Triumph TR3

Manufacturer	Triumph Motor Company
Production	1955–1957
Assembly	Coventry, England
Predecessor	Triumph TR2
Successor	Triumph TR3A
Class	Sports car
Engine	1991 cc straight-4
Transmission	4-speed overdrive manual
Wheelbase	88 in (2,235 mm)
Length	151 in (3,835 mm)
Width	56 in (1,422 mm)
Height	50 in (1,270 mm)
Curb weight	904 kg (1,993 lb)

Triumph TR3

The Triumph TR3 was a car built between 1955 and 1957 by Standard-Triumph in the United Kingdom, during which time 13,377 cars were produced, of which 1286 were sold within the UK; the rest were exported mainly to the USA. As of 2002 there were only 893 registered TR3/3a's on UK roads.

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 OHV engine which initially produced 95 bhp (71 kW; 96 PS) 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 changed from drum to disc becoming the first British series production car to be so fitted.

In 1957, it was replaced by an updated version, the TR3A.

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 (254 mm) 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 Motor in 1956 had a top speed of 105.3 mph (169.5 km/h) and could accelerate from 0–60 mph (97 km/h) in 10.8 seconds. A fuel consumption of 27.1 miles per imperial gallon (10.4 L/100 km; 22.6 mpg-US) was recorded. The test car cost £1103 including taxes.

Other figures recorded included:

From standing to ¼ mile 18.1 secs