TR3S

The Triumph TR3S represents one of the most ambitious and technically sophisticated factory racing efforts from the Standard-Triumph Competition Department, created specifically for the 1959 24 Hours of Le Mans. Designated internally as the Triumph Sports 20 TR3S, three examples (numbered 25, 26, and 27) were constructed as extensively modified racing specials that shared only their spiritual lineage with the production TR3 and TR3A roadsters. These purpose-built endurance racers featured bespoke lengthened chassis with side rails extended by 5 inches and 7/8ths of an inch and deepened by 3/4 inch to accommodate the significantly larger and more powerful experimental Sabrina twin-cam engine, along with lightweight fiberglass bodywork that stretched the overall length six inches beyond the standard TR3 silhouette. The modifications represented Standard-Triumph's determined push to compete against established international manufacturers at the world's most prestigious endurance race, demonstrating British engineering ambition at the peak of the classic sports car racing era.

The centerpiece of the TR3S specification was the revolutionary Sabrina engine, an in-house developed high-performance powerplant given the development designation 20X by Triumph's Competition Department in the late 1950s. This twin-cam design featured dual overhead camshafts with prominent front-facing domical cam shaft end covers that earned the engine its "Sabrina" nickname, named after contemporary British actress Norma Ann Sykes who was famous for her distinctive figure. The engine represented a significant departure from the pushrod inline-four engines powering production TR models, with the twin-cam configuration delivering substantially more power through improved breathing and higher-revving capability essential for endurance racing competitiveness. The TR3S chassis incorporated disc brakes at all four corners—advanced for 1959—along with revised suspension geometry optimized for the high-speed sections of the Circuit de la Sarthe. The extended chassis provided improved weight distribution and stability at racing speeds while the fiberglass bodywork reduced overall mass compared to the steel-bodied production cars, though the longer nose created challenges with cooling system packaging that would prove consequential during the race.

At the 1959 24 Hours of Le Mans, the three TR3S entries were piloted by experienced racing teams: Peter Jopp and Richard "Dickie" Stoop in car 25, Ninian Sanderson and Claude Dubois in car 26, and Peter Bolton and Mickaël "Mike" Rothschild in car 27. The race started promisingly for the Triumph effort, with the Jopp/Stoop car running as high as seventh place overall against much more powerful machinery from Ferrari, Aston Martin, and Porsche, demonstrating the competitiveness of the Sabrina-powered TR3S package. However, all three cars ultimately retired before the checkered flag in heartbreaking fashion. The Sanderson/Dubois and Bolton/Rothschild entries both suffered identical failures when cooling fan blades detached from their Sabrina engines and perforated the cars' radiators, forcing retirements due to catastrophic coolant loss and overheating. The Jopp/Stoop car, having performed admirably throughout the race, experienced an oil pump failure with just over one hour remaining, cruelly robbing the team of a class finish after nearly 23 hours of competition. Despite the disappointing results, the TR3S demonstrated the potential of the Sabrina engine concept and the capability of Triumph's Competition Department to prepare genuine international-level racing machinery.

The legacy of the 1959 Triumph TR3S extends beyond its Le Mans DNF results, representing a pivotal moment in Triumph's competition history and the development of high-performance engines that would influence subsequent TR models. The Sabrina engine program, though ultimately abandoned for production use, provided valuable development experience that informed later TR4, TR5, and TR6 performance variants. The TR3S cars themselves became legendary among Triumph enthusiasts and vintage racing collectors, with surviving examples and period-correct tributes commanding significant interest at auctions and historic racing events. Car 25, the Jopp/Stoop Le Mans entry, has been documented in various states of preservation over the decades, with remains of the iconic racer appearing at specialist auctions. Modern TR3S tribute builds attempt to recreate the distinctive extended-nose fiberglass bodywork and racing specification, celebrating these rare factory specials that represented British sports car racing at its most ambitious. The TR3S stands as testament to an era when manufacturers regularly campaigned extensively modified versions of their road cars in top-tier international endurance racing, pushing engineering boundaries in pursuit of victory at circuits like Le Mans, Sebring, and the Nürburgring.