Developed as BL's sports car for the 1970s, the wedge-shaped TR7 was penned by Harris Mann. Launched in 1975, the TR7 was at first only available in the US market, UK customers having to wait until 1976. Initially it was a fixed head but a convertible appeared in 1979 along with the V8 powered TR8.

Just over 114,000 cars were built. Initially manufactured at Speke in Liverpool, the TR7 was transferred first to the Canley plant in Coventry in 1978, and then Solihull in 1980, alongside SD1.

TR7 production ceased in 1981 and this was the last to come off the line.