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The Standard Motor Company, based in the United Kingdom, introduced the advanced version of Triumph – Triumph TR3 – in the year 1955. Though produced in the UK, the popularity and acceptance for this vehicle is more in the USA, with the home country accounting for less than 10% of the total production of vehicles in the country between the brief period of 3 years during which it was produced.
The Triumph TR3 is designed as a open two seater, as was the trend in those days. However, minor variants for the same were also provided in that provision was made for an occasional rear seater. Additional bolting of a seat on steel hard top at the rear end was also made available as an option.
The need for Triumph TR3 arose due to appreciable decline in the fuel economy, or increased consumption of fuel, in the earlier version of Triumph, which was Triumph TR2. In addition, the production and supply of TR2 far exceeded the demand for the same in the year 1954 resulted in piling of inventory at the factory of Standard Motor Company, leading to changes in the design and capacity. This prompted the company to design a superior version, which enhanced the features of Triumph TR2.
The Triumph TR3 vehicle is powered by a straight-4 OHV engine having a capacity of 1991 cc and capable of producing 95 bhp initially and increasing to 100 bhp at 5000 revolutions per minute. Provision was made in the engine for supplementing the four speed manual transmission gears with an overdrive unit on top of the three ratios, which were operated electrically as well as controlled by a switch provided in the dash board. Initially provided with drum brakes on introduction, a year later, disc brakes were introduced to replace the drum brakes, enhancing the driving experience further.
The suspension system in the Triumph TR3 car, in the front part, is independent by unequal length double wishbones and includes telescopic dampers and coil springs. The suspension in the rear side comprises of a live axle, lever arm dampers, and half elliptic springs.
The brakes for the vehicle in the front side were of disc type, while the rear side is provided with drum brakes. The design of the rear drum brakes were subsequently modified slightly which further enhanced the driving experience and resulted in higher sales. The modified version of drum brakes at the rear end was supplied by Girling.
Fuel efficiency in the new version – Triumph TR3 – improved considerably at 27.1 miles per imperial gallon. Test drive of the vehicle confirmed that the vehicle attained a top speed of 105.3 miles per hour and the acceleration rate was 97 kilometers per hour in 10.8 seconds, making it an ideal car for sports lovers.
The additional features of the Triumph TR3 vehicle include seatbelts, wire wheels, radio, heater, and overdrive. The seats are provided with leather. The vehicle is also provided with a glass-fiber hard top as on optional item. All these features have made the Triump TR3 a highly sought after model.
