the original TR4 were tucked up under the corners of the bonnet.
I first drove my mom's '62 baby blue TR4 that we had for years. Later, i acquired a '64 red w/200 cid Ford inline 6 w/190# torque. I added white '67 base TR4 straight axle to make it a pair, for many years, all gone now. These days, an old black Z3 four cyl gets me by.
I had a '67 TR4A that was tons of fun to drive; I can only imagine how nice the TR5 would be.
Nice,my brother has a tr6 running on carbs in very nice condition.I’ve never been in it and it only comes out on sunny dry days.
Important to have the carbs in nice condition😂
Even the TR4 had plenty of power for what it was; a Sports Car. The only issue I had was headroom. The cars were great with the top down, (or off), but South Florida just had too many rainy days. Of course, you had to be an auto mechanic if you drove an English Sports Car, and I was. In 1970 I quit English cars altogether and bought a VW. I wish I had one today, though. Thanks for bringing back good memories.
Lovely example, like how Simon opted to stay with the original stainless steel rostyile wheel trims :)
The steel wheels just didn't quite work...visually, when compared to the chrome wire wheels.
The car in your thumbnail, with the wire wheels...is impossible to look away from!!
So beautiful...so classic!
Bought a 1963 TR4 back in 1974. It definitely was fun, and got a solid 31 mpg on the open road.
Nicely done review! It is a shame we didn't get the PI TR5 or TR6 here in the US. But we still enjoy our LBCs (Little British Cars)!
For what it's worth, that actually isn't a "Surrey top." Triumph simply called it a "hard top" in their various publications. You are correct that it is a precursor of the Targa top famously found on Porsches. The Triumph top came more than five years earlier, in fact.
Triumph typically sold the hard top as a dealer-installed kit. They were all originally painted white. The kit includes the cast aluminum rear frame and now-impossible to replace glass "backlight", the roof section (first 500 were aluminum, then were steel), interior trim and assorted fasteners.
The TR4 in pre-production was code named "Zest". Michelotti had another design Triumph called Zoom that looks much the same from the rear, but has a different front fascia, fenders and hood. There were two prototypes of the Zoom built... one with a fixed top, the other with a removable roof that looks a great deal like what many people now call the Surrey top. (While it never went into production, the Zoom design was used as a basis of the four Triumph TRS factory LeMans race cars. The design also appears to have been developed into the Triumph Italia 2000 that were built in Italy on TR3 rolling chassis.)
The "Surrey top" is actually an optional accessory for the Triumph hard top. It is a foldable, vinyl panel over several support stays that can be stashed in the trunk just in case it starts to rain, when the roof of the hard top has been left at home because it is just too big to store anywhere within the car.
I don't know that I agree the TR5 PI is the pinnacle of the TR series. Yes, they are nice! In fact, I own a 1962 TR4 with newr identical body and interior, but also really like the TR3s, TR6s and TR8s. While not a TR, another personal favorite is the GT6 Merk III. And of all Triumph cars, in my opinion the Italia is the prettiest!
I had a '64 TR4 when I was young. Great care! Loved it!
Sounds nice, looks nice, love the color....... beautiful car. I didn't even know that the TR5 existed until your video.
Loved to see this clip. I have owned and driven 3 TR3s, a TR Spitfire and a TR6. They were terrific cars.
My first car was a US-spec TR-250 with Stromberg carburetors, not fuel injection. It was a cute car, and fun to drive with the top down in Southern California.
My friend's Mazda RX-2 four-door would blow the doors off of it.
I don't miss it. No creature comforts. Not reliable.
The car was delivered to my parents at the Triumph factory in Coventry. The Lucas windshield washer pump failed on their first trip in Europe.
I'm afraid that US emissions cannot be blamed for any reduction in power back in 1967. Real emissions rules which mandated unleaded gasoline, reduced compression and power, didn't come for 5 more years, and catalytic converters weren't until 1975. 1970 was the peak of the American horsepower wars. It had to be down to the cost of fuel injection.
I find true irony that they felt a lower HP engine was the right choice for the US; right as the country was in the middle of it's massive HP wars.
The 1965 Amendment to the Clean Air Act of 1963 specifically said that imported vehicles should conform to upcoming regulations. The DoT agreed to set it to the same as California regulations for the 1967 model year onwards which the Lucas injection coould not meet. (ref: History of Air Pollution Legislation in the US)
Easy for me to make this my favorite British marque ever . I remember my stepfather bought a brand new 1967.5 TR250 in British racing green, & it had the racing stripe going across the front bonnet; He was always a Triumph guy, & I do recall he had a TR4A before. I'm a Chevrolet guy at heart, & I own a few Corvairs which were in the same class as the Triumph; Class D production in SCCA racing. I do recall a gentleman by the name of Jerry Titus was the lead driver for team Triumph which were very successful in there campaign in class D production. In short this body styled Triumph IMHO was the best styled body to come out of England for a small sports car class. The only other marque that was a bigger body style would be the Jaguar XKE that I favor as well.
Good video. Thanks to you and the generous owner.
My TR memory/experience is a BRG TR4A I had in the '70s. It made a forever impression on me. These days a Miata gives me a not dissimilar driving experience, and I don't even need to own any tools. 😉 But I sure do miss looking at the TR's dashboard.
Learned to drive on a TR250 that my older brother had for a while. There was a big banked curve to get on the highway and my brother instructed me shift into 3rd, then to step on the accelerator to get the most out of the car and road. The car had the dual carbs and wire wheels. Did not remember that it had disk brakes or not. It was a soft top in mint shape till someone stole the top and hardware off it on Halloween.
I bought a used 1968 1/2 TR 250 in 1972. Fun little car. Loved the styling. The horse power 2as down due to US dot restrictions. Always desired the more powerful British model
Tr250 stateside had one great car
That gearbox enjoys proper double-de-clutching both ways. The overdrive benefits greatly from using the clutch as well, even if it's just to slur the OD a bit.
That engine is a wonderful unit, as is the whole car actually.
Fun fact, the TR6 was a brilliant redesign of the TR4/4a/5 body by simply changing the front and rear 18 inches. It was a genius budget rework by Karmann with a typical Triumph tiny budget.
The best of the Triumph TRs without a doubt. I prefer the TR5's looks to the TR6 and the engine had the most power. I think the TR series eptomises British sportscars of the 1960s. They were realtively affordable but sold in low numbers with 90% being exported mainly to the USA.
I had a TR6 PI in the 1970s, so the same engine as the 5. I commented on yourTriumph 2.5 PI video about the Lucas injection which had the same problems as the 5 and the TR6. When set up properly - and I had this done frequently by the makers Lucas at Trafford Park in Manchester - it was a dream - 8.3 secs to 60 was at that time sub supercar performance. But it would deteriorate rapidly and it was then difficult to start, both from cold and hot. Sadly, I had to let it go because if it did not start from cold first time, it could take up to 20 minutes to do so by which time I was late for work. It was not much different when hot. A great shame because that was the car's only achilles heel. I think that this may have had something to do with the fuel pump problem you mentioned. The car, though, is still on the road today..
Friend of mine had a TR 250 with the racing strips around the hood, very fast
Maybe if the owner practised backing off the throttle when changing up into O/D and maintaining a light throttle when switching down, he would find it can be used very smoothly.
I had a '65 TR4A. I used to go hunting corvettes. They had the speed but I could take them on the corners.
Nothing like my 76 vette for acceleration , love TR6 but could never put up with rattling body on bad roads( lot of roads seem bad in tr6
My TR4A was nice and tight. Had a lot of fun with it.@@garypeatling7927
Yes, the TR5 was the best and most underrated of the TR’s, and prettier than the TR6 or hideous TR7
I have to say that I find the Trix (TR6) more aesthetically pleasing - the TR5 may be a brute, but the Trix was Brutalist masterpiece. BTW I remember that the quoted bhp for the Trix was 153, which means either Triumph were not precise in their literature for the 5 or they tweaked the injection a little for the 6.
Bought a new TR-250 Dark Blue white stripe while all my friends still all had their muscle cars. Guess who got more dates?? LOL 🤣 Still miss that machine