The Illustrated History of Triumph Sports and Racing Cars. G. William Krause
Officially called the TR-X (for “TRiumph eXperimental”) Triumph’s new prototype debuted at the 1950 Paris Auto Show. The futuristic coupe was later nicknamed the “Silver Bullet” because of its double-wall aluminum envelope body and metallic-gray exterior. (Photo Courtesy Plain English)
The astute Black had refocused his sights on the U.S. sports car market with the goal of filling the gap between the rudimentary MGs and the sophisticated Jaguars.
At the same time, Black was also personally overseeing the development of the Mayflower sedans. The two- and four-door cars also featured the razor-edge styling but with high-end features in a low-priced car. In his eyes, this car was going to be a big hit when it arrived in U.S. showrooms, hence the name Mayflower. Despite Black’s best efforts (a lot of effort and money was spent), the new cars landed in 1950 with a resounding thud.
By all accounts the Mayflower was not a bad car. Fit and finish were very good and it represented a great value. Unfortunately, the love-it-or-hate-it styling was seen as quirky and the 38-hp 1,247-cc engine failed to get any attention. Consider the Mayflower alongside a 1950 Ford Crestliner with a flathead V-8. No contest.
The Experimental Sports Car
Triumph’s all-new sports car, the TR-X, first appeared at the 1950 Paris auto show. Named for TRiumph eXperimental, the car was the brain-child of Walter Belgrove. A few years earlier, as the Roadster was foundering, Black launched a new sports car initiative. Belgrove was given free rein to design a sports car that would take the world by storm. The final concept was unlike anything that had been seen before and caused great controversy in the automotive press.
The TR-X, later nicknamed “Silver Bullet,” was a double-wall aluminum envelope-bodied two-seater wrapped around a too-short Vanguard sedan chassis. The short wheelbase, small cockpit, and narrow track gave it a high beltline and tiny folding top. The 2,088-cc engine from the Roadster, bumped to 71 bhp, powered it with the help of larger SU carburetors. Futuristic designs were just becoming all the rage, and Belgrove’s car was no exception. It looked like a 1950s concept of George Jetson’s sports car from the TV cartoon show The Jetsons.
It was later dubbed the “push-button roadster” because it was packed with every conceivable modern luxury option, obviously aimed at Americans. It included electro-hydraulically powered seats, windows, and top, as well as hideaway headlights, inboard hydraulic jacks, a power hood that could be opened from either side, and overdrive transmission.
The two-seater later became known as the “push-button roadster” because it was loaded with every conceivable modern luxury option. Clearly aimed at the U.S. market, the car featured power seats, power windows and top, a power hood that could open from either side, and even inboard power jacks. (Photo Courtesy Plain English)
The motoring press either loved or deplored the car and debated about it for a year in response to Triumph’s continuing publicity. It was a moot point because the TR-X never reached production. One year after its debut Black, in an attempt to save face, announced that only a limited number of TR-Xs were to be built despite the “thousands of orders” that were received. The real reasons for the delays were Standard’s lack of production capacity and capital to produce the complicated body and over-the-top options. In the end, only two examples of the car were built which, in hindsight, is fortunate. Had Standard built the car it is unlikely that the design would have held up over time because it was so out of synch with the market.
The TR-X, or “Bullet” was the first Triumph to offer hideaway headlights. The electrically controlled doors dropped into the forward portion of the fenders. Despite several other prototypes featuring hidden headlamps, it wasn’t until 1975 that they were incorporated into a production model. (Photo Courtesy Moss Motors)
Walter Belgrove designed the TR-X as a replacement for the Roadster. Three prototypes were built and mounted on the Standard Vanguard chassis. Interestingly, nothing from this project carried over to the new sports cars that took the world by storm. (Photo Courtesy Plain English)
The rear view illustrates how fully enveloped the all-aluminum body was, right down to the skirts on the rear wheels and diminutive door handles. Three working prototypes were completed but suffered from frequent system failures. It was highly ambitious and forward thinking, but it’s doubtful that production versions would have been sustainable. (Photo Courtesy Moss Motors)
The demise of the TR-X was one-third of a triple blow to Black and Standard. Not only was he left without a sports car, but William Lyons had just brought out his enormously well-received XK120. In addition, Morgan had rejected Black’s bid to acquire his company just as the promising new Plus 4 model (powered by the same Vanguard 2,088-cc engine) was coming out.
The never-say-die Sir John Black was not to be denied. He demanded that Belgrove and his designers come up with a simple, inexpensive sports car to go head-to-head with MG and Morgan. His directive dictated off-the-shelf parts, the 1,991-cc Vanguard engine, a £500 price tag, and a 90-mph top speed. The body would need to be new, but also as inexpensive as possible to produce. At the time an MG TD went for £530; £565 would buy a Morgan Plus 4. A new Donald Healey creation, the “100,” was debuting at £750.
BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD: THE FIRST TR
A prototype was built in just eight weeks and the public had its first look at the new 20TS (later known as TR1) at the Earls Court Motor Show in 1952. Reviews were mixed, but all agreed on three things: high potential performance, the striking front end and radiator opening, and something had to be done about the stubby rear end and exposed spare tire.
The simple nose with recessed radiator opening was the most popular design element of the car. This could be termed a happy accident because it was a result of cost-saving measures. A true grille would cost extra to produce, but a hole was cheap. A coarse-grate screen was eventually added to the back of the opening.
The cutaway doors (later nicknamed “kidney coolers” in some circles) were sporty (in the style of MG T-Series and Jaguar) and a cost-saving measure. Attaching the fenders with nuts and bolts was the least expensive route. The seams between the body and fenders were covered with a metal bead that was originally body color, but later changed to chrome, which gave the car a distinctive look. The no-nonsense cockpit featured two bucket seats and a full array of gauges to emphasize the seriousness of the sportiness.
The directive for a small and light car meant minimal overhang at the front and rear, which is why the tail of the car cuts off so abruptly. The exposed spare tire was an effort to blend an element of MG and Morgan into the car.
The stubby form was bolted to an out-of-the-parts-bin Standard Flying Nine chassis. The 7-foot 4-inch wheelbase was well-suited for the sports prototype, but the frame itself was limiting, to say the least. It wasn’t terribly stout by sports car standards of the day and rear suspension travel was limited by the side rails. The rear axle was held in place by half-elliptic leaf springs, but the rear axle sat on top of the main frame rails. The rails limited travel severely and rendered the lever-arm shock absorbers nearly useless.
At the other end, the more modern tubular shock absorbers used in the Mayflower were the obvious choice for the front suspension. Additional reinforcements were necessary at all mounting points.
The mandated Vanguard power unit was nestled low in the front of the frame. It was counter-balanced at the rear by the fuel tank and spare tire. The 20TS had a very low center of gravity that eliminated the need for anti-roll bars. More cost savings!
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