NEW PRICE! Nice TR6 with overdrive. One repaint, newer interior, rebuilt engine, new clutch, tonneau, boot, books and receipts. New Michelins. Fun to drive sports car that’s going up in value!
Bright red is the car’s original color and it was treated to a fairly decent respray a few years ago, so it looks crisp and clean. The body panels are straight and don’t seem to have spent much life in an adverse climate, so the slab-sided bodywork lines up rather well. The TR6 was an evolution of the TR4, although a fairly comprehensive restyling by the designers at Karmann gives it a unique identity that’s extremely attractive. This car pre-dates the rubber bumpers that marred later versions, so the delicate bumpers look great against the red paint and the marker lights are visible where they’re supposed to be under the grille. The car doesn’t have stripes or decals, although adding the traditional TR6 Union Jack sticker on the rear quarters would be a great idea.
The black and tan interior features brand new seat covers and fresh foam underneath, so they look great and are all-day comfortable. It was a conscious decision to go with the black seats instead of the original tan, and working with the black dash pad, steering wheel, and console, it all has a very cohesive look. The dashboard is made of real wood, not some plastic substitute, and all the original Smiths gauges are fully operational. In fact, everything works, including the mediocre heating system and the all-new Sony AM/FM/CD stereo that sounds pretty good in the open cockpit. The 4-speed shifts cleanly, although the gates are little vague, and during a recent refurbishment, a factory-style overdrive was added, which is actuated by the stalk on the left side of the steering column. Weather protection is decent thanks to a recent tan convertible top, which includes the correct silver reflective strip at its base, plus a black boot and full tonneau cover are included with the car. There’s also a decent-sized trunk that makes this a good car for a weekend getaway.
That’s all nice, but we like the TR6 because of the burly 2.5-liter inline-6 under the long hood. Remember, we’re talking about a very small car, so don’t be fooled into thinking that this isn’t a performer with just a six-cylinder engine. It has been recently rebuilt to stock specs and yes, dual carburetors were standard equipment. There’s a modern alternator up front, as well as a Pertronix ignition system in the original distributor, so it lights off easily with just a little choke, and these big-bore British sixes have a sound like nothing else. There’s a big hit of torque available at almost any speed and while it isn’t a high-RPM screamer, you will enjoy running it through the gears and listening to the baritone howl of the exhaust.
We’ll admit that the undercarriage is a bit crusty—it hasn’t been restored and the car is now more than 40 years old. But the important parts are solid: the frame and the rocker boxes. The 4-speed manual has a fresh clutch attached to it, so it’s crisp and lively, and the aforementioned overdrive makes this a reasonable high-speed cruiser. The all-independent suspension makes for a very competent little sports car and this TR6 never seems to plant a tire wrong. The limits aren’t like a modern performance car, but you can use 90% of this car’s performance without endangering everyone else. The torquey six makes shifting purely optional and the brakes are quite good considering the car’s featherweight curb weight. Factory steel wheels wear bright trim rings and hubcaps, along with a set of 205/70/15 Michelin radials that fill the fenders properly.
Designed for fun and only fun, the TR6 is on our short list of cars to buy and hold. Earlier cars like the TR3 and TR4 (never mind the TR250, which has already skyrocketed) are seeing big gains in the market and we’ve seen time and time again that a high tide tends to float all the boats. These cars can’t be this affordable forever and we’d argue that the TR6 is the best-driving of them all. This is fun on wheels, nothing more and nothing less. Call today!
For more details and photos, please visit www.HarwoodMotors.com
