By most measures, Standard Motor Company was late to the sports car niche. Vauxhall’s 1910 C-10 – dubbed the “Prince Henry” – is considered to be Britain’s first sports car; MG and Morgan were born making sports cars; Jaguar produced its SS 90 in 1935 under the Swallow Sidecar umbrella. But it took Standard until after WWII to launch the Triumph Roadster, and while the rest of the market’s offerings were slim, spare, and zippy, the Triumph was a luxurious beast – more along the lines of a drophead coupe. The company inched its way toward the TR2 with a prototype shown at the 1952 London Motor Show. Despite a few foibles, more than 8000 examples of the new model were sold from 1953 to 1955. The TR2 also provided the basis for the much better car to follow: the TR3. The TR3 gave buyers more power from the same engine, optional overdrive, and by 1956, front disc brakes. Here on eBay is a 1960 TR3A bid to $3450, reserve not met. The car is located in Marcy, New York.
This odd shot of the engine obscures most of the ancillaries, but it’s a 1991 cc four, breathing through two SU carburetors and capable of generating 100 hp. This car has been stored for 20 years, but the listing implies that it runs (“You can drive and enjoy it the way it is and work on it as you go….” ). Underside and sill photos show a bit of rash and plenty of undercoating. The seller indicates that the car was painted several years ago and is generally solid, but a hole in one wing is termed an “easy fix”.
The red interior was renovated some years ago when the car was painted, and provides a wonderful contrast with the black exterior. The footwell rugs are worn, but mats could cover the problem for the time being. The top has been replaced, and matching side curtains are with the car. The seller notes that the original soft top and tonneau are included, though it’s likely they’ll need reconditioning before use – vinyl shrinks over time. Also with the car are historical ownership and maintenance documents.
The TR3 series sold over 74,000 copies from 1955 through 1962, until the TR4 arrived. It was a popular road car, and it easily adapted to the track. Like many British sports cars, the TR3 reached a popularity peak a few years ago, when nice examples breached $40k routinely. While the occasional finely-restored TR3 will sell in that region today, the vast majority are drifting down in price. Still, the bid on this car remains below the typical project price.
You can say anything you want about this car you want but this was one of the fastest sports cars out there at the time. Nice example here.
I’ve always liked the TR3. I remember reading a classic car magazine in the mid 80’s learning about them. The towing company and body shop I worked out of around 1990 took a TR3 in that a gentleman was restoring to paint it red. Looked great when he was done with it, and I was hooked on these even more. Michelle, remember that bucket list of cars to drive you mentioned some time back? ( The one thats a few 55 gallong drums by now for me) THIS is very much on the top. It would be nice to see this out in the light if day for some more photos. Heck, even in general out and being enjoyed as it was designed for in the first place!! Great write up Michelle!!! And the history lesson too. Thank you.
Wish this was a possibility for me. Reality though rears it’s head all too often.
Michelle, love your line of thinking, a mantra of mine forever. “You can drive and enjoy it the way it is and work on it as you go….”.
That is exactly what I would do, and have done, seemingly forever.
The best of the best. This machine was a gas to drive, easy to work on, easy
on the pocket book; it may not have been eye candy like an Alfa, but it was beautiful in its own way. Whatever happened later is a sad testimony to how the world of the austomobile developed.
I look at all British Barn Finds and I know you can’t compare these two similarly, but I would take this car any day over a $50K E-type full restoration!
To me, they are just as classy! Yes, the finished products are of different value but what is the reason you are buying the car for?
Where do u find a full restoration e-type for $50,000?
No… I meant $50k for a full restoration PROJECT.. not a finished car!!
Pure fun to drive and easy to work on. Body on chassis, fenders and front apron are bolted on and easy to take on and off if needed.
Most parts are easy to find at Moss Motors or The Roadster Factory.
Wet sleeve engine makes pulling the head and putting in new cylinders and pistons easy. After 50+ years of owning one I’m on my 3rd set of cylinders and pistons,
One of the first cars to have disc brakes up front standard and still come with a crank to start it, just in case (That’s the little hole in the bottom of the grill.
You’ll never stop for gas or groceries and not get into a conversation about the car.
My only warning, don’t teach your teenagers to drive stick, or you’ll never see the car again.
Funny Don , Dad had one when I was 14 and taught me to drive in it (could get your licence at 15 then ) I had a blast learning in it with him , loved that car. He sold it before I got a licence. Oh well. Loved Dad and sure miss him , more than the car
I had fun with one 50 years ago, made it run well but mine was a little ugly with red oxide primer and spot welds on the rockers. Sold for $500 around 1979, got married.
I owned three once upon a time. Cheapest one I bought was for $70. Wouldn’t start, he said. Battery was in backwards.
12 volt positive ground if I remember, not the American negative ground.
Just like our old English bikes.
Heheh
lol I sold mine for $60 in 1974. Turns out it had bad spark plugs
Tacoma, Wa. late one night in 1965 my buddy Geoff driving his dad’s TR 3, me in my XK120 FHC cruising when we came across Squire Tomasi in an Alfa with the ever present blonde next to him. A road race developed through the north end, down to Ruston past the smelter and along the waterfront to a sharp right over the railroad tracks by the Top of the Ocean restaurant where Geoff lost it and ended up on his side on the tracks. We all managed to push the TR back on it’s wheels and scattered before authorities arrived. Squire’s dad, Geno owned an Alfa dealership in Lakewood, and when he retired and returned to Italy I bought all of his tools and still have them today.
That’s a hell of a fun story, the old days. I had a1960 TR2 in 1977 in Gainesville,FL. I ran it from there to NY and back one fall,what a great trip.
I meant to say TR3
You added a correction only 2 minutes after your original posting. BarnFinds allows 5 minutes to edit your posting, silly boy.
As far as performance goes, according to the Sycamore Police radar, a TR3B can go at least 103 mph. Slightly faster than a brown MGB.
Or so I’ve been told.
My only Triumph was a TR4A. But I have always admired the TR3. I like to think if it as a practical car somewhere between a Lotus 7 and a Miata. As stated by most of the comments above, this is a no nonsense driver’s car. Thank you for featuring this one. Keep up the good work.
The Lotus Seven – the only Lotus ever build which was worth a sxxx.
The Miata – The best British sports car ever built, next to the Datsun Fair Lady..
IMHO black is just not the right color for these… but to each their own…
The first British sports car I drove was a gold metal flake TR3B. It belonged to one of my teachers. And speaking of TR3B. I’m not a Triumph expert by any means. And please correct if I’m wrong. But judging by the grille/grille opening. Is this not a TR3B? And not an “A”? As I understood it the TR3A had a smaller grille opening. Correct or not?
The TR3 had the smaller grill, the TR3A starting in 1957 had the larger grill has depicted here.
Thanks!
I think the only difference between the A and B was mechanical. Although I can’t remember just what. Sold beside the tr4 for a year too I think.
The main difference was the synchromesh downshift 2nd to 1st. Anything else?
Yes syncro on 1st gear and 86mm jugs instead of 83mm in the wet liner motor. Took it from 1998 to 2136cc.
My grandparents were dismayed when my mother decided in 1965 to buy a yellow 1961 TR3A from an ad in the Houston Chronicle for $800. I loved that car. Even though I was a kid, you could reach down from the seat at a stoplight and touch the ground. My grandfather eventually drove it out to Pearland to visit his old brother one weekend so it’s charm was working.
Many years later, I moved to a small town where a neighbor on the next block had stored in his garage a yellow TR3A. It’s fun to see him take it out and hear it going down the street bringing back memories from 60 years ago.
Ahhh the low cut doors!
One of my college buddies would reach down from the passenger seat and light his cigars with a match at stop lights.
Freaked out the people in the Station Wagons next to us.
In 1977 my new Schwinn Sprint got stolen. I got $100 in insurance money and bought a rusty TR-3A for $75. Red with red interior. It had the fiberglass hardtop. Spent a lot of time in my folks garage working on that car with my buddies!
Michelle….how about the pre-war Dolomite and Southern Cross sports cars? Would love to add one to my TR3 smallmouth, TR250, and 49 Roadster 2000 stable. BTW, My TR3 is absolutely the most fun of all of my cars to drive!
Very good point! The pre-war Dolomite is one of my favorite Triumphs, but most were saloons, “roadster coupes” or such. A few straight eight race cars were produced, like … three. The Southern Cross – 31 were made. Those models were made by Triumph before it was purchased by Standard Motor, and their tiny numbers can’t qualify them as production cars…
Ok, you’re correct but how cool would it be to drive a Southern Cross with that straight 8?
Naw, for me it would have to be a Dolomite. I like the looks so much better. I had my eye on this one, not that I could swing it, but just for the sake of dreaming:
https://www.historics.co.uk/auction/lot/lot-165—1940-triumph-dolomite-1465-roadster/?lot=17302&so=0&st=&sto=0&au=86&ef=&et=&ic=False&sd=0&pp=96&pn=1&g=1
This car was at a dealer for a while, I see they decided to send it to auction.
The real tribute to this car is the large amount of comments and the positivity about them! A car that exudes many SPM’s! (Smiles Per Mile!)