> The two options on the TR4 & 4A that everyone seems to be looking for are
> the overdrive transmission and the surrey top. I have a few pieces of
> original factory literature and none even mention the availability of the
> hard / surrey tops. When I ordered my first TR4A from the dealer in
> Indianapolis, I remember asking about overdrive and the option was
> poo-pooed
> as problematic and totally unnecessary. Was that opinion of the
> distributors or was that from a factory directive to keep hold the cost
> down? Knowing what I know now (isn't that always the case), I surely
> would
> have ordered both options.
> Wonder if Mike Cook (Triumph's PR director at that time) would have an
> answer.
> Lou Metelko
In the absence of comment from Mike Cook, will the answer from a one-time
ex-factory sales clerk and later export salesman in Coventry suffice?
Three points:
1. I also have the same literature - but some is genuine ex-factory and some
is/was produced and printed in the US. While I don't have it to hand for
comparison, I suspect that Lou's material could be the US produced version
made available by Standard Triumph Sales (North America) in Leonia NJ.
Without doubt, STS(NA) did periodically have omissions but I harbour a
feeling the UK version did not fit the 'American style' in terms of
language, terminologies and spelling. This was not unknown to cause problems
with customers arriving in the UK and seeing cars with options they did not
know were available. The hardtop is an example, though overdrive (as I
recall) often took some explaining in terms of what it did and how you used
it. These situations were known to rankle at the factory. Perhaps the
overall bottom line was this? As demand from the North American market
always greatly exceeded supply, dealers didn't really have to bother to
market the car. They knew that by putting a car in the showroom, it wouldn't
stay there for very long - so why bother to equip it with additional
features?
2 This list has already discussed why so few cars were shipped to the US
without O/D. It's primarily because US dealers as a whole seemed to view O/D
with disdain. Allegedly, this is because the overdrive units fitted to many
US manufactured cars were claimed to be unreliable. The Laycock unit rarely
gave problems and was fitted on many non-US bound cars almost as a
'standard' fitting. There are few sports cars (of almost any make) outside
the US without O/D and even then, it was a known fact by enthusiasts and
first time buyers that the fitting of O/D made the car far more tractable
and greatly enhanced its driving pleasure. Perhaps Mr. Esposito is grateful
for this situation for the furtherance of his current business?
3. Hardtops. The fixed rear window concept on the 4 / 4A / 5 & 250 never
seemed to 'grab' the buying public as much as the earlier and later
composite units. From a handling viewpoint in fair weather markets they were
certainly more appealing because they required less space. However, they
didn't provide the full 'wind in hair' motoring that came with a fully
removable or fold down top and this could be why they never gained such
popularity.
Jonmac
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