Triumph TR3A

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Long famed for their rugged reliability and idiosyncratic good looks, the 'sidescreen' TRs have attracted a fanatical following over the years.

Powered by a virtually indestructible 1,991cc 4-cylinder, wet-liner OHV pushrod engine, the gutsy TR2 was capable of a genuine 100mph. Not only that, in it's 1954 road test, The Motorcar praised Britain's lowest-priced ton-up car for returning 'astonishing fuel economy' of 34.5mpg over 1,904 miles.

The TR2 was replaced by the TR3 in 1955, now with 100bhp on tap (5bhp up on the TR2) and front disc brakes. The final evolution of the line, the TR3A was introduced in September 1957. A slightly updated version of the TR3, it differed mainly in having a wider front grill, exterior door handles, a lockable boot handle and a full tool kit as standard.

Great fun to drive, its tough boxed-section chassis featured independent coil and wishbone front suspension, a leaf sprung 'live' rear axle and disc / drum brakes. Now with some 104bhp and 117lbft of torque, it could sprint to 60mph in 10 seconds on its way to a top speed of 109mph. It was replaced by the more Italianate TR4 in 1961.

As the accompanying Heritage Certificate confirms, this TR3A was built in April 1958 and despatched to the Stanbourne Motor Company of Bournemouth. Pearl Grey with red trim, it was originally registered RBL 510 and was first owned by JH Fisher Contractors of Burghfield Common, Berkshire, as confirmed by the original green log book. JH Fisher was a company owned by Sir William Benyon, a grandson of Lord Salisbury, who also owned the 14,000 acre Englefield Estate in Berkshire and Hampshire and was to be the Tory MP for Buckingham from 1970 to 1992.

Anecdotal evidence related to the vendor by a previous owner states that Benyon had the car modified for competition use and campaigned it extensively before selling it in 1963, although there is no documentary evidence to substantiate this. The second owner kept the car until 1972 and the third until 2007 although it was barn stored for much of this time. The fourth owner sold it to the current owner in 2010 by which time it was in fairly dilapidated condition.

Already the owner of a collection of classics (including a highly competitive TR3 rally car), the vendor treated the car to a total nut-and-bolt rebuild between 2010 and 2013 which has resulted in the fine specimen you see today (and also revealed various competition mods that presumably dated back to Benyon’s ownership).

The original engine has been fully rebuilt and upgraded to 2,190cc specification which, allied to the 4-speed overdrive gearbox and front disc brakes, gives sparkling performance. The colour-coded wire wheels are shod with new Vredestein tyres (including the boot-mounted spare), while a battery cut-off switch has also been fitted to the dash and inertia-reel seat belts installed.

Since the restoration was completed the car has covered less than 500 miles and is still running in, having flown through its MOT in October this year with no advisories recorded. It comes with a good history file, including the aforementioned Heritage Certificate and original green log book, plus many invoices detailing the parts used in the restoration. A rare hard top with roof-mounted driving lamp and a full set of weather gear including a new hood, sidescreens and tonneau are also included.

In excellent condition throughout and with a most appealing and original colour scheme, it looks mighty tempting at the sensible guide price suggested.