Even though the Triumph slant-four engine proved quite reliable after SAAB tinkered with it for a few decades, British Leyland never quite found the magic formula to make the TR7 hold together as well as the SAAB 99.
It's telling that Motor Trend is quoted in this ad as follows:
With several thousand miles on the clock, the TR7 convertible still felt tight and solid.
Several thousand miles? What's that, a couple of months? The Chevy Citation X-11 just looks like a better and better Late Malaise Era sports car!