Triumph’s TR6 of 1968 thrust the revered TR line into a whole new era. A front-and-rear restyle by Karmann of the old Michelotti-penned TR5 imbued the roadster with a contemporary look that has aged remarkably well – and it was a thoroughly modern thing at launch, boasting fuel injection and independent rear suspension.
Interestingly, while this is a quintessentially British creation in terms of design, heritage and realisation, the real success of the TR6 was in the export market: of the total production run of 91,850 cars, only 8,370 were sold in the UK; these cars were particularly popular in the US. Each one boasted the venerable 2.5-litre straight-six, as found elsewhere in the larger saloon models, and what’s particularly useful to note is that the early ‘CP Series’ cars boasted a full-fat 150bhp; from 1972, the ‘CR Series’ cars put out 125bhp, so it’s pleasing to know that the example we have before the lens today is one of the earlier and brawnier originals. (And as we’ll soon discover, that factory brawn was just the starting point.) Indeed, having been registered in the UK on 16th April 1969, we can assume that this is one of the first few hundred examples built…
The current owner knows his way around a TR6, having previously owned one for an impressive twenty-five years. In fact, it was the niggling regret of having sold that one which led to the acquisition of this one – he was missing the old roadster, and felt that the time was right to have another TR6 in his life.
Helpfully, having spent so many years living with one day-to-day, he knew precisely what he was looking for as he knows these Triumphs inside out; an exhaustive search revealed this gleaming red example - one which has clearly been very well looked after and maintained and upgraded regardless of cost. The impressively thick history file bears witness to this!
Sadly, however, the rakish little drop-top simply doesn’t fit into his lifestyle any more. Having owned it for a year and only covered around a hundred miles in it, he’s had to admit to himself that perhaps he’s not making the best use of it, and it’s time to pass the car on to somebody who can enjoy it as it deserves to be enjoyed.
The file of paperwork that accompanies this TR6 is very impressive, noting everything that’s been done to the car and organised helpfully into sections - with a section for the fuelling system, one for the engine work, and so on. As well as a wedge of old MOTs and an HPI certificate (confirming that the car was originally black), there’s thorough and fastidious documentation backing up the impressive engine rebuild, and everything that’s been done to the car. Ordered chronologically, we can trace the car’s past lives across England and a considerable amount of time in Wales, with receipts to prove every step. There are no secrets with this car. There’s even a detailed set of instructions on the starting procedure!
It’s worth noting that the mileage on the odometer reads 5,242, but if we flick back through the years in the MOT history, it was at 99,526 miles in late-2008, then 410 miles in late-2009 – so we can assume that the numbers simply reset on the system at that time, and the mileage is actually 105,242.
Perhaps the most reassuring thing here is that the interior is bone dry… it had been raining a lot just before we shot the car, but none of that water was getting inside. The interior overall is beautifully presented, with the seats in great condition and providing plenty of support. There’s a tasteful and period-correct Mota-Lita steering wheel, and the wood trim on the dash isn’t suffering from the usual lacquer peel or discolouration.
A modern stereo and speakers have been fitted (Kenwood head unit, Blaupunkt front speakers, Alpine rears), but otherwise everything is pure 1969. The windows wind up and down as they should, the carpets are in excellent condition, and the door locks work. The floor-mounted courtesy light between the seats could do with being replaced, as it has become brittle and shattered, and there are a handful of unsecured wires beneath the dash on the driver’s side, but on the whole everything’s in excellent order here. No cracks on the dashtop, the door cards are complete, and all of the instrumentation appears to work as it should.
The bodywork is beautifully presented, with a deep lustre to the red paint. We found no scratches, marks or chips – and, crucially, no corrosion. The paperwork shows that the car was restored with new body panels in 1999-2000, and the resto has weathered the years extremely well. There’s an area on the top of the rear deck where TR6s always crack, along the straight body lines near the bottom corners of the roof (it’s a symptom of how the body flexes, and every TR6 does it), but with this car the cracking is very minimal. That aside, the body is superb, with straight and even panel gaps. The doors, boot and bonnet all close with a satisfying thunk, and every correct bit of chrome trim is in place and in good condition. The window rubbers are good and not at all perished.
There’s a small piece of damaged plastic trim around the aerial housing on the wing, but that’s the only negative we could spot – and it’s a very minor one. The mohair hood - which was fitted in 2002 - is in impeccable condition; it was raining during our shoot so we didn’t lower it, but the owner assures us that it’s in perfect working order. The correct tonneau cover can also be found in the boot. The Triumph wears an excellent set of wire wheels with knock-off spinners (the hammer is in the boot, along with the spare wire wheel), and they all wear recent tyres with plenty of tread.
This is where things get really interesting. You see, it’s clear from the documentation that this car has been fastidiously cared for throughout its life, and always lovingly maintained. However, the ace up its sleeve is that this is no ordinary TR6… that 2.5-litre straight-six has received rather a lot of attention to turn it into a real fast-road plaything. In 2001, it was fully rebuilt to Stage 2 spec by Cameron Gilmour Engine Services in Perth, which included fitting Piper 285 Ultimate fast-road cams, lightened and balanced flywheel with new ring gear to balance the clutch, ported cylinder head with oversized valves, custom air intake with front-mounted cone filter, custom stainless exhaust manifold and full stainless system. As such, it’s markedly livelier than your average TR6, and it’s got a simply fabulous exhaust rasp. All of the ensuing maintenance can be tracked through the paperwork too – for example, new injectors in 2015, new high-performance coil and dizzy in 2016, and so on.
The owner reports that the transmission is all working faultlessly as well, as are the steering and the brakes. The suspension is in particularly fine fettle, having been polybushed all round. It’s plainly evident that this has been set up by people who really know what they’re doing, and the result is a magnificent driver’s car.
We’d wager that most people who are in the market for a TR6 aren’t just looking to purchase on a frivolous whim, but know what they’re looking at when it comes to these cars. So to the seasoned aficionado, it should be obvious that this is an extremely desirable example of the breed. It’s a very early model, being a 1969 car, and the reams of paperwork backing up its history tell a heartily reassuring story. Everything that needs to be done has been done, and quite a lot more things have happened too, not least under the bonnet! The body restoration has been very well executed, the engine build is exceptionally well-specced, and everything has been properly thought through and keenly addressed throughout the chassis. There’s no list of jobs to complete with this TR6, it’s all sorted and it’s ready for adventure.
And if you’re not a Triumph expert, and you are looking at this car on a whim? Well, we can reassure you that it’s a very good one. A supremely well engineered and attractively presented roadster, primed for top-down thrills.
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1969 Triumph TR6
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