Phil Smith wrote:
> I have never seen a Surrey top for a TR4 or TR6, here in the USA. Was
> this an option? Is it still possible to set up a TR6 up with a Surrey top?
Definitely was an option for the TR4, TR4A, TR5, and TR250; it was not an
option for the TR6 . The TR6 body, although similar in some respects to the
earlier models (e.g. doors) was different enough in shape that Triumph
designed a completely different hardtop. This hardtop had a solid roof and
different windows.
And John Matthews wrote:
> I have a Surrey on my TR-4 (sorry, it's not for sale).
> I really like it<g> I think it was an option, just not a very popular
> one. I imagine it would be possible to fit one to a TR-6 if you could
> find one. Are there any aftermarket suppliers??
I have not heard of any specific aftermarket suppliers. There probably were
a few but I really doubt that any still exist. I say this because 1) The
tops were available as a factory option and 2) you're right, surrey tops
were not very popular in the '60's in the U.S.
ALSO
For some more info - go to the TR4 page on the VTR web site (www.vtr.org).
Check out the general history portion for a discussion of the surrey top.
IMO, people at the time didn't understand what those tops were and Triumph
didn't market them properly. Remember that the TR "surrey top" came before
Porsche's Targa top and the "T tops" on other cars. The surrey top is
actually a forerunner of those types of top. In effect, it makes the car a
coupe with a detachable roof section. That is, it is no longer a convertible
in the pure sense. Nowadays, we are used to tops that open partially. In
the '60's people were not.
BTW - If you ordered the "surrey top" you did not get the convertible hood
sticks or soft top. That was one reason why I didn't go the surrey route
when I ordered my car. The other reason was that I couldn't figure out, from
the literature of the day, exactly what the surrey top advantages were. Nor
could anyone else with whom I spoke. And no dealer in in the NYC area had
one on display.
Hope this helps. Cheers.
Art Kelly '64 TR4 CT33118L (without the "surrey top")
VTR TR4 vehicle consultant
p.s. My personal feelings -- My 88 300ZX has a T-top, I've owned several cars
with sunroofs and although they are fun they do not have the same "open"
feeling as my TR4 soft top. The surrey or not -- it's what YOU like. amk
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