Description
Examples of the Triumph TR range are often featured in our advertisements, but rarely does a car arrive with us which on first road test is a genuine surprise. This 1960 TR3A is absolutely splendid to drive. With a lusty engine, great synchromesh on the overdrive gearbox and a quiet rear axle, we did a quick investigation into the history to find it why it drives so well.
Originally built for export to the United States, it was built in March 1960 and sold via Columbia Triumph Distributors Inc in Baltimore in Maryland. We know little of its history in America, but it was imported to the UK and first registered in October 2005 by a restoration company in Whitby, North Yorkshire. We have the bill of sale from just a month later, to a York owner, now in his eighties who has owned it since then. The specification for the restoration included: conversion to right hand drive with rack and pinion steering, an engine rebuild to 2. 2 litres with unleaded cylinder head, overdrive TR4 gearbox, stainless steel wire wheels, stainless steel exhaust, Moto-Lita wood-rimed steering wheel, leather seat kit, mohair hood and mohair tonneau cover. The history file documents its maintenance and minor repairs since restoration on 15 invoices, mainly from the supplying dealer and since 2020 with a more local garage in York. The total mileage since rebuild is just 5267, which accounts for the superb way this TR3A drives.
It is now some 21 years since it was repainted and there are now many surface imperfections but overall it presents very well and represents a great opportunity to buy a very useable TR which is great fun to drive with its lively engine and taut steering. Remarkably, it is priced at just £14, 995
