A Brief History of the TR 3A

After the production of 22,013 Triumph TR 2s and TR 3s, Standard-Triumph introduced the TR 3A in September of 1957.  Now fitted with Girling front disc brakes from the late TR 3s, the TR 3A was known as the first volume production car to employ this new technology.  The first cars off the line were headed for the U.S. market, leaving the home market to wait until 1958.  The TR 3A capitalized on the successes of the predecessors and came through with many design improvements.  Most recognizable is the wider grill that assists with additional airflow.  The headlights were set further back, exterior door handles appeared, and T R I U M P H badges were affixed front and back.  New paint colours and interior colours were now available and a full tool kit came as a standard accessory.  The TR 3A was the beginning of many changes ahead, made to appeal to a broader world market. It was not hard to see that Standard-Triumph was very proud of their TR’s successes and wanted the US market to know it.  Little did they suspect what was about to happen ...

TR 3As were springing up everywhere!  Sales in were in excess of 15,000 cars, as more cars sold in 1958 than since the TRs inception.  The new improvements caught on, as these little cars were often seen a college campuses throughout the late fifties and early sixties.  Throughout the entire production run Triumph continually made design improvements, including retooling the entire bodyshell at car number 60,001 in the fall of 1959.

The TR 3A had many racing successes in SCCA competition as well.  These racing experiences would lead to a Triumph Team effort at LeMans in the coming years.  1957 was the first year of the Triumph Rallies of Europe, a marketing idea of then Triumph dealer Dave Thomas from Long Beach California.  These rallies were offered to TSOA members annually through 1961.  One could arrange to purchase a brand-new TR3 A and take delivery of the car in the UK then spend a 3-4 week vacation touring up to 10 European countries!  These events provided wonderful publicity that drove the sales even higher.  In total there were 56,704 TR 3As built between the fall of 1957 and the fall of 1961 when Triumph introduced the TR  4.

The Triumph TR 3A is truly a wonderful car to be remembered, as VTR 2007 will give us the opportunity to celebrate the 50^th Anniversary of its arrival in the U.S!