{{short description|Inline four-cylinder petrol car engine}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2024}} {{Use British English|date=January 2024}} {{Infobox engine |name = Triumph Sabrina engine |image = |image_size = |alt = |caption = |manufacturer = Standard Motor Company |designer = |aka = 20X |production = |configuration = I4 |displacement = {{cvt|1985|cc|cuin|1}} |bore = {{cvt|90|mm|in|2}} |stroke = {{cvt|78|mm|in|2}} |block = Cast iron |head = Aluminium |valvetrain = DOHC |timing = |compression = |idle = |redline = |fuelsystem = |fueltype = Petrol |oilsystem = Wet sump |coolingsystem = Water-cooled |power = |torque = |length = {{cvt|26+1/4|in|mm|0}} |width = {{cvt|18|in|mm|0}} |height = {{cvt|26+1/4|in|mm|0}} |diameter = |weight = {{cvt|438|lb|kg}} }}
The '''Triumph Sabrina engine''' is an internal combustion engine for automotive applications developed by the Triumph Motor Company division of the Standard Motor Company in England in the late 1950s. It powered Triumph's Le Mans team entries in 1959, 1960, and 1961, and was considered for use in a production road car.
==History== In the late 1950s Triumph's Competitions department designed and built a new high-performance engine given the development name 20X. An investment of £49,000 was approved for its development, as 'Project 51', by the Standard-Triumph board at its meeting on 19 September 1960.<ref name="knowlesbook"/> Some sources call this the 'S' engine, after Triumph's TR3S and TRS Le Mans cars.<ref name="cad-jun1961"/> The engine's two prominent front-facing domical camshaft end covers earned it the popular nickname "Sabrina", after contemporary British actress Norma Ann Sykes.<ref name="silodrome-dec2019"/><ref name="stwd-jan2023"/> ''Sabrina'' later became the engine's official name.<ref name="krausebook-ch7"/>
Harry Webster, director and general manager at Standard-Triumph, reported that the engine was developed to explore new casting and engine production techniques. It also incidentally gave Triumph a chance to improve their showing at Le Mans after their modest results in 1955.<ref name="tsoa-marapr1979"/><ref name="cad-jun1961"/>
To accommodate the engine, a modified TR3 chassis was created with a track widened by four inches and a wheelbase extended by six inches over those of the production car.<ref name="rlh-history"/> In late 1958 Triumph commissioned Giovanni Michelotti to create a body for the 20X development chassis. The project, called ''Zoom'', resulted in a full-width body, with tall doors having wind-down windows, and headlamps moved to the tops of the front wings. By 1959 two ''Zoom'' prototypes were complete; one convertible and one coupé with a removable roof panel, both powered by 20X engines detuned to around {{cvt|120|hp|kW}}.<ref name="auwm-oct2012"/><ref name="revington-zoom"/><ref name="te-jan2021"/>
By the middle of 1960, Triumph had prototypes for two potential TR replacements — ''Zest'' and ''Zoom'' — with a combined program cost of £676,000.<ref name="aro-rtpart2"/> ''Zest'' had been conceived as the TR3's replacement, and ''Zoom'' was considered for production as an upmarket model. Having seen ''Zoom'', some at Triumph wanted it to become the next TR, but the cost to produce the 20X engine in volume killed the project.<ref name="auwm-oct2012"/><ref name="krausebook-ch3"/>
==Technical details== Sabrina is an inline four cylinder engine with dual overhead camshafts. The basic engine assembly is made up of five main components: an oil sump, a crankcase extension, the crankcase, a water jacket with cylinder liners, and a cylinder head. Of these, the crankcase is of cast iron, and the cylinder liners are of cast chrome-iron. The other components, including the water jacket, are cast in aluminium alloy. Alloy crankcases had been tried, but proved insufficiently rigid in bending.<ref name="cad-jun1961"/>
Both the connecting rods and the crankshaft are of forged steel. The crankshaft is carried in five main bearings, two more than are in the Standard wet liner inline-four engine used in production TRs.<ref name="cad-jun1961"/><ref name="auwm-oct2012"/> The pistons are of die-cast aluminium, and the compression ratio was set by adjusting the height of the piston crown. Bore × stroke are {{cvt|90| × |78|mm|in|2}}, for a total displacement of {{cvt|1985|cc|cuin|1}}.<ref name="cad-jun1961"/>
The cylinder head has four hemispherical combustion chambers, each with two valves having an included angle of slightly over 73°, with the exhaust valves being inclined about 4° more than the intakes. The valves are made of nimonic steel, and have double valve springs. The camshafts are hollow, and run in five bearings each. Valve tappets are inverted bucket style, with iron guides and adjustment by shims. The camshaft drive comes off the nose of the crankshaft via primary and secondary duplex chains with Renold hydraulic tensioners.<ref name="cad-jun1961"/>
The cylinder head has a separate intake and exhaust port for each cylinder. The exhaust manifold is a 4-2-1 style, with joins at {{cvt|16|in|cm}} and {{cvt|34|in|cm}} from the head's square exhaust port. The engine is fitted with two twin-choke SU DU6 carburettors. The front of the engine mounts a separate case that includes drives for the camshafts, oil pump, fuel pump, distributor and tachometer, with provision for the future addition of a fuel injection pump and dry sump oil scavenge pump.<ref name="cad-jun1961"/>
A complete engine less ancillaries is {{cvt|26+1/4|in|mm|0}} long, {{cvt|18|in|mm|0}} wide, and {{cvt|26+1/4|in|mm|0}} tall, making the twin cam engine {{cvt|3+1/4|in|mm|0}} longer than the Standard wet-liner engine and more than {{cvt|1|in|mm|0}} lower, while widths are the same.<ref name="cad-jun1961"/> At {{cvt|438|lb|kg|0}}, Sabrina was lighter than the Standard wet-liner engine.<ref name="tsoa-marapr1979"/>
Power and torque figures for the engines in the 1960 Le Mans cars were reported as better than {{cvt|150|hp|kW|0}} at 6500 rpm, and {{cvt|142|lbft|Nm|0}} at 5000 rpm.<ref name="cad-jun1961"/> Power for later engines was expected to exceed {{cvt|165|hp|kW|0}}.<ref name="traction-aprmay2023"/>
==Motorsports== At the 1959 24 Hours of Le Mans, three extensively modified TR3s, referred to as 'TR3S' models, were run. While superficially resembling the production TR3, the Le Mans cars were six inches longer than the production model, had bodywork of glass fibre, and were powered by Sabrina engines.<ref name="piggott1995"/> The teams of drivers in the cars were Peter Jopp/Richard "Dickie" Stoop, Ninian Sanderson/Claude Dubois, and Peter Bolton/Mickaël "Mike" Rothschild.<ref name="rsc-lemans1959"/> Both the Sanderson/Dubois and Bolton/Rothschild cars retired after cooling fan blades detached from their respective engines and perforated the cars' radiators.<ref name="msm-oct1959"/><ref name="pendine-nov2018"/> The Jopp/Stoop TR3S was called in to have its blades removed, then ran as high as seventh place overall before being forced to retire due to an oil pump failure with just over an hour remaining in the race.<ref name="sabrina-feb1977"/><ref name="harvey1983"/><ref name="tsoa-mayjun1979"/>
The three Triumph TRS race cars fielded at the 1960 24 Hours of Le Mans, registered as 926 HP, 927 HP and 928 HP, used the same chassis and engines as the previous year, with new fibreglass bodywork based on Triumph's ''Zoom'' prototype.<ref name="auwm-oct2012"/> The three driver teams this year consisted of Keith Ballisat/Marcel Becquart, Les Leston/Mike Rothschild, and Peter Bolton/Ninian Sanderson.<ref name="rsc-lemans1960"/> The hardness of the metal in the valve inserts had been reduced from that of the 1959 engines, and during the course of the race the valve inserts were damaged, eliminating all tappet clearance.<ref name="sabrina-feb1977"/> Post-race, with clearances restored but prior to a full rebuild, the engines still produced around {{cvt|120|hp|kW|0}}.<ref name="cad-jun1961"/> Despite the engine trouble, all three cars finished, in 15th, 18th, and 19th places, and staged a formation finish, but were unclassified due to having failed to cover their mandatory distance.<ref name="spurringbook"/><ref name="pendine-nov2018"/>
Triumph planned to field a revised car at la Sarthe in 1961, but the new cars were late, so the previous TRSes were updated, with power output raised by {{cvt|5|hp|kW}}, and entered again in the 1961 race.<ref name="krausebook-ch7"/> The driver teams included Peter Bolton/Keith Ballisat, Les Leston/Rob Slotemaker, and Marcel Becquart/Mike Rothschild, which respectively finished 9th, 11th, and 15th overall, and claimed the manufacturer's team prize for Triumph.<ref name="pendine-nov2018"/><ref name="ms-jan2010"/><ref name="rsc-lemans1961"/>
==Triumph Conrero== The Sabrina was to be used in a batch of newly designed cars at Le Mans in 1961. Although a team of four cars was planned for the race, ultimately only one car was built, and it was not delivered until 1962.<ref name="krausebook-ch7"/><ref name="traction-aprmay2023"/>
A new body designed by Michelotti was fitted over a custom multi-tubular steel chassis fabricated by Italian engineer and Alfa Romeo tuner Virgilio Conrero.<ref name="ms-jan2010"/>
When tested on the M1 motorway, the Sabrina-powered Triumph Conrero reached a speed of nearly {{cvt|150|mph|kph|-1}}.<ref name="moss-jun2015"/> The car did not race at Le Mans, as Triumph's Competitions Department was dissolved before it could be entered. It never appeared in any other race, but was run in practice at the 1963 12 Hours of Sebring. The Triumph Conrero was later returned to England for restoration, and appeared at the Brooklands Museum reunion in 2010.<ref name="cvtr-nov2018"/><ref name="pp-aprmay2015"/><ref name="th-mar2011"/>
==References== {{Reflist|refs=
<ref name="knowlesbook">{{cite book |last=Knowles |first=David |author-link= |date=15 July 2016 |title=Triumph TR6: The Complete Story |url= |location= |publisher=Crowood Press |page= |isbn=978-1785001376 }}</ref>
<ref name="cad-jun1961">{{cite magazine |last=May |first=Dennis |date=June 1961 |title=Triumph's Twin-Cam! |url=https://archive.org/details/sim_car-and-driver_1961-06_6/page/n65/mode/2up?view=theater |magazine=Car and Driver |pages=59–61, 64|location= |publisher= |access-date=}}</ref>
<ref name="silodrome-dec2019">{{cite web |url=https://silodrome.com/triumph-trs/ |title=927 HP — An Original Ex-Works Triumph TRS 24 Hours Of Le Mans Racer |last=Branch |first=Ben |date=6 December 2019 |website=silodrome.com |publisher= |access-date= }}</ref>
<ref name="stwd-jan2023">{{cite web |url=http://www.triumphworks.co.uk/by-the-sweaters-of-sabrina/ |title=By the Sweaters of Sabrina! |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=2023-01-02 |website=www.triumphworks.co.uk |publisher= |access-date= }}</ref>
<ref name="krausebook-ch3">{{cite book |last=Krause |first=G. William |author-link= |date=8 September 2017 |title=The Illustrated History of Triumph Sports and Racing Cars |chapter=The Italian Job |url=https://static.summitracing.com/global/images/technicalarticles/sad-ct596.pdf |location= |publisher=CarTech |pages=42–63 |isbn=978-1613253397 }}</ref>
<ref name="krausebook-ch7">{{cite book |last=Krause |first=G. William |author-link= |date=8 September 2017 |title=The Illustrated History of Triumph Sports and Racing Cars |chapter=Triumph on Track |url=https://static.summitracing.com/global/images/technicalarticles/sad-ct596_sn.pdf |location= |publisher=CarTech |pages=106–123 |isbn=978-1613253397 }}</ref>
<ref name="tsoa-marapr1979">{{cite magazine |last=Langworth |first=Richard |date=March–April 1979 |title=The Triumph TR3S and TRS |url=https://www.vtr.org/tsoa/TSOAMarApr79.pdf |magazine=Triumph Newsletter |pages=9, 10 |location= |publisher=Triumph Sports Owners Association |access-date=}}</ref>
<ref name="rlh-history">{{cite web |url=https://www.geocities.com/michelotti_tr/history.html |last=Hatfield |first=Raymond L. |title=History of the Michelotti TR |date= |publisher= |access-date=2023-11-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091022054036/https://www.geocities.com/michelotti_tr/history.html |archive-date=2009-10-22 }}</ref>
<ref name="auwm-oct2012">{{cite web |url=https://ateupwithmotor.com/model-histories/triumph-tr4-tr4a/view-all/ |title=Grandfather's Ax: The Many Evolutions of the Triumph TR4, Part 1: TR4 and TR4A |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=22 October 2012 |website=ateupwithmotor.com |publisher= |access-date= }}</ref>
<ref name="revington-zoom">{{cite web |url=https://www.revingtontr.com/the-tr-series/tr-derivatives/zoom-prototype |title=ZOOM Prototype |author=<!--Not stated--> |date= |website=www.revingtontr.com |publisher= |access-date= }}</ref>
<ref name="te-jan2021">{{cite magazine |last=Burkhalter |first=Edouard |date= |title=1961–2021, 60 ans — Mais comment est-elle née ? |trans-title=1961–2021, 60 years — But how was she born? |language=fr |url=https://triumph-tr4.fr/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Triumph-Express-2021-1-1.pdf |magazine=Triumph Express |pages=28–33 |location= |publisher=Triumph Club de France |access-date=}}</ref>
<ref name="aro-rtpart2">{{cite web |url=https://www.aronline.co.uk/history/the-rover-triumph-story/1960-expansion/ |title=History: The Rover-Triumph story — Part Two: 1960 |last=Nicholls |first=Ian |date=7 July 2019 |website=www.aronline.co.uk |publisher= |access-date= }}</ref>
<ref name="traction-aprmay2023">{{cite magazine |editor-last=Madigan |editor-first=Fran |date=April–May 2023 |title=Giovanni Michelotti |url=https://www.tsoasa.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/TRaction-April-May-2023_Web.pdf |magazine=TRaction |pages=24–28 |location= |publisher=Triumph Sports Owners Association Victoria Incorporated |access-date=}}</ref>
<ref name="piggott1995">{{cite book |last=Piggott |first=Bill |author-link= |date=1995 |title=Triumph By Name, Triumph By Nature |url= |location= |publisher= Dalton Watson Fine Books|page= |isbn=1-85443-107-2}}</ref>
<ref name="rsc-lemans1959">{{cite web |url=https://www.racingsportscars.com/results/Le_Mans-1959-06-21.html |title=Le Mans 24 Hours 1959 |author=<!--Not stated--> |website=www.racingsportscars.com }}</ref>
<ref name="msm-oct1959">{{cite magazine |last=Twite |first=Michael L. |date=October 1959 |title=Looking Round the Speed Shops — S.A.H. Accessories |url=https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/october-1959/18/looking-round-the-speed-shops/ |magazine=Motor Sport |location= |publisher= |access-date=}}</ref>
<ref name="pendine-nov2018">{{cite web |url=https://pendine.com/cars-for-sale/1960-triumph-trs/ |title=1960 Triumph TRS — Ex works 1960 and 1961 Le Mans Entry |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=2018-11-15 |website=pendine.com |publisher= |access-date= }}</ref>
<ref name="sabrina-feb1977">{{cite magazine |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=An Engine Called Sabrina |url=https://triumphclubsa.com/wp-content/uploads/Newsletter/197702%20Sabrina%20February%201977.pdf |magazine=Sabrina |location= |publisher=The TR Register of South Africa |date=February 1977 |access-date=}}</ref>
<ref name="harvey1983">{{cite book |last=Harvey |first=Chris |author-link= |date=1983 |title=TR for Triumph |url= |location= |publisher=Haynes Publications|page= |isbn=0-902280-94-5}}</ref>
<ref name="tsoa-mayjun1979">{{cite magazine |last=Langworth |first=Richard |date=May–June 1979 |title=Success at Le Mans for Triumph (Part Two) |url=https://www.vtr.org/tsoa/TSOAMayJun79.pdf |magazine=Triumph Newsletter |pages=16, 17 |location= |publisher=Triumph Sports Owners Association |access-date=}}</ref>
<ref name="rsc-lemans1960">{{cite web |url=https://www.racingsportscars.com/results/Le_Mans-1960-06-26.html |title=Le Mans 24 Hours 1960 |author=<!--Not stated--> |website=www.racingsportscars.com }}</ref>
<ref name="spurringbook">{{cite book |last=Spurring |first=Quentin |author-link= |date=2010 |title=Le Mans 1960–69 |url= |location=Yeovil, Somerset |publisher=Haynes Publishing |page=37 |isbn=978-1-84425-584-9}}</ref>
<ref name="ms-jan2010">{{cite magazine |last=Heseltine |first=Richard |date=January 2010 |title=Triumph TR2/3 |url=https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/january-2010/122/by-richard-heseltine/ |magazine=Motor Sport |location= |publisher= |access-date=}}</ref>
<ref name="rsc-lemans1961">{{cite web |url=https://www.racingsportscars.com/results/Le_Mans-1961-06-11.html |title=Le Mans 24 Hours 1961 |author=<!--Not stated--> |website=www.racingsportscars.com }}</ref>
<ref name="moss-jun2015">{{cite web |url=https://mossmotoring.com/profile-triumph-conrero/ |title=Profile — Triumph Conrero |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=24 June 2015 |website=mossmotoring.com |publisher= |access-date= }}</ref>
<ref name="cvtr-nov2018">{{cite magazine |last=Brown |first=Ian |date=November 2018 |title=National Restoration Show, Stoneleigh Park, 28th October |url=https://www.tr-register.co.uk/uploads/2018/11/29/November-Newsletter-2018.pdf |magazine=Cotswold Vale T.R. Newsletter |pages=1, 2 |location= |publisher= |access-date=}}</ref>
<ref name="pp-aprmay2015">{{cite magazine |last=Matthews |first=Nigel |date=April–May 2015 |title=Triumph Conrero |url=https://issuu.com/jordanrpm/docs/perf-plus-april-may-2015-issuu |magazine=performance plus |pages=34–36 |location= |publisher= |access-date=}}</ref>
<ref name="th-mar2011">{{cite magazine |last=Matthews |first=Nigel |date=March 2011 |title=A Triumph of Italian Origin |url=https://www.bctriumphregistry.com/newsletters/March-2011-issue.pdf |magazine=Triumph Heritage |pages=6 |location= |publisher=B.C. Triumph Registry |access-date=}}</ref>
}}
==Further reading== * {{cite magazine |last= |first= |date=June 2003 |title=Sabrina, My Love |url= |magazine=TRaction |number=187 |page=39 |location= |publisher=TR Register |access-date=}} * {{cite book |last=Robson |first=Graham |date=1973 |title=The Story of Triumph Sports Cars |url= |location=Croydon, Surrey |publisher=Motor Racing Publications |page=95 |chapter='Sabrina' and a new TR |isbn=0-900549-23-8 |access-date=}}
==External links== * {{cite web |url=https://www.ourwarwickshire.org.uk/content/article/le-mans-1960-triumph-sabrina-twin-cam-preparation |title=The Le Mans 1960 Triumph (Sabrina) Twin Cam Preparation |last=Gleed |first=Dave |date=2017-11-06 |website=www.ourwarwickshire.org.uk |publisher= |access-date= }} * {{cite web |url=https://triumph-club-de-france.fr/toutes-les-triumph/triumph-exceptionnelles/695-triumph-trs-et-conrero |title=TRS et Conrero |language=fr |last=Burkhalter |first=Edouard |date= |website=triumph-club-de-france.fr |publisher= |access-date= }}
Category:Automobile engines Category:Triumph Motor Company engines Category:Straight-four engines Category:Gasoline engines by model Category:Engines introduced in the 1950s