1954 Triumph TR250 - Long Door Roadster

At the 1952 London Motor Show, the TS20 – a prototype roadster – was unveiled. It was extremely difficult to drive and reached a top speed of just 130 km/h. British test and racing driver Ken Richardson described it as a ‘death trap’. However, he was persuaded by B.R.M. to help develop the TR2. The faults were rectified and the TR2 was presented at the 1953 Geneva Motor Show. Production and sales of the car began in August 1953. It became an affordable roadster with impressive performance figures. The name ‘TR’ is derived from ‘Triumph Experimental’, a reference to the sporty direction of development for this model range. The four-cylinder engine from Standard, featuring a triple-bearing crankshaft, wet liners and overhead valves, was considered robust and delivered 90 bhp. This was sufficient for acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in 11.9 seconds. The top speed was 170 km/h. The so-called TR2 Long Door, of which only around 4'000 were produced, was the first series in the TR2 range and can be recognized by its longer doors without sills. The Triumph TR2 offered here, from the first ‘Long Door’ series and featuring right-hand drive, was probably delivered in England and first registered there on 6 September 1954. The early history of this handsome roadster is unknown – at some point, however, it found its way to Austria, where the bodywork was evidently restored a few years ago. In 2011, the Triumph was acquired by its last owner and added to his small collection. He had the mechanics fully restored and fitted the sporty British car with a Tripmaster. He subsequently used it for occasional drives and to take part in historic events – he covered around 5'500 miles in it before his death. In October 2023, the Triumph was de-registered and has spent its days in a dry garage ever since. The TR2 is currently in good to very good condition – the bodywork, like the interior, which was restored in 2018, is in excellent condition, and the engine and gearbox are in perfect working order. The battery and rear brake cylinders were recently replaced. However, due to the prolonged period of inactivity, a major service should be scheduled. This rare Mille Miglia eligible roadster – only around 4'000 vehicles of this specification were built – will be handed over to a new owner having passed its last veteran MOT in October 2017.