Trident Venturer History

Introduced in 1969, the Venturer was Trident's attempt to broaden the range beyond the expensive, thirsty V8 Clipper. It retained the same Fiore-styled fastback body but substituted a Ford 3.0-litre Essex straight-six (2,994 cc) in place of the big American V8. The TR6 chassis provided independent rear suspension and a more contemporary platform than the Austin-Healey 3000 underpinning used in early Clippers.

The Venturer was slower than the Clipper — roughly 9.2 seconds to 60 mph and a top speed around 120 mph — but more tractable and less expensive to run. It was priced at approximately £3,399 plus purchase tax, comparable to rivals from Lotus and TVR itself. The interior was well-equipped for such a small maker, with the options list famously including an eight-track radio and, reportedly, a television.

Despite being Trident's most commercially successful variant, production figures remain uncertain; most sources cite 84 examples built by 1974, though the British Trident club's own register accounts for a smaller confirmed figure. The oil crisis of 1973–1974 brought production to an end alongside the rest of the Trident range. A small number of unsold Venturer bodyshells were reportedly still on hand at the time of the company's closure.