Dave Herrod Posted November 12, 2004 Report Share Posted November 12, 2004 Assuming that I manage to attach an image; I came across this photo in a press cutting scrapbook where I work in the port at Southampton. It seems to show TR3As being stored in a transit shed in the Western Docks awaiting export, presumably to the US. I would like to think that my car, which started life Primrose yellow with white wall tyres, is one of the ones in the foreground. However, that would mean that it had sat around somewhere for three months since leaving the factory which I guess is unlikely. Still, its just possible. I am trying t find someone who may have the original port magazine so that i can get a better copy. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jonlar Posted November 12, 2004 Report Share Posted November 12, 2004 Fantastic Dave if you can get a better quality image, what's the date, it looks like December 1959. What is in the inset corner - any TR connection? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
unclepete Posted November 12, 2004 Report Share Posted November 12, 2004 dave i looked up TR3 in the 'british pathe' news search engine which came up with, amongst other things, newsreel footage of a gaggle of americans flying in to the UK to collect their TR3's, which were all lined up on the tarmac??? didn't think anything of it untill i saw your posting. thought you might like a look. pete Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Dave Herrod Posted November 13, 2004 Author Report Share Posted November 13, 2004 Thanks for the comments. Unfortunately the quality of the image has suffered initially from the photograph being cut out and pasted into a scrap book which has left odd wrinkles, and then by me resizing the scanned image to meet Webby's stringent criteria. The date is 23.12.59 and the cut out in the foreground is exactly that; a bit cut out to make way for a picture of a ship. The album also had a photo of some Healeys being craned onto a ship, and as this was long before the days of roll-on roll-off, I assume that the TRs would suffer the same fate. The cars without hard tops all have their windscreens removed, and all have boards fitted across the bumper over riders. Apart from that, there is no protection against bumps and scrapes at all. It is quite nice to think that my TR which now makes it to the port most days went there on its way to the states three years before I was born. Only one of the original nine transit sheds now survives. Perhaps I should take a photo of the car iin it before we demolish the last one? If I get a better quality image I will let you know. Dave Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jean Posted November 13, 2004 Report Share Posted November 13, 2004 Well done Dave. My TR3A was also brought back from U.S.A. was originally also primrose with white wall tyres, it was built in march 1960 and first sold end 1961 as a 62 model year with Californian STC62 prefix. There was clearly an overproduction during these years and cars languished around at dealers premises for quite some time. You might be interested in the book, if you don't have it yet, Triumph Cars in America, a very interesting book with nice fotos, including loading/unloading of TRs. The book also reflects the impact of the U.S. dealers on production and built requirements of our cars, not strange if you know that these people sold around 85% of the total TR production without them there would, probably, never have been any TR Jean Quote Link to post Share on other sites
j-eichert Posted November 14, 2004 Report Share Posted November 14, 2004 Hi Folks, there is an american Triumph price list on EBay at the moment: Dated '62 and quoting prices for TR4 as well as for TR3A. Taking into account that the last production cars were assembled in '61 there for sure was some "overhang" on the dealers premises. Or maybe the transport by ship took its time... :: It would be interesting for me to know the avereage time it took from production date to first day on the road in those days. Does anybody have figures for that? I do know only the production date of my car, but nothing more of its fate, until it was sold by a U.S. dealer to a german dealer and was sent back over to Europe. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Don Elliott Posted November 15, 2004 Report Share Posted November 15, 2004 I bought my 1958 TR3A brand new from one of the four Standard-Triumph dealers here in Montreal. The build record indicates the car was built on Feb 14, 1958 and I took delivery of it in mid-May of 1958. That makes 3 months. Don Elliott, Original Owner, 1958 TR3A. http://www.zen21606.zen.co.uk/Forum%20Gallery/don3a2_big.jpg Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mrtr2 Posted November 15, 2004 Report Share Posted November 15, 2004 Hi Don Good to see you pounding the keys. Did you order your 3A or buy it off the shelf? Brian Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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