1965 Triumph TR4 Roadster

- California Car
- Purchased New in Los Angeles
- Signal Red over Black with White Soft Top
- 2138cc/105hp 2x1bbl SU 4-Cylinder
- Acquired from Sunnyside Classics in Ohio (British Car Shop)
- British Motor Heritage Trust Certificate

(Please note: If you happen to be viewing this 1965 Triumph TR4 Roadster on a website other than our Garage Kept Motors site, it's possible that you've only seen some of our many photographs of the car due to third-party website limitations. To be sure you access all the more than 150 photographs, as well as a short start-up and walk-around video, please go to our main website: Garage Kept Motors.)

“… right up there with the prettiest cars of the Sixties….” – Classic Motoring, May 2011

“Launched in 1962, the TR4 looked fresh with its Italian-penned bodywork, but was, in fact, a clever re-working of a sports car line which could trace its roots back nine years. The new car's separate chassis and suspension (independent at the front with coils and wishbones, live axle and cart springs at the rear) and four-cylinder engine were all much as they had been with the earlier TR2 and TR3 ranges. Though the original chassis was little changed, shims were used to broaden it slightly at the front, and the rear axle grew two inches wider. Steering was now by rack and pinion, first gear finally acquired synchromesh and engine size grew to just over 2.1-litres.”

Offered here is a very well-documented Triumph TR4 in its original colors: Signal red over black. Originally delivered at Standard Triumph Motor Company of Los Angeles, and currently showing 59,014 miles on its odometer, the TR4 has traveled fewer than 1,100 miles per-year on average. The car has been issued a Certificate of Factory Records from the British Motor Industry Heritage Trust attesting to its original equipment and colors. (The certificate is included in the sale with a copy presented in the gallery for reference.) Most recently acquired from British-classic-car shop, Sunnyside Classics in Ohio, the TR4's overall well-maintained condition is a tribute to the stewardship of prior owners over its half-century on the road.

Outside, the refreshed original Signal Red, non-metallic paint shows very well with rich color richness and gloss, and only minor imperfections (mostly on its flanks). The color was an excellent choice by the original Los Angeles owner who likely wanted to be noticed in Sixties, car-obsessed California. (To best assess the quality of the paint and trim finishes, be sure to view the close-up photographs of the car in the accompanying gallery.) There are no dings, dents or other impact damage to any sheet-metal panel. Chrome trim on the bumpers, windshield surround, body, side mirrors, and more, is free of damage, with only expected light patina from age in places. Factory badging—including the individual T-R-I-U-M-P-H letters and logo emblem on the hood, the similar lettering on the trunk lid, and the “TR4” rear model designation—is all correctly in place and in excellent condition. The car's white fabric soft top and black tonneau cover are both free of damage. The windshield, cabin glass, and all lighting lenses are clear and undamaged. Original 15-inch wire wheels with chrome knock-off hubs are mounted with Michelin® Defender 195/65 all-season tires.

Inside, black leather bucket seats feature white piping and vertical pleating. The rear cabin walls are similarly trimmed (but without the piping) while the door cards feature similar materials but in a horizontal pattern. Black carpeting covers the cabin floors. The factory-optioned wood dash retains much of its original beauty with only minor patina from age, notably on the solid-wood glove-box door. The full complement of original Jaeger® gauges—120-mph speedometer, 5,500-rpm-redline tachometer, and five smaller system-monitoring gauges—are in excellent condition with perfect faces and lettering and only minor patina on their chrome bezels. Set in the wood dashboard, the look is perfectly British. The car's banjo-style original steering wheel retains the Triumph company's corporate emblem. All switchgear is properly in place and even the original Triumph-branded push-button AM radio remains mounted. The shift lever for the 4-speed manual transmission is floor-mounted and wears the blue-and-white enameled Triumph logo on the shift knob.

Under the front-hinged hood, the Triumph 2,138-cc, 105-horsepower straight-four wears a chrome valve cover and its two proper side-mounted single-barrel SU® carburetors. All under-hood components are properly mounted and the entire engine bay is very clean and well-ordered. Viewed from below, the chassis is complete and undamaged. Front disc brakes, perfectly clean lower-engine surfaces, and the rack-and-pinion steering components are all visual focal points.

The car's original identification and build tags remain properly mounted.

While the more than 150 high-definition photographs and the short walk-around-and-startup video available on the GarageKeptMotors website showcase this '65 TR4 Roadster in detail from every angle, including from below, we expect and encourage in-person inspections at our Grand Rapids, Michigan showroom. Please call to arrange an appointment in advance as our showroom is not open to the public. And feel free to get in touch anytime by phone or email if you have questions.

The experience of an open-air drive in a classic British sports car is one of life's true joys. Those who have never experienced one can't say they've truly lived. Those who have, never forget the car, the road, and their companion of the moment. Make it a red TR4, and really live!