Triumph TR3
Encyclopedia
The Triumph TR3 is a sports car which was produced between 1955 and 1962 by Standard
-Triumph
in the United Kingdom
. The facelifted variant, unofficially known as the "TR3A", entered production in 1957 and the final version, unofficially the "TR3B", was produced in 1962.
The car was powered by a 1991 cc straight-4
OHV
engine which initially produced 95 bhp increasing to 100 bhp
at 5000 rpm
. The four speed manual transmission
could be supplemented by an overdrive unit on the top three ratios electrically operated and controlled by a switch on the dash. In 1956 the front brakes were changed from drums to discs, the TR3 thus becoming the first British series production car to be so fitted.
13,377 examples of the original "pre-facelift" TR3 were produced, of which 1286 were sold within the UK; the rest were exported mainly to the USA. As of Q1 2011 there were approximately 826 licensed and 115 SORN
TR3/3a's registered with the DVLA.
in 1956 had a top speed of 105.3 mph (169.5 km/h) and could accelerate from 0–60 mph (96.6 km/h) in 10.8 seconds. A fuel consumption of 27.1 mpgimp was recorded. The test car cost £
1103 including taxes.
Other figures recorded included:
From standing to ¼ mile 18.1 secs
In 1957 the TR3 was updated with various changes including a full width radiator grille and this facelifted model is now commonly referred to as the Triumph "TR3A". However the cars were not badged as such and the "TR3A" name was not used officially, as is evident from contemporary sales brochures.
The "TR3A" was built between 1957 and 1962.
The "TR3A" was a minor update from the TR3. The updates included the new wide front grill, exterior door handles, lockable boot handle and came with a full tool kit as standard (this was an option on the TR3). The total production run of the "TR3A" was 58,236. This makes it the third best selling TR after the TR6
and TR7
. It is estimated that only 9,500 of the original 58,000 built survive in the world today.
The Triumph TR3 was the first production car to include standard disc brakes, which were continued on the "TR3A" facelift. The car was known for its superior braking ability, making it an autocross favourite.
The "TR3A" is often seen in Vintage and Production racing today. The "TR3A", despite being almost 50 years old, is still competitive in the E-Production class of SCCA (Sports Car Club of America
).
In June 1977, Road & Track
magazine published an article titled "Driving Impressions: TR3A & TR250
" in its 30th anniversary issue. It published a 0-60 mph time of 12.0 seconds, power output of 100 bhp at 4800 rpm
, observed curb weight of 2090 lb (948 kg) and fuel consumption of 28 mpgimp .
The "Triumph TR3B" is an unofficial name given to the final version of the TR3, which was produced by the Triumph Motor Company
(Standard Motor Company) in 1962. It was offered concurrent with the TR4
, which started production in 1961. In fact, the "TR3B" was a special short production run produced in response to dealer concerns that the buying public might not welcome the TR4.
It had the body of the "TR3A" (Except that the body panels had raised stampings under the hood & trunk hinges and under the door handles. In addition, the wind screen was attached with bolts rather than the Dzus connectors used on "A" models.), but the 2,138 cc. engine and all synchromesh transmission of the TR4. The engine is a straight 4, push rod, 3 bearing, with wet liners. It had 9:1 compression and was very rigid. It was fitted with two H6 SU carburettors. It had 105 hp at 4,650 rpm and 172 N·m (127 ft·lbf) of torque at 3,350 rpm. It got around 20 miles per US gallon (8.5 km/L) to 30 miles per US gallon (12.8 km/L). The top speed was limited to about 110 mph (49 m/s). by the gear ratio, unless it had overdrive. Electrically triggered overdrive (Laycock-de-Normanville Type A) was available as an option and operated on 2nd, 3rd, and 4th gears. Appearance was identical to the "TR3A", and as such very similar to the TR3, except for a wider grill and door handles.
The suspension was by double A-arms, manganese bronze trunnion
, coil springs and tube shocks at the front, optional anti-roll bar, and with worm and peg steering. Unlike MG
s of the same period, the steering mechanism and linkage had considerable play and friction, which increased with wear.
The rear was conventional leaf spring
s, with solid axle and lever shocks, except that the (box) frame rails were slung under the axle (underslung*). The wheels were 15 inch diameter x 4.5" width (increased from 4" after the first few TR2s
), with 48 spoke wire wheels optional. Wire wheels were usually painted, either body color or argent (silver), but matte chrome and bright chrome were also available. It had front disk brakes (the TR was the first production car to feature these as standard equipment) and rear drums with no power assist.
It weighed 2137 lb (969 kg) which was significantly more than the Morgan +4 and the "Bath Tub" (pre-911) Porsches, but not much more than the MGA and MGB. All except the Morgan, which shared the same engine, were substantially less powerful.
Though, under most conditions it was very responsive and forgiving, it had a some handling
vices. The chassis, which it shared with the TR2, TR3, TR3A and TR4 had limited wheel travel, and the car was somewhat tall and narrow for a high performance sports car. As a result, on very hard cornering, the inside rear wheel would lift, causing sudden over-steer due to the increased load on the outside rear tire. This was particularly true with increasingly common radial tires. The original TR2/3/3A suspension was built with older, bias ply tire designs in mind.
The "TR3B" is a true roadster, designed for sunny weather with removable rain protection. It has a convertible top (hood) that snaps on and off and removable side curtains, allowing very low doors with padding to rest one's arm on. There are holes in the floor, with rubber plugs, so that the originally-supplied jack might be used from inside the car, as did the Jaguar XK 120. The optional heater was poor and the shut-off valve was under the hood (bonnet). A third person could get behind the seats, if absolutely necessary.
Standard Motor Company
The Standard Motor Company was founded in Coventry, England in 1903 by Reginald Walter Maudslay . The Standard name was last used in Britain in 1963, and in India in 1987.-1903–1914:...
-Triumph
Triumph Motor Company
The Triumph Motor Company was a British car and motor manufacturing company. The Triumph marque is owned currently by BMW. The marque had its origins in 1885 when Siegfried Bettmann of Nuremberg initiated S. Bettmann & Co and started importing bicycles from Europe and selling them with his own...
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. The facelifted variant, unofficially known as the "TR3A", entered production in 1957 and the final version, unofficially the "TR3B", was produced in 1962.
TR3
Although the car was usually supplied as an open two-seater, an occasional rear seat and bolt-on steel hard top were available as extras.The car was powered by a 1991 cc straight-4
Straight-4
The inline-four engine or straight-four engine is an internal combustion engine with all four cylinders mounted in a straight line, or plane along the crankcase. The single bank of cylinders may be oriented in either a vertical or an inclined plane with all the pistons driving a common crankshaft....
OHV
Overhead valve
An overhead valve engine, also informally called pushrod engine or I-head engine, is a type of piston engine that places the camshaft within the cylinder block , and uses pushrods or rods to actuate rocker arms above the cylinder...
engine which initially produced 95 bhp increasing to 100 bhp
Horsepower
Horsepower is the name of several units of measurement of power. The most common definitions equal between 735.5 and 750 watts.Horsepower was originally defined to compare the output of steam engines with the power of draft horses in continuous operation. The unit was widely adopted to measure the...
at 5000 rpm
Revolutions per minute
Revolutions per minute is a measure of the frequency of a rotation. It annotates the number of full rotations completed in one minute around a fixed axis...
. The four speed manual transmission
Manual transmission
A manual transmission, also known as a manual gearbox or standard transmission is a type of transmission used in motor vehicle applications...
could be supplemented by an overdrive unit on the top three ratios electrically operated and controlled by a switch on the dash. In 1956 the front brakes were changed from drums to discs, the TR3 thus becoming the first British series production car to be so fitted.
13,377 examples of the original "pre-facelift" TR3 were produced, of which 1286 were sold within the UK; the rest were exported mainly to the USA. As of Q1 2011 there were approximately 826 licensed and 115 SORN
Sorn
Sorn is a small village in East Ayrshire, Scotland. It is situated on the River Ayr. It has a population of roughly 350. Local services include: a pub, a church, a general store, a motorbike shop and a television shop. There is also a village hall and a bowling green and primary school...
TR3/3a's registered with the DVLA.
TR3 fact file
- Production Period - October 1955 to Summer 1957
- Original price (basic model) - £950
- Suspension - Front: Independent by unequal length double wishbones, coil springs and telescopic dampers, Rear: Live axle, half elliptic springs lever arm dampers
- Brakes - First 4408 models (1955–56): 10 in (25 cm) Drums all around. Remaining 9000 (1956–57): Front Discs; Rear Drums
- Original Optional extras - Seatbelts, overdrive, wire wheels, glass-fibre hardtop, occasional rear seat, radio, heater, leather upholstery.
Performance
A hard top car with overdrive tested by the British magazine The MotorThe Motor (magazine)
The Motor was a British weekly car magazine founded on 28 January 1903....
in 1956 had a top speed of 105.3 mph (169.5 km/h) and could accelerate from 0–60 mph (96.6 km/h) in 10.8 seconds. A fuel consumption of 27.1 mpgimp was recorded. The test car cost £
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
1103 including taxes.
Other figures recorded included:
| Speed | Time |
|---|---|
| 0–30 miles per hour (13.4 m/s) | 3.6 s |
| 0–50 miles per hour (22.4 m/s) | 7.5 s |
| 0–60 miles per hour (26.8 m/s) | 10.8 s |
| 0–90 miles per hour (40.2 m/s) | 28.8 s |
From standing to ¼ mile 18.1 secs
"TR3A"
The "TR3A" was built between 1957 and 1962.
The "TR3A" was a minor update from the TR3. The updates included the new wide front grill, exterior door handles, lockable boot handle and came with a full tool kit as standard (this was an option on the TR3). The total production run of the "TR3A" was 58,236. This makes it the third best selling TR after the TR6
Triumph TR6
The Triumph TR6 is a British six-cylinder sports car and the best-seller of the TR range built by Triumph when production ended in July 1976. This record was then surpassed by the TR7...
and TR7
Triumph TR7
The Triumph TR7 is a sports car manufactured from September 1974 to October 1981 by the Triumph Motor Company in the United Kingdom. It was initially produced at the Speke, Liverpool factory, moving to Canley, Coventry in 1978 and then finally to the Rover plant in Solihull in 1980...
. It is estimated that only 9,500 of the original 58,000 built survive in the world today.
The Triumph TR3 was the first production car to include standard disc brakes, which were continued on the "TR3A" facelift. The car was known for its superior braking ability, making it an autocross favourite.
The "TR3A" is often seen in Vintage and Production racing today. The "TR3A", despite being almost 50 years old, is still competitive in the E-Production class of SCCA (Sports Car Club of America
Sports Car Club of America
The Sports Car Club of America is a club and sanctioning body supporting road racing, rallying, and autocross in the United States. Formed in 1944, it runs many programs for both amateur and professional racers.-History:...
).
In June 1977, Road & Track
Road & Track
Road & Track is an American automotive enthusiast magazine. It is owned by Hearst Magazines, and is published monthly. The editorial offices are located in Newport Beach, California.-History:...
magazine published an article titled "Driving Impressions: TR3A & TR250
Triumph TR250
The Triumph TR250 was built between 1967 and 1968 for 15 months by the Triumph Motor Company in the United Kingdom, during which time approximately 8,480 cars were built, all of which were for the American market. Many can now be found outside the United States, primarily in Europe...
" in its 30th anniversary issue. It published a 0-60 mph time of 12.0 seconds, power output of 100 bhp at 4800 rpm
Revolutions per minute
Revolutions per minute is a measure of the frequency of a rotation. It annotates the number of full rotations completed in one minute around a fixed axis...
, observed curb weight of 2090 lb (948 kg) and fuel consumption of 28 mpgimp .
"TR3B"
Triumph Motor Company
The Triumph Motor Company was a British car and motor manufacturing company. The Triumph marque is owned currently by BMW. The marque had its origins in 1885 when Siegfried Bettmann of Nuremberg initiated S. Bettmann & Co and started importing bicycles from Europe and selling them with his own...
(Standard Motor Company) in 1962. It was offered concurrent with the TR4
Triumph TR4
The Triumph TR4 was a sports car built in the United Kingdom by the Standard Triumph Motor Company and introduced in 1961. Code named "Zest" during development, the car was based on the chassis and drivetrain of the previous TR sports cars, but with a modern Michelotti styled body. 40,253 cars...
, which started production in 1961. In fact, the "TR3B" was a special short production run produced in response to dealer concerns that the buying public might not welcome the TR4.
It had the body of the "TR3A" (Except that the body panels had raised stampings under the hood & trunk hinges and under the door handles. In addition, the wind screen was attached with bolts rather than the Dzus connectors used on "A" models.), but the 2,138 cc. engine and all synchromesh transmission of the TR4. The engine is a straight 4, push rod, 3 bearing, with wet liners. It had 9:1 compression and was very rigid. It was fitted with two H6 SU carburettors. It had 105 hp at 4,650 rpm and 172 N·m (127 ft·lbf) of torque at 3,350 rpm. It got around 20 miles per US gallon (8.5 km/L) to 30 miles per US gallon (12.8 km/L). The top speed was limited to about 110 mph (49 m/s). by the gear ratio, unless it had overdrive. Electrically triggered overdrive (Laycock-de-Normanville Type A) was available as an option and operated on 2nd, 3rd, and 4th gears. Appearance was identical to the "TR3A", and as such very similar to the TR3, except for a wider grill and door handles.
The suspension was by double A-arms, manganese bronze trunnion
Trunnion
A trunnion is a cylindrical protrusion used as a mounting and/or pivoting point. In a cannon, the trunnions are two projections cast just forward of the centre of mass of the cannon and fixed to a two-wheeled movable gun carriage...
, coil springs and tube shocks at the front, optional anti-roll bar, and with worm and peg steering. Unlike MG
MG (car)
The MG Car Company is a former British sports car manufacturer founded in the 1920s by Cecil Kimber. Best known for its two-seat open sports cars, MG also produced saloons and coupés....
s of the same period, the steering mechanism and linkage had considerable play and friction, which increased with wear.
The rear was conventional leaf spring
Leaf spring
Originally called laminated or carriage spring, a leaf spring is a simple form of spring, commonly used for the suspension in wheeled vehicles...
s, with solid axle and lever shocks, except that the (box) frame rails were slung under the axle (underslung*). The wheels were 15 inch diameter x 4.5" width (increased from 4" after the first few TR2s
Triumph TR2
The Triumph TR2 is a sports car which was produced by the Standard Motor Company in the United Kingdom between 1953 and 1955, during which time 8,636 cars were produced....
), with 48 spoke wire wheels optional. Wire wheels were usually painted, either body color or argent (silver), but matte chrome and bright chrome were also available. It had front disk brakes (the TR was the first production car to feature these as standard equipment) and rear drums with no power assist.
It weighed 2137 lb (969 kg) which was significantly more than the Morgan +4 and the "Bath Tub" (pre-911) Porsches, but not much more than the MGA and MGB. All except the Morgan, which shared the same engine, were substantially less powerful.
Though, under most conditions it was very responsive and forgiving, it had a some handling
Car handling
Automobile handling and vehicle handling are descriptions of the way wheeled vehicles perform transverse to their direction of motion, particularly during cornering and swerving. It also includes their stability when moving at rest. Handling and braking are the major components of a vehicle's...
vices. The chassis, which it shared with the TR2, TR3, TR3A and TR4 had limited wheel travel, and the car was somewhat tall and narrow for a high performance sports car. As a result, on very hard cornering, the inside rear wheel would lift, causing sudden over-steer due to the increased load on the outside rear tire. This was particularly true with increasingly common radial tires. The original TR2/3/3A suspension was built with older, bias ply tire designs in mind.
The "TR3B" is a true roadster, designed for sunny weather with removable rain protection. It has a convertible top (hood) that snaps on and off and removable side curtains, allowing very low doors with padding to rest one's arm on. There are holes in the floor, with rubber plugs, so that the originally-supplied jack might be used from inside the car, as did the Jaguar XK 120. The optional heater was poor and the shut-off valve was under the hood (bonnet). A third person could get behind the seats, if absolutely necessary.
- Frame under axle was pioneered by the American Motor Car Co. 1907 American UnderslungAmerican UnderslungThe American Underslung was an American automobile, the brainchild of Harry Stutz and designer Fred Tone, manufactured in Indianapolis from 1905 to 1914 by American Motor Car Company.- Design :...
.