Restored Barn Find: 1959 Triumph TR3A
The Triumph TR3 (and its unofficial variants) was a popular British sports car, selling 75,000 copies between 1955 and 1962. The TR3A was an updated version of the little autocross wonder that came along in 1957, but they were never titled as such (all variants were still called TR3s). This nice example from 1959 appears to be an older restoration, offered by the widow of the man who cherished this “baby”. The description suggests this was an amateur restoration which looks to have been carried off well.
A trademark of the TR3 is the use of side curtains made of removable plexiglass rather than roll-up windows. When the car evolved into the TR3A, changes were minimal but included a reworked front grille, the addition of door handles, and a lock for the trunk lid. All TR3s had front disc brakes and – except for the TR3B – used a 1991-cc inline-4 engine with twin carburetors (121.5 cubic inches). 58,000 copies of the unofficial TR3A were built and just 15 to 20% are thought to survive today.
We don’t know how long this 1959 TR3A has been in the seller’s family or when the husband undertook to restore it. The indicated mileage of 57,000 is said to be original. Though it has spent a lot of time covered up in the barn, it starts right up and sports a new set of Coker tires. The red paint looks good as does the red interior with white striping. The canvas top is also white, and it appears to be in great shape.
Everything about this car suggests that it was a labor of love. Hopefully, the next owner will treat it the same way. Located in Merrill, Wisconsin, this classic is available here on eBay. Only one bid of $7,500 has been cast thus far, the reserve is $15,000, and the Buy It Now is $17,000. Would you go autocrossing with this beauty?
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Comments
Nice one here. Plenty of power, good handling, and pure fun.
Love the TR3 … buddy had one in HS and was a lot of fun … price is right – if I had a place for it I’d buy it …
Parts are available and reasonably priced….an easy car to work on
I’d believe the mileage, it even has it’s original battery box without the usual aftermarket plastic insert.
The last time I owned a TR3A was about 1979, sold when I got married for $500. It was not as nice as this at all but ran very well. I also had a parts car out back, under which a house mate thought would be a fine place to be in case of a nuclear attack! But he ended up being arrested when he climbed over a fence near us into a Naval Air Station, barefoot, on his way to the north pole. Funny now, but he made a mess of the house. The police were amused until he kicked out their back cruiser window and he was maced. We takes his meds now and has a couple of children, happily married we hear.