A review of The Triumph TR1 Sports Car, covering development, important features, and technical data of this classic car.
In this Article, I offer a nostalgic review of the Triumph TR1, which acted as a forerunner to the TR2, and the rest of the classic car range.
The Triumph TR1 was originally given the designation Triumph 20TS. It was a prototype, and only one example was ever built.
In terms of appearance, it was, in some ways, reminiscent of its predecessor, the Triumph Roadster, which was manufactured between 1946 and 1949.
The Triumph 20TS was constructed using components that were available at that time. Accordingly:
The engine was a 1991 cc, 4-cylinder unit from the Standard Vanguard saloon
The suspension, from the Triumph Mayflower saloon, consisted of independent at the front, with a solid back axle at the rear, the same as that used in the Vanguard
The chassis was from the Standard 8 saloon which was, itself, based on that used in the Standard Flying Nine saloon of 1937 to 1940.
Since a high volume of sales was not expected from this classic car, then it was assigned a targeted selling price of 500 before sales tax.
In comparison, the Triumph Mayflower saloon of 1953 was selling for 505 including taxes.
Therefore, its design had to be economical. Because of this, all body panels were designed to require no more than one pressing.
The rear of the car was short and had rounded edges, with the spare wheel bolted to the boot.
The two seater Triumph 20TS was previewed in 1952 at the London Motor Show in Earls Court.
Its presence was met with mixed reactions. Typical of the criticisms was a somewhat cramped interior, and a distinct lack of space in the boot.
In order to assess the car’s handling and performance, the Standard Triumph chairman asked Ken Richardson, a test driver and BRM development engineer, to put it through its paces.
The outcome was that Richardson was unimpressed with the way the car handled, and its lack of performance. In fact, he described it as a “death trap”.
Apart from its poor handling, it had a top speed of only 80 mph, falling well short of the 90 mph targeted figure set by Standard Triumph.
As a result, Richardson was asked by the Company to completely redesign the car. He then set about:
Tuning and modifying the engine
Increasing the size of the brakes
Modifying the front suspension
Using alternative rear springs and shock absorbers
Strengthening the chassis to give greater rigidity
Making the car slightly wider and longer to improve both interior and boot space
Positioning the spare wheel inside the boot
The outcome from this extensive development of the Triumph 20TS was the birth of the Triumph TR2 which was presented, in 1953, at the Geneva Motor Show.
The reaction, this time, was completely different.
The Triumph 20TS heralded the creation of the Triumph TR range.
After the launch of the TR2, the 20TS was unofficially given the designation Triumph TR1.
This car set a world speed record for production cars in 1953, with a top speed of 200.9 km/hr.
It used a 1991 cc, straight-4, with overdrive, developing 90 bhp.
This marked the end of the Triumph TR1
Perhaps this stroll down memory lane might have answered, or at least shed light on, a possible question:
Which Triumph Sports Car Is Your Favourite?
However, should this question still remain unanswered, I will be reviewing, in some detail, in future articles within this website, the entire range of Triumph sports cars which were featured in the memorable era spanning 1953 to 1992.
I hope you join me in my nostalgic travels “down sports car memory lane”.
