Ask a motoring enthusiast to name some of the greatest British sports cars of the 1960s, and it’s likely that the elegant yet purposeful Triumph TR4 will be near the top of the list. Now question him or her on one of the best engines of the same period, and the wonderfully smooth and flexible Daimler V8 (as found in that marque’s SP250 ‘Dart’) will undoubtedly figure prominently too. If only both had been combined together, what a car that would be…

Triumph’s TR range was born in 1953 with the TR2. And although the curvaceous, Tarmac-hugging machines that developed from this original - the TR3 and TR3A - proved Triumph’s sporting credentials during the 1950s, it was with the Giovanni Michelotti-designed TR4, TR4A and TR5 of the following decade that the sporty series arguably reached its zenith. The sharp and imposing lines showcased an Italian sleight of hand that made the cars among the most handsome British machines of the 1960s, while tweaks to the suspension, brakes and mechanics - most notably a jump from four-cylinders to six for the TR5 - kept them abreast of their competition.

One of those rivals - albeit significantly more expensive - was Daimler’s SP250 sports car. Initially named the Dart - until trademark holder Chrysler objected - the jewel of this glassfibre open two-seater was its compact Edward Turner-designed hemi-head V8 engine. At a time when most British manufacturers had yet to embrace V8 technology, it gave the small Daimler a remarkable level of refinement and performance that was later carried over to the Daimler 2 1/2-Litre variant of the Jaguar MkII saloon. Although the SP250 was something of a sales disappointment, thanks to quality issues with early cars, there was rarely anything but fulsome praise for its V8 heart.

Turner’s V8 only appeared in a handful of Daimler models, but deserved greater exposure. Which is precisely what the mastermind behind this V8-powered TR4 felt when he dreamt up its transformation.

1962 Triumph TR4 (V8)

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