The Tiffany Connection: Triumph to Volvo

The Triumph TR7 will always hold a place in my heart.

It was my first car. It was a fast car. It was red and speedy and had pop up headlights.

Now when we bought the 480 Volvo, I didn't think it would come close. But research on the internet suggested a link perhaps nobody had thought of before.

The Triumph TR7 was designed to restore the fortunes of British Leyland, the zombie car company that artificially extended the life of the BMC and the British Car Industry.

During those heady days before the British Motor Trade slipped firmly down the pan, there were experiments into some kind of 'coupe' or even 'sports estate' featuring the floorplan of the TR7. The idea was the develop a 'hatchback' - something that did eventually arrive on and dominate the car market.

This was what they created. The Triumph Lynx. There was a similar model called the Triumph Broadside.

Now have a look at the good old Volvo 480 and it's possible to see quite a strong similarity.