The History of Triumph
The Triumph TR line of cars largely put Triumph on the map and saved the company by making it a more valuable property than it ever had been. Triumph Motorcars originated as the Triumph Cycle Company when Siegfried Bettmann relocated to Coventry, England to begin selling European-sourced bicycles. Three years later, with a partner, the company began building their own Triumph bicycles, and in 1902, they’d dropped a motor onto the frame to make their first motorcycle. World War I proved to be a huge boost for the company, with over 50,000 “Trusty Triumphs” used by Allied Forces, namely the Model H Roadster, which is often credited as being the first modern motorcycle.
Purchasing the Dawson Car Company in 1921, Triumph expanded into the motorcar manufacturing business and founded the Triumph Motorcar Company in 1930. By 1936, motorcar and motorcycle manufacturing were separated, and by 1937, in-house design engineer, Donald Healey, was designing Triumph’s very own engine for the cars. Like Dawson, Triumph became known for producing high-end vehicles with spirit and a sporting character, which led to financial troubles like what Dawson experienced. By the late 1930s, Triumph in all its forms was in difficulty, something the onset of World War II exacerbated.
Through receivership and new ownerships aplenty, both the motorcycle and motorcar companies would go on through the years, each building on their strengths and the market interests. By the end of World War II, it seemed everyone, especially American G.I.s returning to the USA, wanted a sportscar, and Triumph was going to oblige, tapping into the very lucrative market. While the TR was not exactly the company’s first sportscar, it was the one in which Triumph bestowed a lot of effort and became a hit with the sportscar world.
What does TR stand for?
Wanting to compete in sportscar events, Sir John Black, chairman of the Standard Motor Car Company, which owned Triumph Motor Car Company, tried but failed to acquire the Morgan Motor Company. So, instead, he turned to his own people at Triumph to produce a sporting car.
The Triumph Roadster Experimental, or TR-X, a prototype, evolved into the 20TS production car, which was unveiled at the 1952 London Motor Show. Triumph hired Ken Richardson, a development engineer and test driver for British Racing Motors, or BRM, to test drive and assess the 20TS. A seasoned racing veteran with a lengthy succession of races to his credit, he proclaimed the 20TS to be, “the most awful car I’ve ever driven in my life, it’s a bloody death trap.” With this, Triumph took him in even closer to help develop a proper sporting Triumph Roadster, ultimately becoming the TR2.
Is the Triumph TR a fast car?
Taking to the Jabbeke Highway in Belgium, Richardson drove a TR2 with a slightly streamlined body and an unmodified engine to a top speed of 124.889 MPH, proving that it was one of the fastest production cars in the world for 1952. In fact, despite the TR2’s smaller 4-cylinder engine, it proved to be as fast as the Healey 100 and returned better fuel economy at roughly 32 MPG. That record-setting TR2 still exists today.
For 1953, Triumph would introduce the TR2 to the world, and in 1954, Maurice Gatsonides and Ken Richardson would drive a TR2 in the Mille Miglia, finishing 27th overall – Richardson and TR2s would compete in many other events, including LeMans, the Alpine Rally, and the Tourist Trophy at Northern Island, finishing very nicely. This streak would continue with the updated TR3, TRS, and TR3S in subsequent years. So, was the TR a fast car? Yes, and it proved to be a very robust car in motorsports events, earning it respect around the world.