Guide price: ??25000 - ??30000.
- A desirable 'Long door' model. Lighter and more agile than later cars
- UK-supplied, just three owners, original green log-book, extensive history file 
- Body-off, ground-up restoration in 1988 (£11,000) including full engine rebuild; just 1,500 miles covered since 
- Entrusted to specialists TR Enterprises in 2017 for further restoration (£8,000)
- Fitted with overdrive. Full wet-weather kit
- Finished in Old English White with Oxford Red leather and red carpets
 When Triumph was absorbed by the Standard Motor Company in 1944, the decision was taken to re-establish the marque as a sports car manufacturer, hopefully, to compete with successful sports car designs from rival manufacturers such as MG and Jaguar. Following a failed takeover bid for Morgan, a prototype Triumph sports car called the 20TS (subsequently known as the TR1) was displayed at the 1952 Motor Show. The design was rejected because the rear end treatment, known as the 'bobtail', included an exposed spare wheel and was felt not to be sufficiently modern. The next evolution, the TR2, came about as a complete redesign of the 20TS in 1952/1953, and now benefited from a new chassis frame, a more powerful engine and lengthened tail style. The first batch of production cars were all hand-assembled, with only 248 examples delivered before the end of 1953, mostly going overseas. Handsome and purposeful, the TR2 was an attractive open roadster with cutaway doors and a front wing line that flowed gracefully up and over the rear wheels. Equipped with independent coil-sprung front suspension, a live rear axle, and all-round drum brakes, it was powered by a notably torquey twin-carb version of the 2-litre Vanguard ohv engine which produced 90bhp and, fitted with the four-speed gearbox, could propel the little car to 60mph in 11.9 seconds on its way to a top speed of 107mph. Until October 1954, the first 4,000 cars were produced with 'long door' body shells and subsequently, the TR2 changed to 'short doors' with body sills under them. ‘Long door' TR2s are considerably lighter than their later siblings, resulting in the cars being very nimble and a little more agile.  Triumph's hopes that the car would be successful in competition were soon realised, winning the team prize in the Alpine Rally at their first outing, 27th overall in the Mille Miglia beating many Ferraris, and a win in the 1954 RAC Rally. Production of the TR2 carried on until October 1955, when the TR3 took over, with 8,628 examples built between 1953 and 1955.The car presented here is a 1954, UK-supplied TR2 ‘long door’ model first registered on the 12th October 1954.  It left the factory finished in Blue but now looks delightful in the classic colour combination of Old English White with Oxford Red leather and red carpets. This archetypal British classic car has been much-cared for during its life, and was the subject of an extensive, body-off, ground-up restoration in 1988, costing £11,000 (with the colour change at the same time). This fully documented work also included a full engine rebuild, with the block re-bored, a re-ground crank, skimmed head with new valves, four new pistons, and a set of big-end and main shells.  In July 2017, specialists ‘TR Enterprises’ carried out further work amounting to £8,000, including the rebuilding of the suspension and braking system, a full service, the replacement of all rubber hoses, and a flush of the cooling system.  Understood to have had just three owners from new, the TR is reassuringly accompanied by its original green log-book and an extensive history file. The car was purchased by the current owner in 1990 and has been routinely housed in a heated garage ever since. It has had regular MOT tests during its current ownership and these are all present in the file too. The condition of this 'long door' TR2 is fantastic and we believe it to be one of the finest examples currently available, an opportunity indeed for the TR aficionado or a prospective Mille Miglia entrant.