Vehicle Description
1958 Triumph TR3 Roadster
A classic British roadster is the ultimate way of getting your
thrills, and Triumph TR3 is one of the prime examples of this sort
of car. Despite a cute appearance, the car is one of the more
sophisticated sports cars of its era. With multiple racing
victories in the 50's and 60s, these cars retain a steady fan base
and are still raced in vintage competitions around the world and
enjoy an enthusiastic following in Triumph clubs and British car
shows worldwide. Total production between 1957 and 1962 was 58,236
cars.
For consignment, a 1958 Triumph TR3 roadster, owned by our
consignor since 1973 and fully restored between 2000 and 2012. It
was disassembled during restoration, sand blasted, painted, and the
engine, transmission, steering box, and differential were opened
and inspected and repaired where necessary. It shows 5,683 miles
which is not verifiable due to the title reading mileage exempt. It
wears PA antique historic car plates which the owner is willing to
transfer to the next owner if a PA resident.
Exterior
Beginning in May of 1958, Primrose Yellow was offered as an
exterior color on TR3's and our car wears this attractive hue with
panache. The color extends around the grille of the car, part of a
very busy nose that includes bumper guards over the chrome bumper,
rally lights and grille badges mounted on a bar. This bar spans the
guards, marker lights embedded in the crosshatch grille, three
dimensional Triumph lettering, frog eye headlights, side trim that
runs up the fenders, and the TR3 badge front and center on the
bonnet. In profile, the front fender rises above the front wheel
and swoops down sharply forming a body line across the door which
has a deeply sloped top edge then creates a low opening just as the
rear fender begins its circle northward before smoothly slanting
back towards the tail light. This is arguably one of the most
stunning profiles in the sports car realm, but the car looks great
from the back as well where small tail lights cover the square
edges of the low tail. Enough slobbering! Let's get to the
imperfections! Well, we could not find any. The metalwork, paint,
wheel covers, and the rest are in excellent condition. We note,
however, some panel gaps and lids are less than perfect. The top
frame is present and accounted for as well as the side curtains and
top material that needs to snapped on for those less than fair
weather drives.
Interior
The low diminutive doors swing forward for easy access and wear
black vinyl covers and a metallic kick panel. Once inside, you'll
plant yourself into low back bucket seats in a stitched pattern of
black vinyl with white piping, a pattern that continues in the rear
section where the small seat or shelf and wheel wells are adorned
in piped vinyl. A black banjo style steering wheel is wrapped in
leather and is in the sightline that leads to the flat dash where
the speedometer and tachometer loom large, but to the right, a busy
panel of gauges, switches and lights neatly arranged and labeled.
It's all in very nice condition and below it, a wood handled
shifter rises from the transmission hump covered in low pile black
carpet in fine condition.
Drivetrain
The spotless engine we see under the engine cover is a 1991cc
inline 4 cylinder, fed by 2 SU carburetors and rated at 95
horsepower. A Synchro 4-speed manual transmission sets the car in
motion and sends power to the rear wheels and 3.70 gears. Disc
brakes are up front and drums in the rear.
Undercarriage
Up on the lift reveals a car that's had an easy life, and the
restoration has held up well. Some surface rust on bolts and a few
love taps on the frame, but otherwise a very clean underside with
clean primrose paint, a nice black X-frame, and just a hint of oil
on the rear diff and transmission. The single exhaust travels to a
stainless Bell muffler and exits via a polished tip. Coil spring
suspension is up front and leaf springs in the back.
Drive-Ability
I feel like a leather cap and goggles are warranted here, but we
don't have any. Besides, the windshield and wind guards will keep
bugs out, and we won't be going that fast to do any damage to the
entomological community of Morgantown. A sunny day awaits, and we
run this yellow roadster around the loop where its glorious sound
is matched by its performance, especially handling where even for a
vehicle from 1958, it does very well. During our test all functions
worked as they should in this well sorted British sports car. While
Classic Auto Mall represents that these functions were working at
the time of our test drive, we cannot guarantee these functions
will be working at the time of your purchase.
Along with the restored mechanicals and cosmetics, the electricals
were upgraded, per our consignor with a negative ground, a GM
alternator, and heavy duty circuits and wiring harnesses. The long
term ownership of this car, documentation of the restoration, and
obvious care make this a worthy candidate if you are in the market
for a classic British roadster.
Classic Auto Mall is home to more than 1,000 classic and
collectible vehicles for sale via consignment in a climate
controlled 336,000-square foot showroom (that's more than 8
acres!). The largest single location consignment dealer of classic
and collectible vehicles in the country is located in Morgantown,
Pennsylvania, just 1-hour west of Philadelphia off Exit 298 of the
I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. For more information visit
www.classicautomall.com or call us at (888) 227-0914. Contact us
anytime for more information or to come see the vehicle in person.
There is no guarantee of mileage. A $299 Dealer Administrative fee
is not included in the advertised price.
With so many great cars, you know we have a lot to talk about, and
we do that each week on the Classic Auto Mall Podcast with host
Stewart Howden. Stewart discusses new inventory as well as trends
in consignments and car prices, while interviewing celebrities and
automotive professionals about amazing cars and their history. Tune
in each week to the Classic Auto Mall Podcast wherever you enjoy
listening. You can also watch on YouTube!
