The Triumph TR5 is a sports car built by the Triumph Motor Company in Coventry, England, between August 1967 and September 1968.[1]
Visually similar to the Michelotti-designed TR4 roadster it was derived from,[2] the TR5 replaced Triumph's 105 bhp (78 kW) SAE Standard inline-four engine with the much more powerful Lucas mechanical fuel-injected 150 bhp (110 kW) Triumph 2.5-litre straight-6. Price pressures and tighter emissions standards in the U.S. resulted in a much less powerful carburetted version, the TR250, being sold on the North American market.
At the time, fuel injection was uncommon in road cars. Triumph claimed in their sales brochure that it was the "First British production sports car with petrol injection".[3][4]
Contents
TR5
The base price of a 1968 TR5 in the UK was £1,260 including taxes. Standard equipment included front disc brakes, independent rear suspension, rack and pinion steering and a four speed gearbox. Optional extras included wire wheels (£38), overdrive (£60), and a tonneau cover (£13).[4]
The TR5 was available with the "Surrey Top" hard top, a weather protection system with rigid rear section including the rear window and removable fabric section over the driver and passenger's heads.
Specifications
Taken from the UK sales brochure.[3]
- Engine: 2498 cc, 6 cylinder, 74.7 mm bore, 95 mm stroke, 9.5:1 compression ratio, 150 bhp (110 kW)
- Turning circle: 10.1 m (33.1 ft)
- Ground clearance: 152 mm (6.0 in)
- Luggage capacity:
- Max width: 1,180 mm (46.5 in)
- Max height: 510 mm (20.1 in)
- Capacities:
- Fuel tank: 51 litres (11.22 imp gal; 13.47 US gal)
- Engine sump: 4.53 litres (1.00 imp gal; 1.20 US gal)
- Gearbox: 1.13 litres (0.25 imp gal; 0.30 US gal)
- Acceleration in top:
- 30 to 50 mph: 7 s
- 40 to 60 mph: 7 s
- 60 to 80 mph: 8 s
- Standing 0.25 miles (0.40 km) : 16.5 s
- Gear ratios:
| Top | 3rd | 2nd | 1st | Rev. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ratios | 1.0 | 1.33 | 2.01 | 3.14 | 3.22 |
| Overall | 3.45 | 4.59 | 6.94 | 10.83 | 11.11 |
- Available colours:[1]
| Paint | Trim |
|---|---|
| New White | Black / Matador Red |
| Triumph Racing Green | Black, Light Tan |
| Signal Red | Black |
| Jasmine Yellow | Black / Light Tan |
| Royal Blue | Black / Shadow Blue |
| Valencia Blue | Black / Light Tan |
Performance
According to its UK sales brochure, the fuel-injected engine could propel the TR5 from 0–50 mph (80 km/h) in 6.5 seconds, reaching a top speed of 125 mph (201 km/h).[3] Road tests at the time reported slightly different performance figures:[5]
| Sports Car World October 1968 |
Cars & Car Conversions September 1968 |
Motor 4 May 1968 |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-50 mph (80 km/h) | 6.2 s | 6.4 s | 6.3 s |
| Top Speed | 118 mph (190 km/h) | 112 mph (180 km/h) | 117 mph (188 km/h) |
The TR5 engine was carried forward to the TR6.
Production
The TR5 was produced in small numbers when compared with either the TR250 or the later TR6, with just 2,947 units produced; the first car was assembled on 29 August 1967 and the last on 19 September 1968. Of these, 1,161 were destined for the UK market,[6] the remainder were left hand drive and were exported to France, Belgium and Germany amongst other countries. In the first quarter of 2011 there were approximately 410 licensed and 74 SORN TR5s registered with the DVLA.[7][8]
