Estimate:
£140,000 - £160,000 GBP

• Built to race in the 1958 Monte Carlo Rally as one of four TR3As entered by the Triumph Works team
• Illustrious period racing history with 2nd overall at the 1958 Circuit of Ireland Rally and 1st in class at the Tulip Rally in the same year
• Accompanied by historic racing photos and selected workshop invoices
• Presented with FIA HTP documents and FIVA Identity Card
• Retains numbers-matching engine, verified by British Motor Industry Heritage Trust certificate
• Fitted with overdrive transmission and factory hardtop with spotlight
• Over £10,000-worth of servicing and preparation work from 2018 to 2020 by marque specialists, Just Historic Cars

Please note this car is declared manufactured 1957.

At the 1958 Monte Carlo Rally, Standard-Triumph entered four Triumph TR3As, each identified by near-sequential registration numbers: VRW 219 for the car driven by Annie Soisbault and co-driver Tish Ozanne, VRW 220 for Paddy Hopkirk and Jack Scott, VRW 221 for John Waddington and Mike Wood, and VRW 223 for Maurice Gatsonides and Marcel Bequart.

Though this particular car, VRW 221, was assigned to Waddington and Wood, poor weather conditions delayed the former, who was excluded from the event before reaching Lyon. However, excluded parties were permitted to continue to Monte Carlo to compete in the driving tests on the promenade at the end of the rally. The detour proved worthwhile when the pair finished third in the standalone event.

That same year, VRW 221 was driven in the Circuit of Ireland Rally in April by former Works Jaguar and Ecurie Ecosse driver Desmond Titterington and co-driven by Brian McCaldin. Titterington secured second behind fellow Ulsterman Hopkirk, ensuring a welcome top-two finish for Standard-Triumph. Later that month, Ron Gouldborn assumed driving duties of VRW 221 with Stuart Turner for the Tulip Rally and scored a class win and tenth overall.

The plucky Triumph reverted to being crewed by Titterington and McCaldin at the Rallye des Alpes, finishing eighth overall and third in class. The final Works outing for the car was the Tour de France, driven by Australians David McKay and David Lewin. The TR3A held strong throughout and was running 15th overall on the final night before brake problems caused it to retire on the last day.

Sold by the Works in 1959 to former driver Ron Goldbourn, a succession of owners ensued before the car entered long-term ownership with Martyn King, who sensitively restored the car with great care to preserve as many original components as possible. After a period of Austrian ownership between 1996 and 2009, the Triumph was repatriated to the United Kingdom and went on to compete in numerous historic rallies, including the Three Castle Rally and the Rally of the Tests. In 2019, the car successfully completed the three-day Kitzbüheler Alpenrallye, driven by John Carr and Colin Dougherty.

Presented as a matching-numbers example with its uncommon competition factory hardtop and featuring rare overdrive transmission—and still wearing its original colours of Apple Green over brown leather—this TR3A remains a highly significant car. Between 2018 to 2020, the Triumph was subject to over £10,000-worth of servicing and preparation work by Just Historic Cars, specialists in 1950s and 1960s racing cars based near Hastings in East Sussex. Believed to be the only one of the 1958 Monte Carlo cars by Triumph surviving, it retains many character features such as the period rally spotlights and is an attractive option for the many historic rallies and tours currently operating worldwide.To view this car and others currently consigned to this auction, please visit the RM website at rmsothebys.com/en/auctions/lf21.