1968 Triumph TR5

"This is a rare original home market RHD model," says the present keeper about this blue 1968 TR5 – "one of very few to sport the factory targa ‘Surrey’ top. The last owner had the car for more than 35 years. It drives very well and was used frequently."

A ‘no advisories’ MoT certificate attests to the Triumph’s road readiness.

While being described as ‘superbly solid’, we do have to admit that the car is no trailer queen. It’s obviously been a driver’s car – well maintained – as the service record will show, but 'original condition' & weathered-in cosmetically we'd say.

Even so, this is a characterful and tidy example of one of the more rare TRs – there were a lot fewer Fives than either Fours or Sixes which makes it a really interesting find.

The Triumph has a good stance, sitting well on a very tidy set of Minilite-style alloy wheels. The bodywork looks a healthy shade of blue all around and the chrome trim lines up smartly from panel to panel. Shut lines also look decent and the lids at both ends close leaving fairly tidy gaps all around. However, coming in closer, you’ll see that the sportster does appear somewhat weathered.

Edges, more especially around the front wheel arches and bonnet edge, do have their fair share of small chips and there are a fair amount of flaws to the coachwork around the car – though the overall effect is still pleasing. The chrome too looks quite presentable, though when you step closer, you will see pitting in some places, though no discoloration. The chrome coachlines are a little wavy in places and there is corrosion around those atop the rear wings. The radiator grill is pretty straight, though the headlight surrounds are rather chipped.

The hardtop appears quite robust, though there is some perishing in the rubber around its base and cracking to the paint in the same area. The top isn't full attached at the back, so some fiddling will be required there.

Even so, all these appear to be fairly superficial cosmetic blemishes rather than issues that would necessitate the replacement of panels or trim. Seams, while sometimes a little crooked, don’t appear to be cracking or a cause of concern.

The blue-piped-white piped seats were retrimmed around 2004 and, along with the carpets and matching doorcards, complement the car’s body colour nicely. Like the exterior, the cabin is somewhat well thumbed in places, but still presents as a pleasant space. In the main, the seats are good, retaining all of their colour and showing no great wear – the only real exception being a small hole and a tear in the vinyl on the outside of the driver’s seat back. The doorcards too are in nice condition, if looking a little baggy here and there. Some of the trim is a little loose and there is one tear/hole near the window winder on the driver’s side.

The carpets and mats are in good condition (and the metal beneath sound), with the seat frames and runners likewise good – not always the case, even in supposedly very well-presented cars. The wood veneer of the dashboard looks better than many too. Granted, not Triumph’s strongest suit, and a few chips notwithstanding, the panels are not warped or faded, unlike many a TR. The instruments themselves appear clean and well set in the dash, while those controls most handled – the steering wheel and gear stick – appear quite well-used but tidy; no major scratches or blemishes.

The vinyl around the dash is not quite as good. That atop the dashboard is fine – no cracks or fading, but that on the lower lip is cracked in many places.

The underside of the hard top is quite faded, and stained n one or two places, and the (original) rubber and felt seals have faded and worn over the years.

The engine bay has a ‘lived-in’ feel. Paint around the inner wings is quite chipped – with another colour showing through the scuffs around the back of the headlights. And there is surface corrosion here and there, but it is light, and, like on the bodywork, giving no concern as to the condition of the parts or metal underneath. Even so, looking around the engine bay, there are certainly no sighs of neglect – no oil stains or accumulated crud in nooks and crannies.

The motor and its ancillaries look very sound – and don’t forget, it’s the ‘six’ that really separates the TR5 from the previous model. The distributor cap and H/T leads look particularly healthy, and the aftermarket hoses – in green – are also look very good. The battery looks pretty new and the wiring very tidy.

It seems the closer you get to the ‘business end’ of this machine, the tidier things get. Looking underneath, you are struck by how robust everything appears. Box sections and chassis rails and the general underside of the car appear very solid. Suspension parts also look to be in very good working order, with no corrosion of any significance showing. The exhaust is the stainless steel system fitted in 2006 and looks to be in very good shape.

The Triumph comes with a fair amount of paperwork, including its original handbook and quite a few old MoT certificates, which help corroborate the quite reasonable mileage. 

You’ll find garage receipts going back to the Eighties – including a hand-written letter informing the owner ‘how the work is going’. (Imagine getting any such thing these days!) 

There is the bill for the seat retrim, as well as several for the not inconsiderable amount of parts for when the car was refettled in 2006 – though it doesn’t say who did the work.

Even so, it’s good to see that the Triumph has had a continuous line of enthusiast owners who have been prepared to put money and effort into the car’s upkeep.

As we’ve stressed, this has been a well-maintained enthusiast driver’s for a considerable time, with the owner emphasis on mechanical soundness. It loses nothing on that account and the TR is still very robust. It could be bought with some sort of refresh/restoration in mind, but in a way it would be nice to think of the old war horse continuing the way she is. 

Either way – and as we’ve pointed out before – the TR5 carries a price premium over its siblings (and remember the hard top is pretty rare), so we think you should be prepared to bid between £28,000 and £38,000 to gain entry to this fairly exclusive owners’ club.

This car is sold from the trade. Viewing is always encouraged and as stated this car is located at THE MARKET headquarters near Abingdon; we are open Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm and to arrange an appointment please use the ‘Contact Seller’ button at the top of the listing to make an appointment. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.