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Thanks to their simplicity and ease of access, TR3s have been modified by their enthusiast owners ever since new. Nick Pollitt’s TR3 is no exception.

As it appears today, SWK owes most of its specification to one man’s vision of his perfect continental tourer. Nick says: ‘When the car was bought by Edward Fitzpatrick in 1999 he carried out many improvements, focusing on making the car more capable of pan-European travel. He invested a staggering amount in the car over 14 years of ownership.’

During this period, from 1999 to 2013, the car received a rack-andpinion steering conversion, TR4 front suspension, a Willwood four-pot front brake upgrade and a host of electrical boosts, as well as the steering column stalk from a TR7. At the same time, the engine was treated to a Newman cam, electronic distributor, lightened flywheel, TR6 clutch and Omega pistons.

‘SWK gives you the confidence to drive quickly. The steering is precise, turn-in is excellent and there’s just the right amount of controllable oversteer when you fancy some. Other TR3s I’ve driven seemed lacking in finesse, with vague handling, questionable build quality and less usable power.

‘With loads of torque and overdrive it makes for easy motoring. It’s happy to cruise at 70mph and there’s surprisingly little rattle from anywhere. It’s put together very well. There is little I would have done differently, but I am reconsidering the driving position and seat support.’