Triumph Roadster

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triumph
Triumph Roadster 1800
Triumph Roadster 1800
Roadster 1800 / TR 2000
Production period: 1946-1949
Class : Sports car
Body versions : Roadster
Engines:
Petrol engines : 1.8–2.0 liters
(48–50 kW)
Length: 4280 mm
Width: 1651 mm
Height:
Wheelbase : 2540 mm
Empty weight : 1115-1150 kg
successor Triumph TR1 / ( TR2 )
Triumph 1800 Roadster with occupied mother-in-law's seat
Triumph 1800 Roadster (1946)
Triumph 1800 Roadster (1948)
Triumph 1800 Roadster (1948)
Triumph TR2000 Roadster (1949)

The Triumph Roadster was the Triumph Motor Company's first post-war car ; it was produced from 1946 to 1948. The roadster was initially available with a 1.8-liter engine, then from 1948 to 1949 with a 2.1-liter engine.

construction

The car was designed in the last days of World War II , shortly before Triumph was bought by the Standard Motor Company . Director Sir John Black wanted a sports car that against Jaguar took that had been equipped before the war even with standard motors. Frank Callaby was tasked with designing the new car, and upon Black's confirmation he worked with Arthur Ballard to create workshop drawings with Callaby responsible for the front of the vehicle and Ballard for the rear. Ray Turner designed the mechanical components . Walter Belgrove, who designed the pre-war Triumph and held the position of chief body engineer, was not involved in the construction.

Because of the difficulties in obtaining steel in post-war England, the bodies were built from aluminum and rubber press dies were used for this, which had previously been used for the construction of the largely wooden mosquito bombers that were built at Standard during the war . The chassis was welded together by hand from steel tubes. The engine was based on the 1.5-liter inline four-cylinder engine that had been supplied to Jaguar before the war. He had 1776 cc and made 65 bhp (48 kW) at 4400 min -1 . The engine power was passed on to the rear wheels via a manual four-speed gearbox that was synchronized in the top three gears.

The tubular steel frame had front wheels with transverse leaf springs , individually suspended on double wishbones , and a driven rigid axle on semi-elliptical longitudinal leaf springs at the rear. The rear track was about 100 mm narrower than the front. All wheels were braked with hydraulically operated drum brakes.

The body, however, was old-fashioned. It had large, single headlights and the radiator was set back far from the front of the vehicle between the "coal scoop" fenders. The bench was intended for three people, so a steering wheel switch was built in. There was room for two more passengers on the foldable mother-in-law seat with its own fold-up windshield. The convertible top could only be opened over the front seats. Getting in and out of the mother-in-law's seat was difficult and there was a step on the rear bumper. The roadster was the last vehicle with a mother-in-law seat.

In a test by the motor magazine “Autocar” in 1947 a maximum speed of 120 km / h was found; the acceleration from 0-100 km / h took 34.4 seconds.

2000 roadster

The only major design revision was introduced in September 1948 for the 1949 models. From this point on, the four-cylinder engine of the standard Vanguard with 2088 cm³ displacement and its gearbox were installed. The three-speed transmission - albeit fully synchronized - was a step backwards. Apart from a few changes to the engine mountings and the chassis, the wheel suspension and steering remained unchanged. The engine developed 68 bhp (50 kW) at 4200 min −1 .

A test found a tiny increase in top speed to 124 km / h, but acceleration was significantly better at 27.9 seconds from 0 to 100 km / h.

The cars were never produced in large numbers and were mostly built by hand. There were 2501 copies of the 1800 and 2000 pieces with the larger engine.

Today the few surviving vehicles are in great demand and are sold at high prices.

In film and television

The Triumph Roadster can be seen in the BBC crime series " Jim Bergerac Investigated" , in which John Nettles plays the title role.

Web links

Commons : Triumph Roadster  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

literature

Robson, Graham: The Story of Triumph Sports Cars , Motor Racing Publications (1972) ,. ISBN 0-900549-23-8

  1. ^ Culshaw, David & Horrobin, Peter: The Complete Catalog of British Cars 1895-1975 , Veloce Publishing plc., Dorchester (1997), ISBN 1-874105-93-6