Property of a deceased's estate
1949 Triumph Roadster 2000 Convertible

• Restored circa 40 years ago
• Regularly used and campaigned
• Standard Vanguard overdrive gearbox
• Well loved and well maintained

Thanks to its use by TV's fictional Jersey detective Jim Bergerac, few post-war classics are as instantly recognisable as the Triumph Roadster. A landmark model in the history of the Coventry firm, the 1800 Roadster was one of the first post-war designs to bear the Triumph name. Standard was already supplying Jaguar with a 1,776cc overhead-valve engine and four-speed gearbox for the latter's 1½-Litre saloon, and these were chosen for the new car. The chassis - an all-new design featuring independent front suspension - comprised two large-diameter steel tubes joined by cross braces. Styled by Standard's Frank Callaby, the Roadster's elegant alloy-panelled body was unusual in retaining the dickey seat that had been a feature of the pre-war Triumph Dolomite Roadster Coupé.

Launched in March 1946 alongside its sister car, the 1800 Saloon, the Roadster was not revised until 1948 when it received the 2.1-litre engine, three-speed gearbox, and rear axle of the newly introduced Standard Vanguard, which would also be used in Triumph's TR sports cars. When Roadster production ceased the following year, a total of 4,501 of these charismatic cars had been built, there being an estimated 400-plus survivors.

This example owes its survival to a gentleman who bought it as a 'barn find' in 1981 and spent two years restoring it from the ground upwards. The only significant mechanical change is an upgrade to the Standard Vanguard's overdrive gearbox, giving an extra ratio on both second and top that makes for more relaxed open-road cruising. The owner got a great deal of use out of it over the next almost 40 years, collecting prizes at shows and enjoying tours abroad to France and (inevitably!) Jersey with the Roadster Club. The paint has been reapplied once since the restoration but otherwise the car presents as a well-loved, well-maintained example, ready for anything.

The history file contains restoration photographs, as well as a few more from shows and associated newspaper cuttings. There is a receipt for a new exhaust, fabricated from stainless steel in 2007, and some manuals and technical handbooks for the Roadster and related saloon models. Remarkably, there is even a cutting from the local paper in 1981 announcing the auction of this car 'in need of renovation'. There is also correspondence and information from the Roadster club, and a lengthy run of MoTs from 1991 onwards that demonstrate the car's consistent roadworthiness and regular use over the years. The car has been stored unused for the last year since it was purchased by the now deceased enthusiast'