Description
This is a very rare 1936 Triumph Vitesse that has had only six owners over its lifetime. It was first registered in August 1936.
One of the previous owners, a former Standard Triumph service engineer, acquired the Vitesse in 1996 after it had undergone restoration work in the 1960's. However by the time the previous owner purchased the car, it was in a sorry state and required a full, body-off restoration that took over seven years to complete.
During this extensive restoration, all the original outer panels were carefully restored, while the ash frame was almost completely renewed. The interior was also retrimmed, a new wiring loom fitted, and the dashboard instruments overhauled as necessary. After the restoration was finished, issues were discovered with the cylinder block, which had cracked. In 2006, the engine was rebuilt around a replacement block by Cotterell Engineering of Derby at a cost of £2, 447. The cylinder head was also rebuilt and converted to run on unleaded fuel for an additional £1, 164. Further work included overhauling the carburettors, re-coring the radiator, fitting a new water pump, converting to a solid-state regulator, refurbishing the wheels, and fitting new tires all around. The total restoration costs on file exceed £25, 000.
Since acquiring the car in 2018, the current owner has invested an additional £33, 000 in restoration work carried out by Blue Diamond Riley Services Limited. The car now comes with a substantial history file containing extensive restoration records, vintage photographs, an original owner's manual, and a parts catalogue. Only 20 Vitesse models are known to survive today, and according to the Pre-1940 Triumph Motor Club, just 13 of them retain their original saloon bodywork, making this Vitesse an exceptionally rare find.
