Triumph TR7
"The shape of things to come." A pure 1970s wedge.
The story
The TR7 swapped the hairy-chested TR tradition for a comfortable wedge-shaped coupé aimed at America. Strikes and three factory moves hurt its quality. A convertible came in 1979 and the V8-powered TR8 after that.
Inside
Bright tartan cloth seats, a chunky dash and pop-up headlamps ahead. It was roomier and quieter than any TR before it.
In period colours
Tap a colour to respray the drawing.
The story goes that designer Giorgetto Giugiaro studied one side at a motor show, walked round and said: "My God, they've done it to the other side as well."
On screen
The New Avengers TV, 1976
Purdey's car is a bright yellow TR7.
Meanwhile, in 1975
British Leyland was nationalised to save it from collapse, and Bohemian Rhapsody was number one.
Best-selling single of 1975: Bye Bye Baby by Bay City Rollers
Before you buy a 1970s car
- Rust is common in sills, wheel arches, front panels and the bottom of the doors.
- Check the wiring and electrics carefully, as they age badly.
- Many volume-selling cars still have good parts support, but badge-engineered and low-volume models can be harder to source.
General notes, not specific to this model. Check the model's own history before buying.
Rivals of its day
Picked automatically: cars on sale at the same time with similar size, speed and price.
See the real thing
These open in a new tab: the car on Wikimedia Commons, the interior and the badge as Google image searches.
Today's money: the launch price adjusted for inflation to 2026, using the Office for National Statistics price index.