Oh mother of god, Triumph 2000 Italia for auction

"Svend" (svend)
01/14/2016 at 23:32 • Filed to: None

I love this car.

A Triumph 2000 Italia is coming up for auction in France on the 5th pf February.

For sale in our next auction in Paris “Retromobile by Artcurial Motorcars”, on the 5th February 2016.

French title
Chassis # TSF519LCO
Body # 323

- Very rare model (just 329 made)
- Refined finish, worthy of the finest GTs
- In very good condition

Equipped with a 2.2-litre Triumph engine, this Italia 2000 is one of the last produced. Exported to the United States, the car returned to Europe in the 1980s, and was acquired by a Dutch enthusiast. It has undergone a complete body-off restoration, with the chassis sanded and the interiors fully refurbished. Other than mechanical overhauling, the cylinder head was replaced so that the car could run on unleaded petrol.
The only apparent difference from original is that the fuel tank has its filler inside the boot like the first series cars, instead of having an external filler and flap like the final series. The owner kept the car for 21 years, till our collector bought the car in a Hervé Poulain auction in 1996. All the cars from his collection are carefully maintained to make them reliable and pleasant to drive, whilst retaining the originality of the model. He carried out a significant engine overhaul and a complete renovation of the cooling system in the last five years. The work carried out totals over € 6,000 in invoices, most of it at RPM, in charge of restoration work and maintenance.
Well maintained and pleasant to drive, with its beautiful Michelotti-designed bodywork, and coachbuilt by Vignale on the base of the Triumph TR3, a sort of a scaled down “Maserati by Vignale”, the car drives very well, its controls are positive, with a short throw gearbox and the essential overdrive mated to a lusty engine. The interior is superb, worthy of the finest GTs of the 1960s, and the painting shows a beautiful patina. This car was the subject of a report in Rétroviseur magazine in June 2014. It comes with a comprehensive restoration file, as done by the previous owner, the current owner also provides the bills and invoices and extensive documentation. It is indeed a very rare opportunity to acquire one of the 329 units made of this very distinctive and refined car.

Auction estimate: €80 000 / 100 000