Description
This exquisite example of one of the 1940s kings of the European roads is up for sale after being part of an extensive collection of classic cars. It is a rare, low mileage, low owner example owned during its life mostly by museums and private collections, mirroring a glamorous if rather sedentary life. The 23, 000 miles (36, 800km) on the odometer are believed to be correct. Made in 1948, the Triumph 2000 Roadster - dubbed TR1 - was first bought by a doctor in Scotland. At ￡1000 from the showroom, it was a very expensive machine. In today’s money, that is equivalent to $146, 000 and was the same price as four MG TCs. The coachwork features a dicky seat beneath the rear-hinged boot lid to seat two children, making this a five-seat car. It is the world’s last production car with the dicky-seat feature. To give more cabin room, the gear lever is on the steering column and mounted on the right side and the handbrake is beneath the dash. The coachwork is superb with a timber dash of both veneer and solid wood, with Smith instruments, fine leather, canvas and rubber manual roof and lustrous nickel-chrome fittings. The mechanicals are in very good condition. The 2. 1-litre engine is mated to a thee-speed all-synchro gearbox and the car has hydraulic drum brakes on each wheel. The car was popularised on TV on the BBC series “Bergerac”. Triumph made 2000 units of the Roadster, ending production in October 1949 and replacing it with the smaller, cheaper, lighter and less luxurious TR2. The TR anagram was used instead of its predecessor’s full Triumph Roadster name. This vehicle can be inspected in Perth. Additional photographs are available on request. Transport to any buyer location and inspection reports can be arranged at buyer cost. BMC ensures all information provided by the owners is correct but will not be liable for inaccuracies. Buyers should perform their own checks.
