vivdownunder Posted May 5, 2011 Report Share Posted May 5, 2011 A TR owner friend rang this morning to ask what he had uncovered at a small town autojumble. After buying a TR book by author Stroud, he asked after any other items. The seller said he had a badge he'd owned for donkey's years, and he'd part with it. Turned out to be an unused TR2 Apron Badge, missing the name Triumph across the bottom. It's hard to tell if it's an incorrectly made repro, or a rare NOS item. Does anyone know if the very first TR2's came without the name Triumph on the apron badge ?. Regards, Viv. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TR 2100 Posted May 5, 2011 Report Share Posted May 5, 2011 (edited) Viv, I've never seen any reference to a TR2 badge without the name "Triumph" across the bottom. This was factory policy - the Triumph name had to appear on the front of the car somewhere and the badge was the only place to put it - until the TR3A with letters across the front. This was in line with the badges fitted to other models, so I can't see that the factory would have overlooked this Not sure if the red badge, fitted on TR3As up to about TS 28,000, had the Triumph name on the badge or not - the Don will tell us. Sounds more like a repro where someone didn't realise the badge subtleties. Stranger things have happened, though. AlanR Edited May 5, 2011 by TR 2100 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
2long Posted May 5, 2011 Report Share Posted May 5, 2011 Viv: If it turns out to be genuine and available for sale, I would be interested! Dan Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Menno van Rij Posted May 5, 2011 Report Share Posted May 5, 2011 (edited) Just picked this one off the internet: And this quote from the vtr.org website: A red and black "open book" front badge was used on TR2's and included the words "TR2" on the top and "Triumph" on the bottom. On TS1 through somewhere around TS30 – TS50, the actual front badge was the badge from the Standard 8 hand modified and changed to read “TR2”. This can be seen from the reverse side of the badge once it is removed. These early badges are easily distinguishable in pictures because unlike the later TR2 badges, the very early badges had the word "Triumph" in red enamel surrounded by chrome, whereas on the later TR2 badges, the word "Triumph" was in chrome surrounded by red enamel. I must say that reading about these details is like reading postings on the vintage Rolex forums, where the correct (coloured) lettering can make upto 10,000 GBP difference! Perhaps I'm going too far with this, but I love this sort of details. Now you got me on the look out for a similar badge... Menno Edited May 5, 2011 by Menno van Rij Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TR 2100 Posted May 5, 2011 Report Share Posted May 5, 2011 Now you got me on the look out for a similar badge... I've seen Standard 8 and Standard 10 badges on eBay, NOS. Maybe you could get one and modify it yourself? Interesting details from VTR - wonder where they got them from? AlanR Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Menno van Rij Posted May 5, 2011 Report Share Posted May 5, 2011 (edited) Now you got me on the look out for a similar badge... As said! I googled 'TR TS1 badge' and found this: interesting, I think... I can not get this pic copied to the forum, but if you look closely, you'll see what I mean! TS 1 and TS 2 united on one pic. Both badges are different! The red and black parts are reversed! So, I wouldn't be surprised to find out that there was a third version - like discribed above - on the shelf at Triumph Standard. Menno (Off topic: I'm off now - brilliant weather. Taking the TR for a spin. Visiting a former student of mine. He and his father own this...The Gallery Brummen ) Menno Edited May 5, 2011 by Menno van Rij Quote Link to post Share on other sites
stuart Posted May 5, 2011 Report Share Posted May 5, 2011 I think you may well find it is a repro as I havent seen originals without the lettering. Stuart. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mike ellis Posted May 5, 2011 Report Share Posted May 5, 2011 Menno, The car with TS2 is TS11 the Paris Motor Show car. TS1 was last in the UK in 2004. Mike Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Don Elliott Posted May 5, 2011 Report Share Posted May 5, 2011 Not having seen the badge described in the first topic above, is it possible that the badge referred to looks something like the one modifid for use by the Triumph Register of Southern California and which I believe was used on some very early TR2s ? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Don Elliott Posted May 5, 2011 Report Share Posted May 5, 2011 Menno's photo shows the correct badge for the TR2. The TR3 also was similar except that it read TR3 at the top. My early TR3A built in Feb 1958 (TS 27489 LO) had the red and black badge but as Alan correctly pointed out, my TR3A had no "TRIUMPH" at the bottom of the cloisonne badge on the front apron because the "wide-grinning" front apron, by this time, had the larger separate letters across the valance. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Menno van Rij Posted May 5, 2011 Report Share Posted May 5, 2011 Menno, The car with TS2 is TS11 the Paris Motor Show car. TS1 was last in the UK in 2004. Mike I stand corrected, Sir! Menno Quote Link to post Share on other sites
JDB Posted May 5, 2011 Report Share Posted May 5, 2011 (edited) Most likely, it is reproduction. The style is similar to the TR4 Badge. Then again, it might be a early TR2 badge. Maybe from one of the three TR2 prototypes... EDIT. It looks like the TS1 badge doesn't say Triumph on the bottom.. HMM? JDB Edited May 5, 2011 by JDB Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Alec Pringle Posted May 5, 2011 Report Share Posted May 5, 2011 Not all Standard Triumph bonnet badges featured the words Standard or Triumph - I've seen examples of badges of both marques devoid of the usual manufacturer's name. I'd guess this was most likely something to do with specific export markets, perhaps CKD cars assembled wherever ? Cheers, Alec Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TomMull Posted May 6, 2011 Report Share Posted May 6, 2011 EDIT. It looks like the TS1 badge doesn't say Triumph on the bottom.. HMM? JDB It does look that way so I looked it up. Not the case. The link below should take you to Joe Richards' wonderful booklet available from TRA. There's a section on the badge. TS1LO Booklet Tom Quote Link to post Share on other sites
vivdownunder Posted May 6, 2011 Author Report Share Posted May 6, 2011 Don, the badge you show appears similar in shape to the the apron badge on the TR1 (with the Morris Minor look-alike back end). From photos, that badge looked like it was shaped from a solid piece of metal, with a small Triumph globe mounted in the centre. Meanwhile an answer has turned up on the oddball TR2 apron badge. An American TR2 expert has advised that in the early 80's he purchased an identical TR2 badge to the one my friend unearthed. His assessment - "a beautifully made incorrect repro". He's not seen another since. So my friend Ian will be really chuffed at finding this rare misfit badge minus the Triumph lettering. Regards, Viv. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Don Elliott Posted May 6, 2011 Report Share Posted May 6, 2011 When S-T switched from the Red/Black badge to the Blue/White badge sometime during the TR3A production, a lot of badges without the "TRIUMPH" appeared with the bottom in black. From the results of an impromtu study, these seem to have been mounted at random, not in a series. It looks as if it might have been a pre-production prototype badge and these may have been mounted on TRs when the correct Blue/Black badge was temporarily out of stock. Or they were all dumped into the same stock bin on the top shelf and when someone needed a few to mount, they installed what came out with that handful. Having the three colours was probably more expensive than the Blue?White badge with the bottom in blue. For comparison, I have added my Black/Red badge on my black 1958 TR3A. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
vivdownunder Posted May 9, 2011 Author Report Share Posted May 9, 2011 Herewith a pic of the oddity TR2 badge - it's been speculated that it might not have been produced primarily as a TR part, but more for the huge badge collector market. Viv. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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