Triumph · 1959–present
Triumph Italia
The Triumph Italia 2000 Coupé was built between 1959 and 1962, during which time 330 cars were produced. Designed by Giovanni Michelotti, the TR3 chassis and mechanical components were supplied by the Triumph Motor Company in the United Kingdom, and built in Turin, Italy.
Text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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History
Designed by Giovanni Michelotti and built at a facility owned by Carrozzeria Vignale in Turin, under contract to Ruffino S.p.A. Industria Costruzione Automobile of Naples, the car was expected to appeal to people wanting the dependability and readily available stock of mechanical parts of a Triumph, but who were willing to spend more for a better looking car than the current TR3. Advertising copy proclaimed it "Italian bodywork at its best, British tradition in sports car engineering at its finest." At the time, Salvatore Ruffino was the owner of CESAC, the Italian company that distributed Standard-Triumph in Italy. He approached Standard-Triumph to supply chassis and mechanical components to build 1,000 cars. Ruffino approached a number of carrozzeria, including Zagato. He had not found a design that was to his liking and was later introduced to the young, Giovanni Michelotti. It was this introduction that was to lead to the Triumph Italia. The resulting two door coupé, now referred to as the "slope-nosed prototype," was well received at the 1958 Turin Motor Show – "Italian artistry and British craftsmanship have come together and produced this new, superlative Italia 2000 Coupé." A second prototype was built with a revised nose and rear roof line. The change was necessary after road tests with the first prototype highlighted some handling issues. This second prototype was much closer to the final "look" of the Italia. The first prototype was converted into another car, quite possibly the second prototype. This second car still survives. The 1959 Turin show featured another early car (probably Italia #3) on the Triumph stand and, by all accounts, the motoring press was impressed. The first two "show" cars were Italia #1 which was delivered to Standard-Triumph for testi
Sections adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0); text is shortened. Read the full article for the complete history and citations.
Specifications
- name
- Triumph Italia 2000
- Manufacturer
- Ruffino S.p.A.
- aka
- Ruffino Italia 2000
- Production
- 1959–1962, 330 made
- Assembly
- Turin, Italy
- Designer
- Giovanni Michelotti
- Class
- Sports car
- Body style
- 2-door coupé
- Layout
- FR
- Related
- Triumph TR3
- Engine
- 1991 cc I4
- Transmission
- 4-speed manual with reverse
- Wheelbase
- NNNN in
- Length
- NNNN in
- Width
- NNNN in
- Height
- NNNN in
- Kerb weight
- NNNN -
- Predecessor
- none
- Successor
- none
- sp
- uk
Specification summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Measured facts from Wikidata (CC0). Check the linked sources for citations.
More photos
Sources
- Wikidata — https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q847221CC0 1.0 · retrieved 2026-10-01
- Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triumph_ItaliaCC BY-SA 4.0 · Text © Wikipedia contributors; revision 1272584868 · retrieved 2026-10-01
- Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Triumph.trItalia.jpgCC BY-SA 3.0 · Photo: Trregistry.com · retrieved 2026-10-01
- Car Model Index — https://models.autoculturesociety.com/Compiled record. Sources that do not permit reuse are not copied; this index is credited instead.