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First "TR1 Triumph Sports Car Sales Brochure


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I recently bought a very early 1952 Sales Brochure for the "TR1" which of course was never actually manufactured but formed the basis for the design of the TR2.

 

Is this basic 4pp brochure a scarce item? I'd never seen this item advertised before?

 

Apparently the TR1 was to have hammock design bucket seats and the fuel tank was refilled via the lockable spare wheel cover hubcap.

Also the car offered an engine oil filler with combined dipstick... None of these features made it to the TR2.

 

 

The only luggage space was behind the seats!

 

0-60 mph quoted as 15.5 secs and max 75 bhp.

 

Regards bill G @ NB

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Here is the Spec sheet,
It's a two sided flyer

Please post on the Forum , plus attribute the images to

Bill Gardner 1959 TR3A "IWE Car of the Year"

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Unfortunately not possible to read the text from the photo - Bill - have you got a scanner, that would give better results.

 

Bob.

 

Below is a quick paste job of the text side. off on hols for a week tomorrow, so will do it properly when I get back.

 

 

 

Edited by Lebro
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Hi Bill,

 

I wonder if you have found an original brochure?

 

I have only ever come across the re-prints of this particular brochure, which seem to be quite common, but I think overpriced :

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TRIUMPH-SPORTS-CAR-Specification-Brochure-1952-STANDARD-REVIEW-Magazine-Reprint-/151164698388?pt=UK_CarParts_Vehicles

 

Regards, Richard

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Hi Richard

 

I used to work in printing and I think it is an original as the paper type looks old with a high clay content and with some foxing to the inside edges of the Specs sheet, which I don't think a reprint would have.

 

How long ago would the reprints have been made? I don't think I want to pay Pooks £44 to get a copy to compare with mine though!

 

Regards

 

Bill G@NB

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Surprisingly, this brochure is not all that rare (or valuable)...we have had one in the Didcot archive for many years, and I have seen several others....several thousand would have been given away at the 1952 London motor show....incidentally, the car should not ever be called the "TR1"....there was of course no such thing...it is properly called the "20 TS"....Bill Piggott

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Hi Bill

 

Your correct of course in its formal designation not being TR1, but its a useful shorthand.

 

I bought it via EBay.fr and it was not dear.

 

The copy I have is in great nick for a 62 year old pamphlet , I'll let you know if I ever see another advertised. I see dozens of the rest for TR2, TR3

 

etc

 

Looking forward to Mr Robson's next book on Works cars soon to be published.

 

Regards

 

Bill G@NB

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Your correct of course in its formal designation not being TR1, but its a useful shorthand.

I'll sometimes refer to the 20TS as the "20TS bobtail" or "bobtail prototypes" to differentiate the two or three of these from the more normal-looking prototypes.

 

It's entertainingly odd that in the long history of the TRs, there isn't a TR1 -- I kinda like that curiosity.

 

 

 

[see post #17 for the reason this was edited -- 20TS, of course, not TS20!]

Edited by Don H.
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Talking of 'curiousity', what about the TRX? On second thoughts, I'd rather forget about that one.

 

Hah! In the June-July issue of the magazine of the VTR in the USA, The Vintage Triumph, Mike Cook, current TVT editor and long serving Triumph fan (having bought his first TR2 with spats in 1955 and beginning a long career with Standard-Triumph Motor Company Inc in New York in 1958 editing the TSOA newsletter and managing advertising), continues a multi-part series on the TR7 in which he notes:

 

Much of the limited advertising money went towards promoting special edition TR7s. First was the '30th Anniversary Edition' celebrating three decades of Triumph roadsters, a concept that commemorated the 1950 TRX prototype as the "first TR". This special had side stripes, chrome wheel trims, luggage rack, three spoke alloy steering wheel, AM/FM stereo, coco floor mats and a special dash plaque. Not the strongest marketing concept but we'd try anything to sell cars!

 

So there is indeed (cringe...) some official Triumph history calling the TRX the first TR...

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Thanks for the welcome pre-publicity for THE WORKS TRIUMPHS IN DETAIL.

 

It will go on sale in the next four weeks from Herridge & Sons. I hope to get permission to have a few copies at the NEC Classic Show, on the Register stand, in November.

 

BTW - flyers/inserts will be in TRaction which is to be published at about that time, and there will be a £7.50 discount for signed copies therein ....

 

Hon. Pres.

Edited by Graham Robson
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  • 4 weeks later...

Sorry for the delay, been a bit busy, but here is my somewhat "tweaked" image of the "Triumph Sports Car" brochure from your photos.

Had to take out quite a lot of distortion, but the end result is quite readable if printed double sided on A4.

 

 

 

Bob.

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Strangler better applied to downdraft carbies with a top butterfly that "strangled" the air intake for cold starts, thus enrichening the mixture.

 

SU carbies didn't strangle the air supply, instead providing extra fuel for cold starts by lowering the jet.

 

That aside, the name was probably dropped because strangler wouldn't fit on the choke knob. :)

 

Viv

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  • 2 weeks later...

Well actually, if "TR" simply stands for Triumph Roadster, which it does, the first "TR" was of course the 1946 Triumph Roadster, built until 1950......incidentally the 1952 prototype must be called the 20TS, not TS20 (that was the 20th TR2 built)....Bill P.

 

What strikes me as most remarkable, considering the commission plate designation of TS - sports - is how the subsequently developed prototype came to have a badge on it saying TR2. Why not TS2?

 

Nick

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...equipped with a "strangler". Is this what the US folk call a choke?

Umm... No. Never heard the term in that context.

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