The Triumph TR3 was introduced in 1955 as successor to the TR2, with greater power and improved braking, and continued until 1962. A 1957 facelift brought in a number of changes and, although never officially designated as such, the new model became known as the TR3A. In total more than 58,000 TR3As were built before the TR4 came along, but it’s thought that only around 9,500 cars survive. 

The TR3 achieved numerous successes in motorsport, particularly in rallying where it was campaigned in the RAC, Monte Carlo, Circuit of Ireland, Liege-Rome-Liege and Corsica rallies, among others.

This example was built in June 1960 and exported to the USA, from where the vendor imported the car in 2016. It’s been restored to a very high standard, with priority given to reliability and driveability rather than originality.  

The vendor purchased the car as a restoration project, importing it from the USA in 2016. He understands that, prior to leaving the USA, the car had been standing unused for a number of years. There are photos documenting much of the restoration work. The car was restored with the intention of use in historic rallies, so while not completely original it has had a number of mechanical and other upgrades that make it comfortable and practical in modern road conditions. 

The vendor admits to having done very few miles (no more than 500) in the car since restoration, and has decided to sell to enable him to concentrate on the other cars and bikes that he owns. He’s never driven it in the wet and it has been garaged throughout his tenure. 

The paperwork includes a copy of the car’s USA certificate of title, a letter from the Standard Register verifying the car’s original factory records, an original service manual, and paperwork from the DVLA relating to the car’s UK registration. 

Sharp-eyed TR enthusiasts will spot that it’s not just the rally-style seat belts here that differ from a ‘stock’ TR3A. The seats are MGB ones, chosen for their superior support and comfort over the Triumph seats. 

The Sparco 4-point seat belts were fitted for rallying and provide a good level of security. The gear lever is also not original. Otherwise, the dash and door panels are TR3A items and have been refurbished. The vendor fitted a complete new set of carpets when restoring the car, and these are as-new. There’s a GPS-linked odometer fitted discreetly under the dash. 

In the boot, the carpet liner is in excellent condition, and there’s a matching case with the jack and wheelbrace, plus a mallet and block of wood for the wheel spinners. Beneath the boot, the spare-wheel compartment houses the spare, on which the tyre looks to be some years old. 

It’s clear from first glance that the car has been restored to a high standard, and the paintwork reflects this. The vendor reports that, for the restoration, he spent more than £4700 on new panels including new side members, sills, boot floor, rear wheel arches and boot side panels. The car was painted at McCrudden’s bodyshop in Carterton, Oxfordshire. 

You have to look very hard to spot any blemishes on the paintwork, but there is a tiny ding on the offside front wing, and another minor scuff on the offside rear wing.

When restoring the car, the vendor replaced the usual front bumper with two overriders, as he preferred the look of this. There is also an A-post drain modification, on both front wings, that helps to prevent the common issue of corrosion on the A-post.  All of the brightwork and badges look immaculate - much of this was replaced as part of the restoration. 

All four wheels are in extremely good condition, and the tyres look to be recent, with very little wear. 

The car’s soft-top and side screens are in excellent condition, and the car comes complete with a full tonneau cover, also in excellent condition.  

The vendor has had the engine uprated to 2290cc, compared to the original 2138cc. The car starts readily and the stainless-steel exhaust emits a healthy engine note. The vendor reports that the car drives beautifully, with no issues. 

Other significant upgrades include a 3-synchro overdrive gearbox, a brake servo, an aluminium fuel tank, rack-and pinion steering, a dual-electric fan system and alloy radiator. There are two fuel filters. The car has been fitted with an alternator and rewired for negative earth, and a ‘thin pulley’ modification installed. (The original ‘fat’ fan belt has a tendency to over-strain the water pump pulley, resulting in the pulley becoming detached from the water pump spindle. The thin fan belt reduces this tendency, and replacement belts are much easier to source when out and about). The battery is a modern, high-quality Hankook item.   

There’s a replacement clutch- and brake-fluid reservoir with a low-level warning, which has been used with (non-hygroscopic) silicon fluid, and the screenwash pouch has been replaced with a plastic bottle. The alloy radiator has been used exclusively with Evans coolant, at considerable expense.

Under the bonnet, all these modifications are apparent and everything is clean and well-ordered. Underneath the car, there are no signs of rust or of leaks and again everything looks clean and tidy.

While not a completely original TR3A, 360 XVE is an extremely usable and practical example that will cope admirably with modern roads and traffic conditions. 

Restored to a very high standard, it looks fantastic and will reward the new owner with trouble-free, wind-in-the-hair motoring for years to come.