TR4/4A Belgium built TR4A, is a bit unusual !

[Brinkerhoff]

I bought this TR4A this summer up here in northern Michigan. TR4As are not rare but this one is unusual in that according to the Heritage Center , it wasn't built in the factory in England , it was shipped in pieces to Belgium where it was assembled and sold for European delivery ! Therefore, they only could give me a date that the parts were dispatched from the works, but no list of what parts ! The commission number is in the same numerical sequence as the rest of the TR4As but prefixed by a 1. I almost passed on the car since the commission number didn't have the O at the suffix for Overdrive ! For some reason , the stalk for the overdrive switch is on the left side of the column and since the solenoid was bad the previous owner of the car assured me it did not have overdrive. A couple of other differences: 60 spoked wire wheels but with no ears on the knockoffs, no seat belts , US gauges , amber turn signal lenses , twin double bulbed license plate lamps and high note horns. It appears to be completely original but was painted black over the original green but could it have been painted black for delivery when new? There is no body number tag in the engine compartment .

 

[Marvin Gruber]

Good looking car! I have had two 4As with the 1CTC serial number. I asked on here if anyone knew about the 1 prefix number. Got a couple of different answers so still not sure about the 1 prefix. Both were southern cars. I figure it had to do with dealer prep. Your car puts a new spin to it.

Marv

 

[TomMull]

This might shed a bit of light.
https://books.google.bs/books?id=ZV...#v=onepage&q=triumph built in Belgium&f=false
I have a Herald which I believe was made in Belgium. I haven't really noticed or even looked for unique features but it does indeed have the same plate lights as your TR4A. I also thought those would have "CKD" commission numbers, but mine does not. I don't know enough about the Herald numbers to know if there is anything unique.

Your OD is quite the bonus. Quite a nice looking 4A in general.
Tom

 

[Brinkerhoff]

Thanks , yes it was somewhat taken care of so still in great running order . The oil was clean and with some fiddling , it fired right up . I had owned it for a month before I had a chance to change the oil in it, so just noticed the OD then ! A new solenoid and adjustment put it right again. The Heritage Center called me on the phone after I had sent in a request for a Certificate and the lady said , " I can tell from the 1 in front of the commission number that means it was actually built and delivered new in Belgium and we won't have any record of anything else but when the parts were shipped". For that reason I only have a letter from them , no Certificate . It was $25. I love driving it ! I get in and out of it easily and it makes a great bit of noise. Also its a little ratty which means I won't hurt it any.

 

[Andrew Mace]

My guess, given those "peculiar" specs, is that it was built for original sale in Germany, in which country those bits were required. The double set of L467 number plate lamps is always a good visual giveaway. Given the US military bases in Germany, this was a popular source of cars bought and later brought back to the US by GIs.

As for Tom's Herald, it's a bit more unique even than that, as his car is one of just a few hundred Herald 13/60 models built specifically for the Puerto Rico market. Aside from those telltale German lighting bits, his car also has features to comply with US safety and emissions regulations in effect at the time. NOTE: otherwise, Heralds ceased to be sold in the US after the 1967 model year.

Oh, and as to the overdrive column switch, LH steering cars other than those originally built in Coventry for sale in the US had the switch on the LH side of the column. For some reason, it was often on the RH side for US-spec. cars!

 

[JerryVV]

OD Switch on 4A thru 6 are all on the left side of the column as the right side had the Headlight switch which was moved from the dash on the TR4 to the column on the 4A.

 

[Andrew Mace]

Ah, thanks, Jerry! I was thinking of the Spitfire and GT6.

 

[JerryVV]

Ah, thanks, Jerry! I was thinking of the Spitfire and GT6.

And Andy, I will add, you are a wealth of knowledge on those cars.

 

[Andrew Mace]

And Andy, I will add, you are a wealth of knowledge on those cars.

The product of a misspent life.

 

[Vila]

The license plate lights look like they are TR3 plate lights, except they are mounted upside down.

 

[TomMull]

The license plate lights look like they are TR3 plate lights, except they are mounted upside down.

Those are actually generic plate lights, L467 Lucas, I think. They were used on many British cars in the 1950's, 60's and 70's.
And also thanks to Andy for sharing his wealth of knowledge liberally.
Tom

 

[Brinkerhoff]

The bases for the lamps are unique and cast aluminum like an MGA tail lamp base. There are holes in the overriders for the conventional lamps.

 

[Brinkerhoff]

I thought the OD switch was on the RH side of the column , I'm sure I've seen it that way on a TR4A but I could be mistaken of course.

 

[Andrew Mace]

I have a Herald which I believe was made in Belgium. I haven't really noticed or even looked for unique features but it does indeed have the same plate lights as your TR4A. I also thought those would have "CKD" commission numbers, but mine does not. I don't know enough about the Herald numbers to know if there is anything unique.

Apologies to you Tom, as I missed this before. Your car does indeed have a "doubly" unique commission number. The initial "1" indicates that your car was assembled in Belgium, and the "GH" prefix is unique to that few hundred Herald 13/60s built for the 1969 model year for that Puerto Rican market. (There was a similar previous GG series Herald some months earlier for the 1968 model year. "Normal" Herald 13/60 models carried a GE prefix.)

 

[TomMull]

Apologies to you Tom, as I missed this before. Your car does indeed have a "doubly" unique commission number. The initial "1" indicates that your car was assembled in Belgium, and the "GH" prefix is unique to that few hundred Herald 13/60s built for the 1969 model year for that Puerto Rican market. (There was a similar previous GG series Herald some months earlier for the 1968 model year. "Normal" Herald 13/60 models carried a GE prefix.)

Thanks yet again, Andy. I think it might have been Langston Hughes who once said, "Book by book, I excavate my ignorance." Around here it's post by post.
Tom

 

[bnw]

The initial "1" indicates that your car was assembled in Belgium

Does anyone know where in Belgium these cars were assembled? Perhaps some records could be obtained there. BTW, nice find Kevin!

 

[sp53]

I like the tool roll and the patina all over it; one question, what is the tool to the left of the head light ring remover?