TR7 history question

[FI Spyder]

We know:
Triumph set aside a block of 2,000 VIN's for the Spider (Bill Piggott's book).
1200 where made in Canley (often quoted number)
That would mean 800 where made in Sollihul (if all 2,000 Vin's were used, an interesting note is that of the Spiders registered on John Manske's Spider website around 90% were Sollihul cars.)
1980 cars imported into California had EFI.

Two questions:
- When in 1980 did TR7's require EFI in California to meet emissions.

- How many EFI Spiders were made.

By the numbers, 1 out of 10 imported TR7's went to California (which makes sense as California has/had 1/10th the population of USA).

That would mean there were 200 EFI Spiders made. A number of 400 has been quoted in the past. Where did this number come from? Was that because BL expected to sell another 200 in other states as optional or they picked that number just 'cause.

Did any one actually go through the Heritage Certificates and count or was it actually published in some BL brochure/letterhead?



- - -TR7 Spider - - - 1978 Spitfire- - - - 1976 Spitfire - - 1988 Tercel 4X4 - Kali on Integra - 1991 Integra - Yellow TCT

[Workshop Help]

I can't provide specifics, however, the C.A.R.B.* tightened up emissions which caused the advent of fuel injection to be introduced in California prior to the U.S. Federal standards. This was for the 1980 model year. In 1981, the U.S. Federal standards caught up with California and all TR7's had fuel injection.

The pity of it all is, by 1981, inflation had destroyed the market for the TR7, sales evaporated, then the factory died in October of that year.

* California Air Resource Board

Mildred Hargis

[trickyx12000]

I believe the build figures were the other way round .... with the great build being at Solihull.

The law of average's supports this with the greater number of cars surviving being Solihull built.

There are some guys working on it, who are going through the records, so far their findings support the above. but I was asked to keep their early finding to myself. build number will come out soon.

oh and there was a TR8 spider!