lowly commencement have never been an absolute hinderance to the instauration of great car . self-propelling history is richly gift with admired fomite pull out together with cunning use of exist role and crafty stretching of scarce development funds . The 1953 Triumph TR2 Roadster can certainly be depend among that number .
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The impulsion for the TR come from Sir John Black , managing director of the Standard Motor Company Ltd. and head of Triumph Motor Company , Ltd. , which he bought in late 1944 .
Black had watched somewhat enviously as Jaguar bourgeon into prominence with sporting cars built around Standard - supply engines . The well - receive arrival of the Jaguar XK-120 in 1948 precluded Black from build a sport auto of that size and type . But between the XK and the petite MG T - series there existed a cost spread that Black and party might overwork .
Black decide stocks of unused frames from the prewar - time of origin Standard Flying Nine should dish out as the new machine ’s basis . For power , a 2.1 - liter four from the Standard Vanguard ( and Ferguson tractors , no less ) was enlisted . The Triumph Mayflower saloon was tapped for a coil - spring independent front intermission and a rear axle .
All , of class , were modified and improve . For instance , engine displacement was scaled back to 2.0 cubic decimetre – for racing - year purposes – duplicate SU carburetors were instal , and densification was increase . The consequence was 90 horsepower , enough to make yield TR2s licit 100 - miles per hour cars .
Body technologist Walter Belgrove made the most of a miserly tooling budget to create a purposeful organic structure design . Complex curve ball were achieved by welding panels together rather than using intricate – and expensive – stampings . A simple interlock in a deep hole served as the grille , and fixed " frog - optic " headlamp pods were used in place of the retractable unit Belgrove had first considered .
Having first appeared in paradigm physical body at the Earls Court Motor Show in fall 1952 , the Triumph TR2 entered series production in August 1953 . Selling for about $ 2,400 in the U.S. , it promptly won favor for its power and made achiever of those who press it in Sports Car Club of America consequence . By the time it make way to a more powerful and facelifted TR3 in mid 1955 , 8,628 had been manufactured .
Just 248 Triumph TR2 Roadsters left the factory during 1953 , and 198 of those went for exportation . All were of the " long door " variety so name because the door extended to the very sharpness of the car . ( A little doorway trend insert production in the fall of 1954 . )
The TR2 pictured here has the distinction of being a long - door car , but that ’s not all that make it stand out . It feature an aluminum hood and spare - tyre attack aircraft carrier cover , used only on the first 500 TR2s . It is one of just 40 with vivacious Olive Yellow paint . It also has a four - f number transmission , blackberry bush leather upholstery , and a all over creature kit .
