Disassembled Project Car: 1960 Triumph TR3A

I remember when I first saw a “Sidescreen” Triumph: It was 8th grade and we were watching an ancient 16mm film in black and white. The subject was motion and inertia and other Newtonian concepts. There on the screen was the coolest little car in the world, and I had no idea what it was. Immediately after returning home for the day, I raced into my bedroom to find my Consumer Guide to Sports Cars, where I figured out that it was a TR3A (or maybe B), and I was hooked. Thus, a TR3 always brings back memories of those classroom days, but this one will require some effort to put it back into motion.

Yes, it is clearly a disassembled pile of parts and is being sold as a project car. According to the advertisement, the chassis has been redone, and the engine, transmission, and seats are a part of the package. Judging by the boxes atop the car, the parts to reassemble it might indeed come with the car, but the advertisement is a little vague. If it’s the original engine, it is the trusty old Triumph four cylinder, which came in 1991cc and 2138cc varieties. The TR3A (which is its unofficial name, by the way – Triumph always called it a TR3) was the most popular version of the cut-down-door Triumph, with over 58,000 being built over its production run.

There’s no mention of rust or cosmetic condition, but there’s a possibility that this Triumph doesn’t need a full restoration. If the paint would clean up reasonably well, and if you could get it running, and if there’s enough of an interior to install…well, that’s a lot of ifs. Still, it’s a variation on the classic British Racing Green (nobody can seem to agree on exactly what color that is), and the yellow stripes and steel wheels give this temporarily-windshieldless TR3 a ’60s club racing vibe that might be up your alley.

Considering that decent, running TR3s are currently valued well into the five-figure range, this one may be worth the risk. It’s currently on Marketplace in Mississippi for $4,500, and it’s been listed for 10 weeks. Thanks to Barn Finds reader Chuck Foster for bringing it to our attention!