 The Triumph name disappeared on sports cars with the demise of the Triumph TR7 in October, on the closure of the Speke factory near Liverpool which had been producing Triumph cars since 1959.Renault introduced a new front-wheel-drive range of saloons – the R9 – at the end of 1981, giving it a competitor for the new-for-1980 Ford Escort.The initial engine range included 1.1 and 1.4 petrol engines; larger engined models followed.