Triumph TR3

1955–1962 · 71,613 with the TR3A · TS13046 is the number

The first British series-production car with front disc brakes as standard — from one commission number, partway through the run.

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About the Triumph TR3

TS13046. At that commission number, during late 1956, the TR3 changed from an all-Lockheed drum system to Girling with front discs — and it was not only the brakes. The same change brought a new master cylinder, new rear brakes, a new rear axle, a new differential and revised suspension. So TS13046 splits far more than a brake order. 4,409 TR3s are drum cars and 8,968 are disc cars, so roughly the first third of production is drums. This is the car usually called the first British production car with standard front discs, and that claim holds for series production — the Austin-Healey 100S had four-wheel discs in 1955 but only fifty were hand-built. It is not a world first: the Citroën DS beat it by a year.

The TR3A is where most of them are. From TS22014 in September 1957 the small-mouth grille gave way to the full-width wide-mouth grille, with exterior door handles and a boot handle arriving at the same point. 58,236 TR3As were built to TS83572 in October 1961. From 1959 the 2,138cc engine was optional, bore out to 86mm on the same 92mm stroke — and the commission number will not tell you which capacity you have, so go by the engine number. Front calipers change again at TS56377 for wire wheels and TS56384 for steel. The TR3B that followed was a North-America-only run of 3,334 side-screen cars built because US dealers were nervous about the TR4: 530 TSF cars on the 1,991cc engine and 2,804 TCF cars on the 2,138cc with the TR4 gearbox and TR4 front brakes.

Triumph TR3 — specification & changes within the model

TR3: October 1955 – August 1957, last car TS 22013. 13,377 built — 1,286 home, 12,091 export. 1,991cc, 95bhp then a nominal 100bhp with the high-port head from mid-1956. Small-mouth grille.
TS13046 — the big one: Lockheed to Girling, with front discs. And with it: new master cylinder, new rear brakes, new rear axle, new differential, revised suspension. 4,409 drum cars, 8,968 disc cars.
The “first” claim: First British series-production car with standard front discs — defensible. Not a world first: the Citroën DS of October 1955 had discs from launch. The Austin-Healey 100S had four-wheel discs in 1955, but only 50 hand-built cars.
TR3A: From TS22014, September 1957, to TS83572, October 1961. 58,236 built. Wide-mouth full-width grille, exterior door handles and a boot handle from the same number.
The 2,138cc option: Optional from 1959, 86 × 92mm, 105hp @ 4650rpm, 9.0:1. The commission number will not tell you the capacity — read the engine number or measure the bore.
Front calipers: One type for TR3 from TS13046 and TR3A to TS56376 (wire) / TS56383 (steel); a different caliper from TS56377 (wire) / TS56384 (steel). Both on 11in discs.
TR3B: March – October 1962, North America only, 3,334 built. TSF series, 530 cars, 1,991cc. TCF series, 2,804 cars, 2,138cc with the TR4 gearbox and TR4 front brakes (10 13/16in discs). Bodies by Forward Radiator on the old Mulliner tooling. Never officially sold in Britain.
TR3B gearbox: Sources disagree on whether the TSF cars got the all-synchromesh TR4 box or the older non-synchro-first unit. Identify the box before ordering internals.
Suffix letters: L = left-hand drive · O = overdrive · U = North American specification.