car on sale
Triumph TR3
Features
Year 1959
40.000 km
1.991 cc
100 cv
ASI Targa Oro
Price: 39.900 €
The car we offer is in excellent condition, sporting a “British Racing Green” exterior and black interiors. It has recently undergone a complete restoration, including both mechanical and bodywork aspects, with new soft tops and windows.
The equipment includes a Tonneau Cover, chrome spoke wheels, heating, and a Motolita steering wheel. It is ASI Targa Oro certified and ready for any use and test.
Built in three series, commonly known as TR3, TR3A, and TR3B by the public, they were all referred to as TR3 by the manufacturer.
The first series, better known as the “narrow mouth,” closely resembles the style of the previous TR2, with minimal differences such as the grille, the front radiator grille, the cylinder head, the diameter of SU carburetors, and a few other details. At the end of 1956, front disc brakes were introduced, a significant innovation for those years, preceding Jaguar’s adoption.
In races, these cars perform well due to an excellent combination of performance and stability. The low beltline characteristic not only allows drivers to touch the asphalt with one hand while sitting in the driver’s seat but also facilitates monitoring the pressure gauge with minimal head movement.
In 1957, the second series, commonly known as 3A, made substantial changes to the front, adopting a larger grille (the so-called “wide mouth”). This modification aimed to address cooling issues in warmer climates by providing more air to the radiator. The headlights were slightly set back, the bumpers and their rostrums were altered, the sidelights were now incorporated into the grille, and the seats were redesigned for greater comfort and support. External handles on the doors were introduced, making it easier to access the car when the soft top and windows are mounted, although they slightly disrupt the clean lines of the side profile. The engine remained essentially unchanged, delivering 100 horsepower. The 3A model was the most long-lived among the three, produced from 1957 to 1961, with just over 58,000 units built, marking a significant success.
Triumph made minor updates to the model in 1962, its final year of production, with a final batch of 3,334 cars exclusively for the American market: the TR3B. Most of these, excluding the initial units, featured an upgraded 2.2-liter engine and a fully synchronized gearbox. These components were essentially the same as those fitted to the new TR4, introduced a few months earlier in the fall of ’61. This last batch of TR3s, produced alongside the TR4, was specifically requested by American dealers who believed that offering the more basic and economical TR3 alongside the pricier and more sophisticated TR4 could fill an existing market niche for a certain period. The last twenty-nine chassis intended for the TR3B never became this renowned spider but were utilized by Vignale for the Triumph Italia, the beautiful coupe designed by Michelotti, with a total production of 329 units.