North Devon Metalcraft
SHEET METAL & MOTOR BODY ENGINEERS
History of the Triumph TR-2-3-3A
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At the 1952 Earl's Court Motor Show, the Type 20TS show car (often referred to as the TR1) was introduced. It was built by engineer Harry Webster and stylist Walter Belgrove with a tooling budget of just £16,000. The car had a pre-war Standard Chassis and was fitted with a twin-carb version of the Standard Vanguard engine. Apart from the rear body styling, which was quite different, the Type 20TS looked much like the later TR2s and TR3s.
Ken Richard, a former racing engineer subsequently reworked the 20TS, developing this show car into what became the TR2. It had its own purpose-built chassis frame incorporating new front suspension and the Vanguard engine was further developed to produce 90hp from a 1991cc engine. The rear of the car was reworked provided a boot and enclosed space for the spare tyre.
In 1956, the TR3 was launched - a face-lifted version of the TR2. It was the first mass-produced car to come with disc brakes. A year later, this model was superceded by the TR3A which had a full width radiator grill and updated engine.
In the summer of 2000, Harry Webster, the chief TR2 designer visited North Devon Metalcraft. He explained that in the early 1950s, he had drawn the shape of the TR2 on the factory floor with french chalk. Sir John Black, founder of The Standard Motor Company, was summonsed to view the design and approved it immediately.
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