Vehicle Story:
The Triumph TR6 was what passed for a British supercar, back in the day; we might have become accustomed to family hatchbacks that boast 350bhp and rising but the announcement Triumph were building a two-seater convertible with a 2.5-litre straight-six engine that developed 150bhp was greeted with glee in the 1960s - and more than a little incredulity.
Launched in 1968, it is a simple, straightforward car. A ladder chassis supports the pretty body, a four-speed gearbox feeds power to the rear axle, and a disc/drum set-up stops the car very effectively. Fifteen-inch wheels were fitted with the then-new Michelin XAS tyre, a pairing that endowed the TR6 with class-beating handling. A rear anti-roll bar and a limited slip differential were optional extras.
Flashes of genius surfaced with fully independent rear suspension plus overdrive on the top three gears for the early cars and the top two for the later models, both of which helped quell revs at higher speeds and made the TR6 a relaxed long-distance cruiser.
A steel hardtop insulates the two occupants from the worst of the weather but it’s so heavy taking it on and off is really a two-person job, which kind of ruins any spontaneity.
But, if you’re looking for a raucous, hard-charging convertible sportscar that’s easy to maintain you might just have found your dream car; with a 0-60mph time of just over eight seconds and a top speed of 120mph, the TR6 is fast enough for almost all of us, while the later fuel-injected engine offers a greater degree of drivability and reliability than almost anything else in its class.
It went out of production in 1976, at which point Triumph had built more than 90,000.
Vehicle Overview:
With just three registered UK keepers since being repatriated in 2004, this 1972 Triumph TR6 left the UK as a lefthand-drive car destined to spend its early years in the glamourous environs of San Francisco.
Originally White, it is now finished in Signal Red with a black interior, and the seller tells us that the car’s previous owner “spent a fortune on it”, something the invoices you can see here confirm.
The vendor had always fancied a TR6, and having found and bought this one, he finds this particular itch has been satisfactorily scratched, hence this listing.
Exterior:
The TR6 left the factory painted White (colour code 19) but has been refinished in Signal Red at some point and this colour was further fettled in 2015 and 2017.
Two containers of Waxoyl were also applied to the underside during the latter work, and the seller tells us that he effected some minor repairs to the offside rear quarter behind the driver’s door only recently.
This means that its condition does not come as a surprise. The Signal Red paint has a great shine to it and the underlying panels are very good with a distinct absence of dents, dinks and other damage.
Other signs of careful curation include a nice set of black and silver numberplates, straight and level bumpers, and an undamaged front spoiler.
The lamp lenses, window glass, windscreen and badges are all good.
The folding black hood is in great shape. It fits well, rises and falls as it should, and even the plastic windows are bright and clear still.
The deep-dish, 15-inch steel wheels contribute in no small way to the TR6’s impressive stance. In a good condition, they’re also fitted with chrome trims along with a pair of Dextero tyres on the rear axle and two Avon ZT5s on the front.
If we are being ultra-picky - and we do try to be because we know so many of you rely on our descriptions and photos to bid - then the passenger door doesn’t align quite as well as it could. That said, the driver’s door, boot lid, and bonnet do fit very well indeed, so it’s a matter of bringing it up to their standard rather than there being anything terribly wrong with it.
As for the rest, the rear chrome bumper has a few speckles of rust on it and the front bumper is slightly dull.
Interior:
The interior is utterly lovely, and if you think we’re damning with faint praise then nothing could be further from the truth because its simplicity means there’s nowhere for shoddy workmanship to hide and the fact this one looks as good as it does tells you all you need to know about the quality of the righthand-drive conversion back in 2004 and its subsequent curation.
The seats are plump and comfortable and free of rips, tears, and other damage. The door cards are in great shape, as are the carpets.
The dashboard is free of the sort of UV-damage some American cars display, and the wooden veneer is similarly free of age-related degradation and damage.
A modern Alba headunit has been installed along with a pair of Ripspeed speakers.
The boot is also in great shape and lifting the (good) carpet shows bright, well-finished metalwork and no rust. There’s a full-size spare wheel and tyre in there, too.
As for flaws, while the wooden dashboard is in a good condition, it is a little dull; if you were to remove it, rub it down, and apply a few coats of yacht varnish few would accuse you of being overly fussy.
Some of the controls and switches are a little faded too, but we think they could be chalked up to a developing patina and left alone after being cleaned.
But, the sunvisors are a bit baggy, so replacing those could be added to your To Do list, as could investigating the cracking around the door latch on the nearside B-pillar.
History Highlights:
We are told that TR Bitz of Cheshire imported the car in 2004 and converted it to righthand-drive. They then sold it in 2005 to a private buyer who kept it for three years.
The next owner acquired it in April 2009 and held on to it for 13 years before selling it to our vendor – after spending a considerable amount on it.
The seller estimates this extends to well over £17,000 in total - and the tally extends to almost £3,000 for miscellaneous small items alone.
As for the big stuff, the bullet points are:
2009 - a rebuilt gearbox and a new clutch and injectors plus more by Cleavewood Garage, Bristol
2010 – new oil seals in the rear differential and injectors by Cleavewood Garage, Bristol
2010 – a service and a polish plus a new starter motor, labour to lap in the valves, and some welding repairs plus new suspension rubbers and brake hoses by Classic Car Restoration & Repair
2011 – remove bodyshell to effect welding repairs to the chassis plus a service by Classic Car Restoration & Repair
2012 – a new fuel pump, lines and filter by Classic Car Restoration & Repair
2013 – repairs and paint to the front wings plus a complete engine rebuild by Classic Car Restoration & Repair
2013 - a new brake master cylinder and hoses by Classic Cars of Cardiff
2014 – a large service plus converting the suspension to telescopic by Classic Cars of Cardiff
2015 – repairs to the rear wheelarches, floorpan, and B-posts plus work to the clutch system by Classic Cars of Cardiff
2016 – replacing the fuel injection system with carburettors plus a new distributor by Classic Cars of Cardiff
2017 – installation of Super Pro Polybush suspension plus fitting a differential reinforcement kit and an oil service by Classic Cars of Cardiff
The Triumph comes with a wealth of old invoices and expired MoT certificates plus a photo album and both European and North American handbooks.
The TR6 doesn’t have a current MoT certificate, and while it is exempt by virtue of its age, we would strongly encourage the new owner to have it MoT’d at the earliest opportunity. The cost of an MoT is a small investment when offset against the purchase and upkeep of any classic vehicle, and it gives an independent, third-party assessment of the car’s condition, which not only provides reassurance to the owner (and any subsequent purchasers) but might also be invaluable in the event of a bump when negotiating with the police and any interested insurance companies…
The recent Vehicle History Check is clear bar the marker for being an imported car.
93,000 miles
