Description
Details:
Oldtimer Australia is delighted to offer for sale this lovely factory right hand drive 1968 Triumph TR5 PI.
The Heritage Certificate on file confirms this car was built on the 14th March 1968 with a date of despatch of the 29th March 1968. The car was sold through Lambs Limited, Woodford Green, UK. The car was delivered to its first owner with the following options fitted: heater, wire wheels, Jasmine hard top and 165x15 SP41 tyres.
The Heritage Certificate confirms that this car was originally delivered in ‘jasmine’ (primrose yellow) with black upholstery. It also confirms the car retains its original engine.
The early history of this car is not known but it must have come to Australia fairly early in its life. The documentation on file confirms this TR5 to be a long term Perth car. The history file starts in 1986 when on the 1st April 1986 Edward Podolski acquired the car from Lynda Kostera. At that time the car was registered as 6LW967. Podolski only kept the car for a few months before selling it on the 13th October 1986 to Richard Lindsay, The car was then sold through Alf Barbagallo Motoring Excellence in Osborne Park to Ian Barrett on the 29th December 1990.
Barrett was to be a long term custodian of this TR5 and he kept it for the next 25 years. At the end of 2001 he engaged Motormend - The Triumph Centre in Perth to repaint the car. In 2004 Motormend replaced the original gearbox with a 5-speed Toyota Supra gearbox. At the same time the starter motor was overhauled. When all this work was done the odometer read 02, 867 miles.
Barrett sold his beloved TR5 in January 2016 to Barry Ogston from Rockingham. In June 2016 he had Motormend install a surrey top. In February 2017 he had a custom stainless steel exhaust system installed and in March 2018 he had the seats rebuilt and retrimmed in leather.
The current owner, who lives in northern NSW near Newcastle, acquired the car from Barrett in July 2020.
In his ownership the engine has been completely rebuilt in December 2023 by British car specialists Moxham Garage in Wyong, NSW. At that time the engine bay was also repainted.
Incredibly, it has been 23 years since this car was repainted and in that time the car has travelled some 25, 000 miles. Today the paint on this TR5 presents exceptionally well, which is credit to the quality of the repaint carried out all those years ago. It has retained a strong depth of colour and a smooth, deep gloss finish. On closer inspection there are a few minor defects here and there, but the overall condition belies the fact this car was repainted many years ago.
The bright work is generally in a good condition. The bumpers, grill and the headlight surrounds present well. The indicator surrounds, the badges and the door handles show some very minor pitting.
The chrome wire wheels are in excellent condition with no curb rash. They are shod with Maxxis 185/ 65/ 15 tyres all around, which are date stamped 4508 (week 45, 2008). Whilst the tyres are still in good condition, they should probably be replaced based on age. From the photos it looks like the car is running white wall tyres, but it is not. The wheels actually have a white ring fitted, which gives the appearance of white wall tyres.
Open the door and you are welcomed by a fresh, really smart interior. The seats, which have been retrimmed some 6 years ago, present well and there are no rips or tears in the leather. The dashboard presents well and the instruments are all clear and appear to be in good working order, with the exception of the speedo which is not accurate. It most likely has not been recalibrated when the 5-speed gearbox was installed. There is, however, a digital speedo with a heads up display installed on top of the dashboard which looks to read correctly. The car is fitted with aftermarket steering wheel, which is slightly smaller in diameter than the original. This is in excellent condition, looks great and feels ‘just right’ when driving the car. Behind the seats you’ll find a carpeted storage area with two after market speakers. Throughout the cabin all the carpets are in good condition. The same can be said for the door cards.
Under the bonnet everything looks neat, clean and tidy which is no surprise given the recent engine rebuild and engine bay repaint. In the boot everything is also similarly presented. There is a spare chrome wire wheel which is also shod with a Maxxis 185/ 65/ 15 tyre.
There’s no doubt this TR5 is a good’n! It presents beautifully and after a recent test drive we can confirm that it also drives really well.
The car starts easily, even from cold and only requires a little bit of choke to start. The engine quickly settles into a smooth idle. That raspy exhaust note is ‘just right’, which just teases the driver to get moving!
We were curious to see how well the five-speed gearbox would suit the car and we were not disappointed. In short, it is fabulous and improves the drivability of the car. The gear changes are easy and really smooth. The engine has plenty of power on tap and just the car just wants to go. It accelerates quickly throughout the gears and all too easily you are well and truly exceeding the speed limit! At the same time the car feels very solid and predictable on the road. The suspension is firm, yet it easily absorbs minor bumps in the road. When needed the brakes pull the car up easily and in a straight line.
The current owner has ticked a ‘bucket list’ and thoroughly enjoyed his time with this quintessential British sports car.
Over the years we have sold quite a few TR5’s and none drive any better than this car. It is one of those cars that you can just jump in to use and enjoy. You won’t win the concours, but this TR5 is beautifully presented and drives every bit as good as it looks.
Accompanying the car is spare wheel, a Heritage Certificate and a very good history file.
Today the odometer reads 27, 087 miles.
Highlights:
- A well presented example of a quintessential British sports car.
- A fabulous driving car.
- Upgraded with Toyota Supra 5-speed gearbox.
- Matching numbers engine and chassis
- Recent engine rebuild.
- Ready to be used and enjoyed.
Price AUD $94, 950.
Background:
In 1885 Siegfried Bettmann, a German living in London, founded S. Bettmann & Co and started importing bicycles from Europe. Initially, he was selling them under his own trade name, however, in 1886 the name changed to Triumph. In 1897 the company was renamed as the Triumph Cycle Co Ltd and in 1902 the company started producing motor cycles at their factory in Coventry. Business was booming, thanks to big orders from the British Army which needed motor cycles during the First World War and by 1918 Triumph had become Britain’s largest manufacturer of motor cycles.
In 1921 Bettmann acquired the assets of the defunct Dawson Car Company and started producing cars. The first car to wear the Triumph name was the Triumph 10/ 20. This car and its immediate successors were only produced in small numbers, however, that all changed with the introduction of the Triumph Super 7 in 1927. This car was a success and it was sold in large numbers through until 1934.
In 1930 the name of the company was officially changed to the Triumph Motor Company. Times were tough and Triumph was struggling to compete with larger car companies. The company started having financial problems and in 1936 the bicycle and motorcycle business were sold to Jack Sangster of Arial. In 1939 the Triumph Motor Company went into receivership and the factory, equipment and goodwill were offered for sale. They were sold, but the Second World War stopped production and the Triumph factory was completely destroyed by bombing in 1940.
After the Second World War, what was left of the Triumph Motor Company and the trade name were purchased by the Standard Motor Company. In 1946 the first new Triumph, the 1800 Roadster, was released to directly compete with Jaguar. In 1950 the company decided to use the Triumph name for all sports models and the Standard name for saloon cars. History now says that this was a strategically brilliant move as it signalled the birth of the Triumph TR series cars.
The TR series Triumphs stand as iconic British sports cars that are well known and loved by enthusiasts all over the world. It started back in 1952 when the Triumph 20TS, a prototype sports car which later became known as the TR1, was shown at the London Motor Show. Reactions were mixed, however, Triumph thought they were on to a good thing and the prototype evolved into the TR2 that was subsequently shown at the Geneva Motor Show in 1953. Triumph built over 8, 500 of these 1991cc 4 cylinder sports cars from 1953 - 1955 and as they say the rest was history. The model evolved into the TR3 (produced from 1955 - 1962), the TR4 (built from 1961 - 1965), the TR4A (built from 1965 - 1967), the TR5 (built from 1967 - 1968) and ultimately the TR6 (1969 - 1976). Subsequent TR models were interesting cars, but it’s fair to say the evolution of the TR2 finished at the TR6.
Perhaps the most interesting and certainly the rarest of all of the TR production cars is the TR5 with only 2, 947 cars built. The most significant change from the TR4 was the introduction of a 6-cylinder 2. 5 litre fuel injected engine that boasted an impressive 150 bhp that could propel the car from 0 – 50 mph (80 km/ hr) in just over six seconds and a top speed of just under 120 mph (200 km/ hr).
Today the TR5 remains the most sought after and collectible of the TR series cars.
