1960 Triumph TR3A

The popularity of the Triumph sports car was due to its pleasant appearance, rugged reliability, affordability, and performance. Produced by the Standard-Triumph Motor Company from 1955 until 1957, the TR3 was the first British production car to have front disc brakes as standard. Beneath its bonnet was the ubiquitous Standard 1991cc four-cylinder engine that now produced 100 bhp and was paired to a four-speed gearbox with available optional overdrive, which was electrically operated. Zero-to-sixty mph was accomplished in a spirited 10.8 seconds and top speed at just over 100 mph. Only one-tenth of the production of over thirteen thousand remained in the United Kingdom as the TR3 sold very well in the United States and was a motorsport 'stalwart' in the Sports Car Club of America.

The Triumph TR2

The first of Triumph's TR tradition began with the TR2 of 1953. Available solely in roadster configuration, its 121 cubic-inch (1991cc) four-cylinder Standard wet liner inline four-cylinder engine produced 90 horsepower, thanks in part to twin H4 type SU carburetors. The TR2 had an 88-inch wheelbase, was 151 inches long, 55 inches wide, and stood 50 inches tall. The suspension was independent at the front with coil springs, while the rear had a live axle and leaf springs. Lockheed drum brakes at all four corners provided the stopping power.

By the time production of the Triumph TR2 ended in 1966, a total of 8,636 examples had been built.

Triumph TR3 Mechanical Specification

The Triumph TR3 continued to rest on an 88-inch wheelbase (sharing the same chassis as the TR2, TR3A, and TR4), a length of 151 inches, was 56 inches wide, and stood 50 inches tall. The front suspension used double A-arms, coil springs, tube shocks, and manganese bronze trunnion, and anti-roll bars could be added as optional equipment. The rear had a solid axle, conventional leaf springs, and lever arm dampers. The steering was via a worm and peg setup.

The 121.5 cubic-inch (1991 cc) Standard wet liner, overhead valve, inline four-cylinder engine had larger SU-H6 carburetors than its TR2 predecessor and initially produced 95 horsepower (5 more hp than the TR2). Output soon increased to 100 bhp at 5,000 RPM courtesy of a 'high port' cylinder head and enlarged manifold.

The transmission was a four-speed manual unit that could be optioned by an overdrive unit on the top three ratios, electrically operated and controlled by a switch on the dashboard.

Drum brakes at all four corners provided the stopping power, with the front wheels receiving disc brakes in 1956, earning the TR3 the distinction of being the first British series production car so-equipped. The 15-inch wheels were 4.5 inches wide, making them 4 inches wider than the first few TR2s. 48-spoke wire wheels were optional, and some were painted either body color, argent (silver), bright chrome, or matte chrome.

The open two-seater roadster body could be optioned with an occasional rear seat along with a bolt-on steel hardtop. The standard Roadster configuration had removable rain protection.

Triumph TR3 Production

A total of 13,377 examples of the TR3 were produced with 1,286 examples sold in the United Kingdom. Production began in October 1955 and continued to the summer of 1957.

Triumph TR3A

The Triumph TR3 was updated in 1957 with a full-width radiator grille, lockable boot handle, exterior door handles, and a full tool kit as standard (previously optional on the TR3), birthing the so-called 'TR3A,' albeit they did not wear 'TR3A' badges and the name was never used officially. Production of the TR3A continued through 1962, with 58,236 examples built.

Additional minor updates arrived in 1959 in the form of raised stampings under the boot and bonnet hinges and under the door handles. The rear floor section was also redesigned, and the windscreen was now attached by bolts instead of the Dzus connectors used on the early 'A' models.

Triumph TR3B

The 'TR3B' was also an unofficial designation and was built in 1962 alongside the TR4 (introduced in 1961). It was built in response to dealer concerns that the public might not embrace the TR4 as they had done with the TR3. The TR4 was based on the chassis and drivetrain of the previous TR sports car, but wore a modern body designed by Giovanni Michelotti. While a total of 74,800 examples of the TR3 were built during its eight-year production lifespan (from 1955 to 1962), a total of 40,253 examples of the TR4 were built during its 5-year production run.

by Dan Vaughan

Roadster
Chassis number: TS59552

James Ward Packard purchased a Winton automobile in 1898. This vehicle had many flaws and broke down often. Packard took the vehicle back to Winton, who challenged Packard to build a better automobile. This was the birth of the Packard automobiles. Ferruccio Lamborghini purchased a Ferrari, which constantly broke down. He confronted Enzo Ferrari about his troubles; Enzo told Ferrucio that the problem was not with the car but with the 'farmer.' In retaliation, Ferrucio created the Lamborghini Company.

The Ford Motor Company nearly purchased the Ferrari Company before Enzo Ferrari left the negotiation table. Ferrari was renowned for their racers and had dominated nearly every racing series that they entered. The Ford Motor Company decided to beat Ferrari at their own game - which they did by winning the grueling 24 Hours of Le Mans race with the GT40 on numerous occasions.

The TR series was born of the same type of annoyance/challenge/success. Sir John Black, the chairman of Standard-Triumph, had tried to take over the Morgan Firm but had failed. The small and inexpensive MG's continued to provide stiff competition in sales and performance. When MG turned its attention to the lucrative US market, they were met with even more success. Thus, the Triumph TR Roadster was born.

It took six months to create the small but capable roadsters, which were created out of the parts bin. The 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine was from the Standard/Ferguson tractor. The engine was carefully concealed under a long, round, and flowing hood that extended into the cut-down doors. The boot provided excellent trunk space making the vehicle even more practical. The interior was roomy.

The TR1 appeared in 1952 at the London Motor Show, where it was welcomed by both media and the public. A year later, the TR2 was introduced which stayed in production for two years before being replaced by the TR3. Big improvements to performance appeared in 1956 as Girling disc brakes were adapted to the front. This was a first for production automobiles. The TR3A featured a locking door and trunk. Bigger brakes and a larger engine appeared in 1959.

The black Triumph TR-3A Roadster with chassis number TS59552 was for sale at the 2006 Worldwide Group Auction on Hilton Head Island, where it was expected to fetch between $25,000-$35,000. In recent years it has been given a body-on-frame restoration. It was given a brand-new interior with Wilton Wood carpeting. The top and side curtains are new, as are the original 60-spoke wire wheels. The transmission and engine were rebuilt. At the conclusion of the auction, the vehicle had found a new owner at the price of $30,800.

by Dan Vaughan

Roadster
Chassis number: TS 36951 LO

This is a very rare Export/European sold car through C.D. Salamanca SA Madrid, Spain. One of only 1,800 sold in Europe, out of 60,000 TR3As built; most (97%) went to North America and right-hand drive countries. This car carries a rare color combination of red and beige. It has the original engine, matching body, chassis, and engine numbers. It has its British Motor Industry Heritage Trust certificate and has been in the care of its current owners for 20 years.

Roadster
Chassis number: TS34559

The TR3A is distinguished from its predecessors by its exterior styling, which was revised to adopt a new nose panel with a wide-mouth, egg-crate grille, and the headlamps were slightly recessed for a smoother line. There were slight modifications made to the windscreen fixings and door and trunk hinges, and the door handles were standardized by 1959. In terms of performance, the biggest change was the introduction of Girling front disc brakes.

In total, there were around 8,600 of the Standard Triumph models built between 1953 and 1955. Around 58,200 TR3A models were created from 1957 to 1962.

The TR3A offered a top speed that exceeded 100 mph and a zero-to-sixty mph time of around 11.5 seconds. This example is an early example of the TR3 and has been the subject of an exacting restoration that was completed in 2006. The restoration costs exceeded $40,000. It is finished in black lacquer with a red interior and white piping. The car rides on wire road wheels, and there is a chrome luggage rack, a soft top, and side screens.

In 2009, this Triumph TR3 Roadster was offered for sale at the Houston Classic Auction in Seabrook, Texas, presented by Worldwide Auctioneers. The car was estimated to sell for $25,000 - $35,000 and was offered without reserve.

by Dan Vaughan

Roadster

TR3s were produced by Standard-Triumph Motor Co., Coventry, England, from 1955 to 1962. TR3A is the unofficial name of the updated TR3, built from 1957 to 1962. The total production of the TR3As was 58,236 units. The 2.1-liter inline four-cylinder engine delivers 100 horsepower.

This 1960 Triumph TR3A received a total restoration in 2010.

In 1957 the Triumph TR3A was introduced as a replacement for its predecessor, the TR3. The 3A featured improved design and mechanics, resulting in a top speed of 105 mph. The TR3A was a reliable vehicle; this was proven in 1960 during the grueling Le Man's 24-Hour race, where three cars were entered and finished, placing ninth, eleventh, and fifteenth.

The vehicle featured a four-cylinder, 95-horsepower engine. With an overall weight of the vehicle tipping the scale at 2200 pounds, meaning the horsepower to weight ratio was excellent. Throughout its life span, larger brakes and engine modifications were introduced.

The TR series has been a familiar scene in racing competitions and club events since its inception. Modifications such as Weber carburetors and improved transmissions are a favorite among competitors and SCCA contenders.

During its production run, lasting from 1957 through 1961, around 58,000 examples were created.

by Dan Vaughan

The Triumph TR4 was introduced in 1961. The body had been given a modern and updated appearance by Michelotti, but its drive-train and chassis were based on its TR predecessors. Production lasted until 1965, when it was replaced by the TR4A.

Prior to its release and while under development, the car was referred to by its codename, 'Zest'. The TR Series was a popular sports car but had drawbacks and inconveniences. The introduction of the TR4 eliminated a few inconveniences by offering roll-up windows in place of the noisy and impractical side curtains. A redesigned angular rear allowed for a trunk. The trunk and roll-up windows meant that items could be stored safely in the car. The prior plastic side curtains were easily torn, allowing easy access to the interior. The soft top could still be compromised, but with the addition of the optional removable hardtop, the TR4 became very versatile. The hardtop had a fixed glass rear window and an integral roll bar. The first five hundred produced had an aluminum center panel, while the rest had a steel center unit.

The TR4 improved performance for the little sports car. The track was enlarged, and the steering now used a rack-and-pinion unit. The transmission was now fully synchronized on all gears, and the engine was enlarged slightly. An optional Laycock de Normanville electrically operated overdrive could be selected for second, third, and fourth gear.

The original wheels were 15x4.5 inch discs, and one of the typical tires was the 165x15 bias ply. Forty-eight lace wire wheels could be ordered and were often painted the same color as the car. Other popular options were to have them painted silver, matte, or polished chrome.

The TR4 was successful both in sales and in sporting events. They could often be seen competing in SCCA, hill-climb, and rally events, where they provided plenty of podium finishes for their owners. The wet-sleeve engine was very convenient. The cylinder liners and pistons were easily changed, allowing the vehicle to compete under different capacity rules. Some TR4 racers were given a supercharger that raised the 105 bhp SAE output to over 200.

In 1965 the TR4 was given an independent rear suspension, a slightly modified frame, and various styling changes. In response to these changes, the TR4 was dubbed the TR4A. Production of the TR4A continued until 1968, when it was replaced by the six-cylinder TR250.

The new suspension was an effort by the company to enhance the comfort of the vehicle and address customer complaints. Though the main difference between the TR4 and TR4A was the independent suspension, only about 75 percent of the TR4A models actually had this new suspension. These vehicles can be identified by the 'IRS' badge on the rear of the vehicle. The estimated 25% that did not receive the 'IRS' equipment had the solid rear axle configuration. The reason for keeping with the solid rear axle was to provide a production racer for those who favored performance over comfort. The solid rear axle was easier to prepare for racing than was the 'IRS' setup. However, the independent rear suspension did not mean that the TR4A was not a competitive racer. The setup proved its potential at the Sebring 12 Hour race in 1966 when three TR4A models with 'IRS' finished in the top three spots.

The TR4 and TR4A were proven vehicles with an attractive sticker price, sporty intentions, favorable appearance, and many conveniences of the day.

by Dan Vaughan

An extremely successful sports car, the Triumph TR4 was produced in the U.K. by the Standard Triumph Motor Company from 1961. With a top speed of 110 mph, and costing around £1095, the TR4 became one of Triumph's best-loved cars thanks to its low cost of entry and capable open-top sports capabilities. The TR4 was stylistically quite a departure from its predecessor the TR3 and seemed to be just the car to bring the company into a brand new era.

Based on the chassis and drivetrain of TR predecessors, the TR4 was codenamed 'Zest' during development. Sporting a modern Giovanni Michelotti styled body, the new design was a big change from the classical cutaway door design of the earlier models, and allowed for full-sized doors with roll-up windows rather than side-curtains. The shapely tail end allowed for a spacious trunk, something that wasn't the norm for a sports car. A total of 40,253 TR4's were built during its production span.

This would be the first time that an adjustable fascia ventilation was utilized in a production vehicle. Other advanced features included a 'backlight' option; a specialized hard top that consisted of a fixed glass rear window with an integral rollbar and a detachable, steel center panel. This would be the first time there ever was such a roof system on a production vehicle. The Porsche 911/912 Targa would be introduced in the next 5 years, and this type of roof would eventually become a well-known option.

Replaceable, the rigid roof came with an easily folded and stowed vinyl insert and supporting frame called a Surrey Top. There has been confusion in the past with the entire hard top assembly mistakenly referred to as a Surrey Top. The rigid top and backlight assembly is listed as the Hard Top kit in original factory parts catalogues and the vinyl insert and frame are offered separately as a Surrey Top. In an attempt to stay ahead of the competition Triumph introduced modern features like wind-down windows to appeal to the important US market. Some dealers were concerned that buyers wouldn't fully appreciate these modern amenities, so a short run of TR3As or TR3Bs were produced in 1961 and 1962.

Triumph used the pushrod 4-cylinder engine that was based on the early design of the Ferguson tractor engine, but increased the displacement from 1991 cc to 2138 cc by increasing the bore size. Other updates and modifications to the manifolds and cylinder head allowed for some improvements, which resulted in the TR4A model.

For the vehicles earmarked to compete in the under-two-liter classes of the time the 1991 cc engine became a no-cost option. Select cars were fitted with vane-type superchargers since the three main bearing engine was susceptible to crankshaft failure if revved beyond 6,500 rpm. Superchargers allowed a TR4 to pump much more horsepower and torque at modest revolutions. Supercharged and otherwise performance-tuned, a 2.2-liter I4 version could produce more than 200 bhp, while a standard engine produced 105 bhp SAE. Like its predecessors, the TR4 was fitted with a wet-sleeve engine so the engine's cubic capacity could be changed by swapping the cylinder liners and pistons, for allowing a competitor to race under different capacity rules for competition use.

Other modifications from previous models included a wider track front and rear, a slightly larger standard engine displacement, rack and pinion steering and full synchromesh on all forward gears. The optional Laycock de Normanville electronically operated overdrive Laycock Overdrive could be picked for 2nd and 3rd gear, in addition to 4th, which effectively gave the TR4 a seven-speed manual close ratio gearbox. Initially the TR4 sported 15x4.5' disc wheels though optional 48-lace wire wheels could be ordered painted the same shade as the vehicles bodywork, in a matte or polished chrome finishes, or stove-enameled (matte silver with chrome spinners). The 155x15 bias ply was the most typical tire for the TR4. American Racing alloy; magnesium and aluminum wheels were offered in the U.S. at one time in 15x5.5' ox 15x6' sizes. The correct size radial-ply tire for the factory rims was 155x15, and only available from Michelin for an extravagant amount, was a problem when original owned opted for 60-spoke wire wheels. The standard 185x15 radials were much too wide to be fitted safely and as such, many owners had new and wider rims fitted and their wheels re-laced.

Thanks to Californian engineer Kas Kastner and his main driver Bob Tullius, the Triumph TR4 had quite a few racing successes in the U.S. under its belt. The TR4 won the E Production national championship in 1962. After this the SCCA reclassified the car to D Production, and the class title was won by Tullius in 1963 and 1964. Kastner and Mike Cook (who was in the advertising department at Triumph in NYC) convinced the Triumph Company to produce three new TR4s to race in the 12 Hours of Sebring race in 1963. Starting in the fall of 1962 the vehicles were prepared in California before flown to Florida for the endurance race in March of 1963. Kastner was Service Supervisor for the company in California at the time. Behind the wheel were Mike Rothschild and Peter Bolton from England, Bob Tullius, Charlie Gates, Ed Deihl, Bob Cole, Bruce Kellner and Jim Spencer. The vehicles finished overall 22nd, 24th, and 35th of 65 entrees, and in the 2.5 GT class the TR4 scored 1st, 2nd, and 4th.

This would be the start of the Triumph Competition Department that Kastner would head for numerous years and used to market the TR4. A privateer TR4 finished last in the '64 Sebring 12-hour race the following year. In 1966 Kastner returned to Sebring with four carefully prepared TR4As, three of which would finish winning the class. That same year Bob Tullius threw a piston in the most highly tuned vehicle, and didn't finish. The 1965 SCCA D Modified Championship was won at Daytona, driven by Charlie Gates against Ferraris and other prepared racecars.

During the mid-sixties the TR4 proved to be a celebrated rally car in the UK and Europe. As late as 1991 the TR4 continued to win an SCCA class championship and be raced in vintage sports car events. It was a common occurrence to see the TR4 in Australia hill-climb events, circuit racing events and various club rallies. 3 TR4s factory sponsored Team Triumphs were entered in the Canadian Shell 4000 rally. These models were apparently constructed with gussets on the chassis members and aluminum body panels to keep the car light as well as strengthen it. These engines were prepared by Kastner in NY after import and also fitted with lightweight magnesium wheels. Unfortunately they didn't place well in the rally, but the surviving models have proved to be quite valuable today. Neil Revington, proprietor of Revington TR in the UK owns one of these cars. Various replicas continue to be campaigned by privateers in vintage rally events throughout Europe.

The TR4A with IRS or independent rear suspension was the successor the TR4 in 1965. There wasn't much difference between the two models except for the rear suspension, which used trailing arms and a differential bolted to the redesigned chassis frame and a few minor updates. It is estimated that around 25% of TR4As not equipped with IRS were instead reverted to a live axle design like the TR4, which was adapted to fit the new chassis.

With only forty-three models ever produced, the most rare production TR4 model is the Dové GTR4. Rebuilt as a coupé by specialist coachbuilder for the Dove dealership in Wimbledon, London, and most conversions were based on the TR4 model, though the sales brochure pictures a TR4A version of these cars. Harrington Motor Bodyworks, who were well known for their construction of the Harrington Alpine, which was a similarly converted Sunbeam Alpine, did the convertibles.

Powering the Dové GTR4 were engine with period extras like a heater in the water jackets, which assisted in early morning starts. Optionally offered in the sales catalogue was some conversions fitted with fully balanced motors by Jack Brabham Motors of Laystall Engineering in London. Using the same materials found in the originally equipped standard TR4 were two jump seats behind the drivers seat. Some models featured a wood-rimmed wheel with riveted perimeter and auxiliary lamps under the front bumper bars. The glovebox lid featured a metalized identifying sticker with 'Dové' proudly displayed. Another 'Dové' logo was found on the rear deck to the left below the lid. To fit the new roof like, the side window glasses were specially shaped with a flat top edge. Custom fitted options included tinted swing-down see-through acrylic sun visors. Each model was customized individually and no two models were the same.

The Dové GTR4 was an attempt to fill the GT category for Europe, which is why the French nomenclature sported an inflection at the end of the word Dové. The Dové had pretty decent acceleration from 80 mph to 100 mph when compared to the standard model. The Dové carried a hefty price tag of £1250, nearly as much as a Jaguar E-Type. Today nearly a dozen Dové GTR4 are thought to still be in existence today.

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triumph_TR4

http://www.hagerty.com/price-guide/1965-Triumph-TR4

by Jessican Donaldson