The term barn find, although much used these days, does not completely apply to the 1955 Triumph TR2 featured here. We bought this car 3 years ago in Idaho, USA. It had been parked outside under a tarp, awaiting better days.
The short door TR2 was battered up after a rough life as a track car, and was probably stored with good intentions for decades. Although the history has been lost, one could imagine this car having gone through the hands of generations of car enthusiasts with big dreams and little time or means. Who would have thought that it would one day be pulled onto a trailer and brought to the San Fransisco bay area for a container cruise to Rotterdam?.
Once the TR had arrived at our shop, it was featured in an article in Autoweek Classics in 2015, together with a Triumph TR3A in similar condition. A professional photo shoot captured the raw beauty of a worn and weathered sports car for hairy chested amateur racers. But this was still an automobile, not a museum relic. It deserved to be brought back to former glory. This was certainly not going to be a job for just anyone; it needed the dedicated attention of skilled craftsmen.
Luckily, we sold the car to a man who knew what he was up to. As a marque enthusiast, he already owned several other Triumph sports cars. He brought the car to a restoration shop in Zagreb, Croatia.
A nut and bolt restoration was started. Chassis and body parts were bead blasted, and all eaten away metal was either replaced or repaired. After seeing the first pictures of the restoration, we were very impressed with the level of quality. Definetely a Triumph for the men who brought this car back to pristine condition!
We let the pictures speak for themselves – enjoy the rebirth of a Triumph TR2 in a nutshell!
Photos courtesy of Auto Partes in Zagreb, Croatia.
Triumph TR2 model history
The Triumph TR2 was introduced by the Standard Motor Company in 1953. It was clearly aimed at the lucrative US sports car market, where it quickly became a succes. The TR2 had succeeded the underpowered and conservatively-styled Triumph sports roadster. Developed on a new ladder chassis, using readily available Standard parts, the TR2 offered superior styling and performance for its modest price.
With a production total of 8636, the TR2 is one of the rarer Triumph sports cars. In 1955 it was succeeded by the TR3, which continued to sell very well. Total TR3 and TR3A sales amounted to almost 75.000.
Triumph TR sports cars for sale at Dandy Classics
Dandy Classics buys and sells classic british sports cars. We have a continuously changing stock of unrestored project cars. The TR2 featured in this article was acquired together with a TR3A in similar condition. The latter car is still in the process of being restored, and we hope to publish pictures of the end result in the near future.
Interested in a similar project? Go to our collection page for an overview of Triumph TR sports cars for sale.
