Lot details Registration No: KSU 439 Chassis No: TS72529-L Mot Expiry: July 2012
Triumph's TR series began with the unveiling of a prototype (retrospectively called the TR1) at the 1952 London Motor Show. It was built around the chassis of the pre-war Flying Nine, the suspension from the Mayflower and powered by the engine from the Vanguard. Trials showed it to handle poorly, however, and the design was not progressed. The new, improved TR2 was launched the following year. The two-seater body was mounted on a substantial separate chassis. Suspension was independent by coil springs at the front and featured a live axle hung on leaf springs at the rear. The newcomer was powered by a twin SU version of the 1991cc engine from the Standard Vanguard, tuned to produce 90bhp. The TR3 of 1955 was a direct evolution of the TR2. With it came minor styling revisions, a slight hike in power and the options of an occasional rear seat and a bolt-on steel hard top. The overdrive system for the four-speed manual gearbox was upgraded to work on the top three ratios, effectively giving a seven-speed gearbox. In 1956 the front brakes were changed from drum to disc units. The final iteration of the TR3, the TR3A, appeared in 1957. It was instantly recognisable by its wider front grille, exterior door handles and lockable boot handle. The TR3A continued in production until 1962, by which time 58,236 are said to have been built. Contemporary road tests achieved 0-60mph acceleration times of some 11.5 seconds and a mean top speed of a whisker under 110mph. Overall fuel consumption was in the order of 26mpg.
'KSU 439' began life as a left-hand drive American market car that was then returned to the UK in 1988. It features Red and Cream bodywork and a Black leatherette interior. It has apparently just benefited from a major overhaul, during which the steering box, brakes and radiator were all attended to, paintwork carried out and a quality double duck hood and sidescreens fitted. The vendor informs us that the bodywork, paintwork, engine and transmission are all now "very good", the interior trim "good" and that the Triumph is "a good runner". It comes complete with an MOT into July 2012.
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