1957 Triumph TR3

The seller bought his Triumph TR3 from a local Triumph specialist back in 2014/15. Used sparingly since then, he’s put his effort – and a considerable sum – into its mechanical reliability, spending almost £7,000 on engine work less than a thousand miles ago.

He’s enjoyed using it for local jaunts in that time but a new classic in his garage means he feels the time has come to pass this on to its next custodian.

In need of light cosmetic titivation, this lovely old thing is being offered with a very sensible guide price and an even more reasonable reserve, making it the ideal car with which to enjoy the last few weeks of summer before tucking it away in your garage for the winter where it’ll provide hours of tinkering fun for not a lot of money.

The TR3 is a proper stripped-to-the-bones British sportscar, so don’t waste your time looking for bumpers, an elaborate hood, or even side windows. Revel instead in a 955kg kerbweight and some of the most gorgeous lines of the 1950s.

Streamliner-style front and rear wings are separated by a cutaway door that’s perfect for hopping into the cockpit; who needs external door handles when you can simply step into your sportscar?

It’s in good shape, too. British Racing Green is a classic colour and one that suits the TR3’s swooping lines perfectly. The panels are in good order with only a few marks, blemishes and the odd small ding marring what’s otherwise a very presentable finish.

Stone protectors on the rear wings add a touch of bling, as do the lovely front grille and rear chrome overriders. Simple and effective, a car this lovely doesn’t need extraneous jewellery.

It sits on a set of wire wheels, wheels that are shod with Woosung tyres. Never heard of ‘em? Well, they changed their name to Nexen, which you probably have heard of. That’s the good news. The bad is that they did that in 2000, so they’re probably due for changing. The wheels also have some rust on them, mainly around the rims. Not a lot, that’s true, but enough that you might want to get them sorted out when you buy new tyres.

Other problems are few. There is some deterioration and micro-blistering to the paint on the front end (#16, #21 and #32, for example) plus some crazing (#76 and #136).

The chromework is a bit scratched and pitted too but you could chalk the whole lot up to patina and get on with enjoying it rather than fretting about it.

After all, your main worry should be serious rot and corrosion and the MoT man hasn’t mentioned that. Ever.

The interior follows the same ethos as the coachwork; it has everything you need and nothing you don’t and what there is, is done very nicely.

Take the two seats, for example. Black, piped with white, they are firm and comfortable and in great shape. There’s a tiny little gear lever too, plus a pair of chain door pulls.

It’s purposeful and utterly fit for purpose; these little cars are very popular in amateur classic motorsport, an arena where less is always more.

The dashboard is classic in design, and the steering wheel is distinctly vintage in feel and appearance. That’s a Good Thing, obviously.

The boot is solid, and while there’s not much in there the painted finish does at least allow you to examine it easily. The spare wheel lives in a separate compartment below the boot, which is a brilliant idea and ensures your luggage stays clean and dry should you have to swap wheels following a puncture.

The boot is also where the copper-faced hammer lives, and the tonneau cover.

The engine bay is workmanlike rather than prissy but that’s entirely in keeping with the car’s likely use; this is a car for driving rather than displaying and is one you can use regularly without worrying about the hours of cleaning that lie ahead of you…

As you can see, it starts and runs well, showing good oil pressure (even at idle) as well as a decent rate of battery charging.

This isn’t a surprise as there is an invoice for £6,682 for engine work by TRGB, an independent Triumph specialist, in 2017. You can see the bills in slides #227, #228, and #230; please note that this work was carried out less than 1,000 miles ago.

The TR3 also fitted with an overdrive for longer-legged cruising and an upgraded fan to help it cope with modern traffic. The seller drove it here from his home in East Anglia and reports that even stop-start driving through Oxford didn’t cause any overheating problems. He told us that he thoroughly enjoyed his last drive in it, reporting that it “drives really well”.

The underside has some surface corrosion and this could do with being caught sooner rather than later to avoid bigger bills in the future.

MoT’d until July 2023 with no advisories – something it’s no stranger to – the online record shows a gradual accumulation of miles, with it racking up only 1,188 since 2014.

It also comes with a current V5 registration document showing just the two former keepers plus a Haynes workshop manual, its buff RF60 registration book and a sales brochure.

Just as importantly, it has a wad of old invoices and bills supporting the work that was carried out on it since 2014, although nothing is known of it prior to that.

Why not contact us to come and see it in person? It’s a lovely old thing and would be well worth your time.

If you’re looking for a well-fettled TR3 to use rather than show, then your time has come. Strong and running well, this example benefits from a huge engine build less than a thousand miles ago, making it the ideal candidate for the enthusiast with an eye for reliability and usability.

It might be a canny purchase too because the cosmetic faults it shows could be remedied over time and putting them right isn’t going to harm its value any, is it?

As to its current value, we think the virtual hammer will drop somewhere between £15,000 and £20,000, which makes it solid value no matter which way you look at it.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; we are open weekdays 9am-5pm, to arrange an appointment please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.