1948 Triumph Roadster 1800

This 1948 Triumph Roadster 1800 was in the previous owner’s care between 1965 and 2025, when he sold it to our vendor.

He was just 21 years old when he bought the Triumph and there’s a photo of him in the history file standing proudly next to it. He then looked after it for the next sixty years, including the servicing which he did himself, accumulating some useful spares in the process, all of which are included.

It’s a handsome old thing, and while it’s not going to win a concours competition, we bet you could walk away with Visitors’ Favourite or the like because folk love a good story, and this one’s history is etched on every panel.

The red paintwork gleams but a session with a machine polisher and maybe even some fine wet ‘n’ dry paper would make it even shinier. A tube or two of Autosol on the chromework would work wonders too, but there’s probably no need to go much further because it would be a shame to destroy such a hard-won patina.

Because those aluminium panels hang together quite nicely, and the imposing radiator, huge headlamps, and open horns are as imposing now as they were in-period.

The panel behind the front seats folds up and two glass panels allow the folk in the dickey seats to see the road ahead. Footrests on either end of the rear bumper give them somewhere to step too; it’s a neat and clever system that’s sure to draw attention whenever you stop.

The boot lid also carried the legend ‘SEMAPHORE SIGNALS’ which isn’t something we’ve seen before but imagine a lot of vintage car drivers might like to mimic.

The doors hinge at the rear, allowing driver and passenger to step into the vehicle with an elegance front-hinged doors would never allow, and other neat touches include the aforementioned semaphore trafficators*, and a pair of wing-mounted mirrors that all but eliminate the blindspot we’ve all got used to since they moved them to the doors.

The windscreen proclaims membership of the Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway too, and if ever a windscreen sticker was suited to a car, this is it.

The steel wheels, which are painted red to match the coachwork, are trimmed with a set of chrome hubcaps that, like the radiator, feature the Triumph ‘globe’ emblem.

The tyres are 175R16 Kingpin Valiant retreads, all of which have good tread and are another welcome sign that the Triumph has been looked after properly.

We have listed the Triumph’s most noticeable faults, splitting them into two sections; those you’ll want to put right and those you could probably live with.

The paint on the bonnet is bubbling in places, so you’ll want to find out why that is. The windscreen’s rubber seal has also perished, the windscreen has light scratches to its surface, the wipers need replacing, and the nearside rear numberplate light is cracked.

As for the minor stuff, all four chromed hubcaps are showing their age, as are both bumpers and the radiator shell. The front numberplate is chipped, as is the windscreen surround, and many of the rubber seals for things like the lamp lenses have perished.

Pretty much every panel is either faded, scratched, microblistered, and/or chipped, and the soft-top is also showing its age.

However, the red roof still rises and falls easily, and is capable of keeping the elements at bay should you be unlucky enough to get caught out in a shower. Like so much of the rest of the car, if you don’t mind a patina, it needs little more than cleaning.

Finally, the tyres were built for use on a taxi, so their priority is probably durability rather than handling or ride.

The leather interior, which was probably red when it was installed, has faded to a charming series of tans and browns, the various shades merging seamlessly from one to another. We think it looks terrific, and suggest it needs nothing other than a good clean and a feed; it took three-quarters-of-a-century to look like this, and it would be a shame to remove a patina this charming.

The underlying seat structure is good, and the hide coverings are free of rips and holes. The base is a bench, so your passenger(s) can snuggle up nice and close, while a central armrest helps keep you both from sliding around during the sort of spirited cornering the Roadster is capable of.

The ivory-faced Jaeger instruments, which sit in a beautifully designed wooden dashboard, cover fuel level, oil pressure, coolant temperature, time, distance covered, and road speed.

The rear dickey seat isn’t fitted, but it all seems to be there from what we can see, and just needs reinstalling.

The boot is a bit tatty, but it holds a full-size spare wheel fitted with a matching Kingpin Valiant tyre plus a fire extinguisher, age unknown.

While we’re on the subject of cosmetic flaws, the varnish is peeling from the wooden dashboard but restoring that yourself should be straightforward after watching a few YouTube tutorials.

The interior of the hood is showing its age too, as is the carpet with the latter probably too far gone to be saved. The rearview mirror has also degraded too far to be useful anymore, the steering wheel would benefit from being refurbished, and the nearside window winding handle is missing.

The four-cylinder starts easily, even from cold. It idles nicely too, shows good oil pressure at the dashboard, revs silkily, and has a nice exhaust note.

It might need a spot of recommissioning. The seller got it running – and running nicely, as you can see – and while he took it up and down his lane, he didn’t travel any further.

The long bonnet pivots open from the centre, giving excellent access to the engine. We spent a while admiring the Acoustic Product air filter by A Burgess, and while we were doing so noticed the HT leads have been labelled, which suggests that someone in the car’s recent past was a methodical thinker, and that can’t be a bad thing, can it?

The engine and its ancillaries are heavily patinated, which means there’s fun to be had in detailing them if you enjoy that sort of thing – or further evidence of the car’s originality if you don’t.

As for the underside, it’s an authentic mix of old underseal, peeling paint, light surface rust, and some oil. It is, therefore, exactly as you’d expect – and hope; no pre-sale shenanigans to mislead here.

The Triumph comes with some spares, including engine parts, body panels, the rear dickey seat, and more: Please see the photos for details of what’s included.

The Triumph doesn’t have a current MoT certificate, and while it is exempt by virtue of its age, we would strongly encourage the new owner to have it MoT’d at the earliest opportunity. The cost of an MoT is a small investment when offset against the purchase and upkeep of any classic vehicle, and it gives an independent, third-party assessment of the car’s condition, which not only provides reassurance to the owner (and any subsequent purchasers) but might also be invaluable in the event of a bump when negotiating with the police and any interested insurance companies…

The recent Vehicle History Check is clear, and the history file includes typed Drivers Notes from the owners’ club along with a Technical Handbook and a Drivers Instruction booklet.

It also contains a factory Service Instruction Manual, a hand-drawn wiring diagram, some useful magazine articles, a receipt for installing rear seatbelts by The Quickfit Safety Belt Service in 1992, receipts for bodywork restoration in 1994, and a further invoice for sorting the brakes out in 2014 at a cost of £3,000.

The paperwork is, therefore, every bit as charming as the car itself.

NB: Our auction photos show the Roadster wearing its original registration number of ‘FGE 77’.

This is now on a retention certificate, and the DVLA has issued the number ‘XXS 343’, which you’ll see on the V5 registration document. The original numberplate is for sale via sperate negotiation.

As a project, the Triumph has an awful lot to commend it; if it were ours, we’d get the mechanical systems fettled and an MoT issued. We’d also investigate the bonnet corrosion and replace the windscreen rubber, before enjoying a summer’s motoring while we see what else crops up.

Because a lot of us buy classic cars because we’re romantics at heart, and maybe even yearn for the quieter, gentler years of our childhood, and nothing evokes summertime England better than an open-topped sportscar like this, especially one that’s as well-loved and patinated as this.

Its price tag is likely to be every bit as appealing because our estimate is that it will fetch somewhere between £10,000 and £15,000 but as it is being offered with no reserve, it’ll be going to a new home after the very first bid has been placed.

* We haven’t tested the semaphore trafficators, but that’s probably just as well because any mention of ‘semaphore action’ might get us arrested.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at THE MARKET HQ in South Oxfordshire. Viewings are STRICTLY BY APPOINTMENT and we are open weekdays (apart from Bank Holidays) between 10am - 12pm or 2pm - 4pm. To make a booking, please use the ‘Enquire About This Vehicle’ button on the listing. Feel free to ask any questions, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.