1957 Triumph TR3 XL Long Bed 4WD

Oxford Motorcars is pleased to offer what we believe to be the best TR3 Smallmouth available. These early cars that are nearly indistinguishable from the TR2s are getting nearly impossible to find in such impeccable condition. This particular car was just comprehensively restored; the restoration was finished as of April 1, 2013., , During the restoration the previous owner, who has an outstanding reputation for rebuilding top-notch TRs, pulled every single nut and bolt apart. Each piece, regardless of how small, was either reconditioned or replaced. This car is 100% better than it was when it left the factory. The motor, transmission, suspension, brakes, fuel system, electrical system, cosmetics, frame etc were all entirely gone through. I cannot emphasize enough how much buying this car is like buying a brand new car off the showroom floor in 1957., , What sets this car apart from the other TR3s that have been available recently, besides its impeccable condition, is the original TR3 overdrive unit. The overdrive, although not original to the car, is correct for the model. The switch has been replaced with a unit from renowned Triumph racing shop “racetorations” in the UK. The new switch operates off the gear shift lever just like on the period rally cars. With the overdrive engaged the car will cruise at 80mph at ~3100 RPMs., , The classic car business is different from the new car business in that our enthusiasm for what we do is borne out of our passion for these cars. This passion has been around far longer than Oxford Motorcars has. In this vein, we try to put some miles on our cars before we sell them, not just to make sure that they are in good running order, but because we love the cars!, , Never is this more true than with a car that has been freshly restored. As many of you know, when a car is completely rebuilt it needs to be broken in. First of all, the motor needs to have a few hundred miles put on it with special attention paid to the RPM ranges in which it is run. The rings need to seat and after the first few hundred miles the head needs to be torqued and the timing dialed in., , We have personally put close to 400 miles on this car since April 1 and have enjoyed every single one. While this was great fun for us, it is also great news for the next owner. The car has been broken in, the initial service and oil change has been completed, a few small gremlins have been addressed, the head has been torqued and the timing and carbs have been squared away., , Ultimately, $25,500 was spent in parts and one thousand hours were put into the car (not including the purchase price of the vehicle itself) during the restoration. Over one thousand hours were spent on the restoration. Subsequently another two thousand dollars has been spent on little knick-knacks and details and on maintenance making sure the car was good to go., , The interior was shipped custom from England, the seats are tan with green piping. My favorite touch is the carpeting which is a dark green wool. The spare wheel has been painted a matching green—it sports a new old stock spare tire which still carries its original sticker. A Triumph nut fun-fact: the early TR3s have a smaller well for the spare tire and as such it is next to impossible to find a tire to fit the special rim that is also narrow enough to fit in the well. So, the new old stock spare is not only a neat little touch for the concourse minded enthusiast, but also nearly a practical necessity., , At the end of the day what you are buying perhaps not a 100 point concourse TR3 smallmouth, but a very, very nice show quality car that can (and should) also be driven regularly without much worry. The paint job was a $10,000 deal. It is not perfect but it is very, very nice. The top is brand new and just fitted, as is the tonneau cover. Basically, the car is a brand new car and it drives like one. This car is truly spectacular to drive. I have personally put nearly 400 miles on it with over 200