1949 Triumph ROADSTER

This car owes its survival to a gentleman who bought it as a barn find in 1981 and spent two years restoring it from the ground up. He had fancied a Roadster when he was a young apprentice mechanic and finally made the dream come true somewhat later in life.

He and his family got a great deal of use out of it over the next 30-odd years, collecting prizes at shows and enjoying tours abroad to France and (inevitably!) Jersey with the Roadster Club. When he passed away three years ago, his family continued to have the car checked over and taken for exercise before it was put away each winter. With a fresh battery, it’s come to life apparently needing nothing - this is not a car requiring recommissioning.

The gentleman’s daughter was able to give us some detail of the restoration (there are even some work-in-progress photos, shown below) including replacement of the ash sill sections but little work required to the rest of the frame or the aluminium body, which had survived very well. So had the doors and door pillars, which still aren’t showing any drop or deterioration. All the chrome was re-plated and the dashboard refinished to a high standard.

The only significant mechanical change is an upgrade to the Standard Vanguard’s overdrive box, giving an extra ratio on both second and top that makes for more relaxed open-road cruising. The paint has been re-applied once since the restoration but otherwise the car presents as a nicely settled, well-loved, well-maintained example ready for anything.

Sticking tightly to an original colour palette wasn’t really on anyone’s agenda back in the early 1980s, so a suitable hue like this British Leyland metallic BRG made a fine choice. We’re not sure when it was re-done but it’s held up very well. Close inspection reveals a few fish eyes, minor blemishes and wobbles but the body panels underneath are very straight. There’s a little bubble in the corner of one pane on the Auster screen.

There is a lot of chrome and it’s survived in remarkable condition. The owner was given to coating it in Vaseline every winter and the diligence has paid off, possibly combined with the higher-quality plating that was widespread 35 or 40 years ago. The bumpers, the hubcaps, the wind-tone horns, the spots, the main lamps and the badge bar all still look terrific, as does that handsome grille.

There are functioning trafficators behind each door as well as flashing indicators under the back bumper, an important bonus for safe 21st century use. The car is even equipped with reversing lights. The Roadster is currently riding on 175-width Michelin radials at the back and more aged Goodyear 175 radials at the front, they have plenty of tread and show no sign of cracking.

The Roadster’s cabin is great shape. There is smart, soft and slightly patinated pale leather combining perfectly with the equally pale dials and steering wheel over a beautifully figured wooden dash. Both the dials and the steering wheel boss are showing their age, but only in a gentle deterioration of the surface finish - everything works as it should.

Under the dash is a discreet lever to operate the overdrive. Also under there is that bane of all cars of this period, the umbrella handbrake, but at least this one is quite easy to reach. The gearchange is up on the right-hand side of the steering column and because of this, there really is plenty of room to place a grinning grandchild in between two adults on the front seat. Lifting the carpets reveals solid, dry plywood floors. The door cards are in excellent nick with useful door pockets, though the wooden capping on top of the driver’s door is slightly loose and needs re-securing.

Lifting the boot lid reveals the Roadster’s party trick: folding jump seats and that remarkable screen. Everything in here still looks new, with shiny hinges and frames supporting unmarked leather seats and fully trimmed carpets. The piping is an ezquisite touch. There’s also room for a spare wheel, which attaches inside the boot lid and rests in a white cover to keep any road-dirt off the soft furnishings. Check under the carpets and once again you’ll find only solid, dry floors.

The hood is hidden by a pale hood bag with elasticated sides; it’s not a perfect fit on the car’s haunches but it does its job. The hood itself is a very high-quality item that fits very well indeed and will probably keep occupants a good deal drier than they would be in later convertible Triumphs - there are wind-up windows, remember; not side-screens like a 1950s TR.

This Roadster starts and drives very well, giving a notable impression of smoothness. The 2000 model accelerates better than the 1800 but we’re still not directing you to the drag strip - progress is relaxed and comfortable, with nice steering and capable hydraulic brakes that combine to make it an unintimidating car to use on today’s roads, which isn’t something you could say about every 1940s model.

Lifting the bonnet reveals a smart, well-kept engine that’s clearly been cleaned and looked after. The radiator, a separate entity from the chrome grille, looks to be in excellent condition. There are lots of tools in the scuttle boxes, including a jack, a stirrup pump, a wheel brace and a roll of spanners and screwdrivers, plus a good selection of travelling spares: distributor cap, fuel pump and so on. There’s also a grease gun, which is good sign as we head underneath.

This is a car from the era of lubrication by grease nipples, of which there are several on the suspension, steering and elsewhere. There’s a smudge of grease from each lever-arm damper but otherwise, it’s commendably free of excess hydrocarbons - only the back of the gearbox shows a tiny oil drip.

The Roadster’s two thumping great chassis members are joined with sturdy crossmembers and you struggle to find even surface rust. The exceptions are two spots in the tail end of the offside chassis rail: where it meets the rear crossmember, and again where it emerges under the bumper - the underseal appears to have split and it could do with a prod.

There isn’t a huge history file but we do have those restoration photos, as well as a few more from shows and associated newspaper cuttings. There’s a receipt for a new exhaust, fabricated from stainless steel in 2007, and there are some manuals and technical handbooks for the Roadster and related saloon models. Remarkably, there’s even a cutting from the local paper in 1981 announcing the auction of this car ‘in need of renovation’, the last time it changed hands.

There’s a good deal of correspondence and information from the Roadster club, including books of advice and information. Note also the gorgeous plaques on the scuttle that declare the prizes this car has won. We have just added a large run of MOT Certificates that run from 1991 forward that demonstrate the car’s consistent roadworthiness and regular use over the years.

Triumph Roadsters tread their own path. They don’t appeal to the same sports-car brigade as early Triumph TRs but they do have a certain dash that’s entirely missing from most British ‘porridge’ of the era. As such, you have to compare their value and style with unusual cars like the Riley RM Roadster and Drophead, the Lea-Francis 12hp Sports or the AC Buckland tourer.

All of the above are quite sought-after and that applies to the Roadster too. We think this one will sell for between £18,000 and £25,000. That’s a far smaller cost than having a bad one sorted out and around half what some dealers on the Continent are asking for the very best examples.

For that, you get a car from almost 40 years of single ownership that presents like a really cherished Roadster might have done when it was only ten years old. There are areas that show some patina but nothing that’s out of character for a well-loved, mellow classic with some enjoyable miles under its belt - and many more to come

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; 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’.