I love Triumph Roadsters! There. I said it.
To own an old British car requires a certain amount of patience. There’s the Prince of Darkness, aka Lucas; they are temperamental; they leak, so you will need a pan underneath when parked. However, if there is oil on the floor, there’s oil in the engine, so they say.
But for all of these quirks, the owner/driver is rewarded (most days) with the sights, sounds and smells of a lovely topless motoring experience. They really are lovely to drive.
The Pick of the Day is a 1961 Triumph TR3 offered by a dealer in Venice, Florida, advertising the roadster on ClassicCars.com. Eligible for rallies, a favorite at car shows, this “wide-mouth” TR3 looks very nice. The wide-mouth moniker comes from the mid-production redesign. Like its predecessor, the TR2, the early 3s had a smaller grille.
The pretty Pearl White exterior with Biscuit Leather interior is very inviting and looks very period. Unfortunately, the dealer does not give much of a description, aside from a list of features and a statement, “Full description coming soon.”
There are also no pictures of the engine bay. The body and interior look very good, though. If the 1,991cc inline 4, which is described by the dealer as “peppy,” is in the same condition as the rest of the car is presented, it’s a winner.
Speaking of winners, the TR3 was always a competitive E-production racer. To this day, TR3s are competitively driven in SCCA and numerous historic racing events. Some of the more famous American campaigns were from Bob Tulius’ Group 44 and Huffaker, who developed these cars into race winners.
The car features a 4-speed manual transmission, dual carburetors, a new exhaust, a wooden rimmed steering wheel, Jaeger gauges, knock-off wire wheels, fender-mounted mirrors, front disc brakes and a tonneau cover.
The price of $34,983, indicates that while still reasonable in price, the values of these classic British ladies are rising.
To view this listing on ClassicCars.com, see Pick of the Day.
A few years back I sold my restored TR3 for 10 grand and thought I was making an absolute killing.
James: Thanks for reading. Prices fluctuate, and as mentioned below, anything of value has to do with time, place — and smart placement of advertising. Then it is merely worth what anyone will pay for it.
Yeah, looks like he’s going to be keeping this one for awhile. And what the heck’s going on lately. $35K ? The only reason these are going up in value is there’s always that “One guy” with disposable income who just has to have it. That drives the average guy out of the market, cuz now, everyone with a car like that is going to try and sell theirs now, for the “all-new” inflated price. crazy.
Mike, I totally agree. Without sounding like a cheesy spokesperson, those guys spend time here on this site. In July, The Journal and the ClassicCars.com Marketplace had more than 5 Million sessions. With those kinds of numbers, the chances of finding that guy are greatly improved — and you are right — they are out there.
Actually a TR 3A with unoriginal colors in and out. But still a gorgeous car . . .
Love Triumph Roadsters — as mentioned above.
Good article Tom Stahler. You are a great writer.
Nickolas, you have me blushing! LOL!
I agree with Mike. People who have money will pay more for a car than what it is actually worth because they have to have it. Then the next guy who wants to sell his wants the same money because he knows of one that sold for a high price & his should be worth as much . I Don believe this seller will get his asking price.
It doesn’t hurt that it was our pick of the day either.
A surprisingly high number to see next to a 3…..but it looks like a very nice to have one. And with TR6 – finally – actually getting the 25k asked for so long for great ones….which may be better cars but not nearly as stylish….
Jeffrey: I drove a TR6 race car at Buttonwillow a year ago — it was the ex-Lee “Mother” Mueller, Huffaker car. They are a hoot. You will see those cars gaining much traction — and being driven.
I have a 1967 Triumph TR4A which was recently restored. However, having problems with the carburetor. And, like it was stated in the article, you have to have patience with these cars!
Tuning a carburetor has become an art form these days. Considering modern EFI cars are just plugged into a computer for tuning. You are undoubtedly rewarded when it all comes together, Bonnie.
Hi.still available for sale
Buy it. You’ll never look back.