Details:
Oldtimer Australia is delighted to offer for sale a 1970 Triumph TR6.
This particular example was sold new in the USA, however, its early history is not known.
The car was imported into Australia in mid 1996 by Darcy Goodwin. There is an import approval on file dated 28th March 1996. He went on the journey to restore the car with the help of Peter Wards Vehicle Restorations. The entire project took almost 3 years from the time the car arrived in Australia until it was presented for a roadworthy inspection. There is a summary sheet on file detailing the work done and the suppliers used for the project. New parts were purchased from all the well known suppliers, including Rimmer Bros and Moss in the UK. There are also some photos on file from the restoration, which show the body was removed from the chassis. Both were stripped back to bare metal. As part of the restoration the engine was completely rebuild and the car was converted to right hand drive. At some stage the gearbox was also upgraded. The gearbox now fitted in the car is from a Triumph 2000 saloon. It is a 4 speed manual with overdrive.
The car was subsequently sold to Peter Wright, who owned the car from 1999 through until 2004. Wright sold the car to the current owner in November 2004. At that time the odometer read 30,600 miles.
The current owner is fastidious with his cars and he went on a journey to further improve this TR6. In May 2008 he had electronic ignition fitted which was supplied by Triumph specialist Greg Tunstall and between February and May 2020 the car was converted from carburettors to fuel injection.
The owner serviced the car himself every 2,000 miles or every two years, whichever one of the two occurred first. There is a summary sheet on file showing the dates and mileage of the car when it was serviced. The most recent service was completed on 2nd August 2024, shortly before the car arrived at our showroom. At that time the odometer read 39,248 miles.
Major maintenance tasks were completed in July 2008 when the differential was reconditioned and a new water pump was fitted. This work was completed by Greg Tunstall. In August 2011 a new brake master cylinder was fitted to the car.
This Triumph TR6 is a really nice example that presents and drives well. It wont win the concours, but it will turn heads wherever it goes. The cars ID plate tells us it is finished in carmine (paint code 82) with black vinyl (trim code 11). Whilst now considered an older restoration, the overall presentation of this car belies the fact it was completed 25 years ago.
The dark red (carmine) colour really suits the car and it has retained a strong depth of colour. There are a few small defects in the paint but generally it is still in very good condition. Importantly, the panel gaps are all very good which reinforces that the body work was completed to a high standard when the car was restored. All the bright work on the car is in good condition and the same can be said for all the lights and lenses.
The car is fitted with the standard TR6 steel wheels, which are a real feature. They are in good condition and present well with no sign of any curb rash. They are shod with Maxis MA-P3 205/70 R15 tyres at the front, date stamped 1120 (week 11, 2020) and Bridgestone Conselfa tyres 205/70 R15 at the rear, date stamped 347 (week 34, 1997). The front tyres are still in good condition but the rear tyres should really be replaced based on age.
Open the door and you are welcomed by a very well presented interior. The seats are in good condition with no splits or tears evident. They are comfortable and provide ample support. The wooden dashboard presents well and all instruments are clear and in a good condition, though the owner did tell us that on his drive up to Brisbane the odometer stopped working. The door cards, centre console, the carpets and even the top of the dashboard, which you will often see cracked and damaged on a TR6, is in excellent condition.
The car has a soft top which is in good condition, though there is a small mark near the rear top corner on the left hand side. The plastic windows are all clear and have not been discoloured by the sun.
Under the bonnet you will find a clean and well presented engine bay. The boot is also neat, clean and tidy and under the floor is a spare wheel.
The current owner lives in the northern NSW table lands and just loves to drive his cars. He keeps them on the button and ready to be taken on long drives at the drop of a hat. So not surprisingly, this Triumph TR6 is just a fabulous car to drive. The seats are comfortable and the interior is just a nice place to be. The upgrade from the original carburettors to fuel injection gives the car significantly more power, which improves the driveability of the car. The engine pulls strongly through the rev range and it is as equally happy cruising along the motorway in top gear or blasting through the windy back roads. The gearchanges up and down the box are smooth and the overdrive works as expected. The brakes are very responsive and pull the car up quickly and in a straight line when needed.
After some time behind the wheel of this car, it just reinforces how good these cars are. The Triumph TR6 offers great value for money and it is the perfect car for weekend drives, club events and your local cars and coffee.
Accompanying the car is a history file going back to 1996, a Triumph TR6 restoration book, some photos of the restoration a parts catalogue a spare wheel and a jack. There is also a tonneau cover and some spare parts.
The car is currently registered in NSW on club registration which is not transferrable.
Highlights:
- A well presented example of a quintessential British sports car
- Lovely colour scheme
- Overdrive
- Ready to use and enjoy
- An absolute delight to drive
Price $41,950.
Background:
In 1885 Siegfried Bettmann, a German living in London, founded S. Bettmann & Co and started importing bicycles from Europe. Initially, he was selling them under his own trade name, however, in 1886 the name changed to Triumph. In 1897 the company was renamed as the Triumph Cycle Co Ltd and in 1902 the company started producing motor cycles at their factory in Coventry. Business was booming, thanks to big orders from the British Army which needed motor cycles during the First World War and by 1918 Triumph had become Britains largest manufacturer of motor cycles.
In 1921 Bettmann acquired the assets of the defunct Dawson Car Company and started producing cars. The first car to wear the Triumph name was the Triumph 10/20. This car and its immediate successors were only produced in small numbers, however, that all changed with the introduction of the Triumph Super 7 in 1927. This car was a success and it was sold in large numbers through until 1934.
In 1930 the name of the company was officially changed to the Triumph Motor Company. Times were tough and Triumph was struggling to compete with larger car companies. The company started having financial problems and in 1936 the bicycle and motorcycle business were sold to Jack Sangster of Arial. In 1939 the Triumph Motor Company went into receivership and the factory, equipment and goodwill were offered for sale. They were sold, but the Second World War stopped production and the Triumph factory was completely destroyed by bombing in 1940.
After the Second World War, what was left of the Triumph Motor Company and the trade name were purchased by the Standard Motor Company. In 1946 the first new Triumph, the 1800 Roadster, was released to directly compete with Jaguar. In 1950 the company decided to use the Triumph name for all sports models and the Standard name for saloon cars. History now says that this was a strategically brilliant move as it signalled the birth of the Triumph TR series cars.
The TR series Triumphs stand as iconic British sports cars that are well known and loved by enthusiasts all over the world. It started back in 1952 when the Triumph 20TS, a prototype sports car which later became known as the TR1, was shown at the London Motor Show. Reactions were mixed, however, Triumph thought they were on to a good thing and the prototype evolved into the TR2 that was subsequently shown at the Geneva Motor Show in 1953. Triumph built over 8,500 of these 1991cc 4 cylinder sports cars from 1953 1955 and as they say the rest was history. The model evolved into the TR3 (produced from 1955 1962), the TR4 (built from 1961 1965), the TR4A (built from 1965 1967), the TR5 (built from 1967 1968) and ultimately the TR6 (1969 1976). Subsequent TR models were interesting cars, but it is fair to say the evolution of the TR2 finished at the TR6.
Triumph built 91,850 TR6s during its 7 year production run, the majority of which were left hand drive and sold into the United States.
