Vehicle Description
While we Americans like to think that we perfected the 'big engine
in a small car' idea, the British aren't too shabby at execution,
either. Sure, there are plenty of little cars with equally little
engines running around, but it's all about perspective. Less weight
means better handling, better brakes, and a connection to the road
that you just can't get when there's almost two tons of steel
around you, and when there's a beefy six-cylinder powerplant
pushing it around, it can be a whole lot of fun. This 1975 Triumph
TR6 is an older restoration with some use on it, so it has a
traditional British car feel: worn-in but not worn-out. It isn't
perfect, but none of its joyous road manners have been diluted and
in its current state, you'll never hesitate to set out for the open
road without a care in the world. That's the advantage of the
imperfect car-no worries. Carmine red is the car's original color
and it was treated to a fairly decent respray a few years ago, so
it looks bright 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 although the door gaps are
a little wide. 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. The car doesn't have
stripes or decals beyond the traditional TR6 Union Jack sticker on
the rear quarters, and that's how we like it. The black interior
features recent seat covers so they look great and are all-day
comfortable. The dashboard is made of real wood, not some plastic
substitute, and all the original Smiths gauges are fully
operational. The three-spoke wheel feels meaty in your hands and is
big enough that you can toss the relatively lightweight TR6 around
with ease, even without power assist. The 4-speed shifts cleanly,
although the gates are little vague but you'll get the hang of it
in no time and it'll become second nature. Weather protection is
decent, thanks to a recent black top, and a black boot is included
with the car. There's also a decent-sized trunk that makes this a
good car for a weekend getaway.You'll enjoy the TR6 largely because
of the burly 2.5-liter inline-6 under the long hood. It has been
rebuilt to stock specs and yes, dual carburetors were standard
equipment. There's a modern alternator up front, a new battery, and
a fresh tune-up, so it lights off easily with just a little choke.
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 3.45 gears make it 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 torquey six
makes shifting purely optional and the brakes are quite good
considering the car's modest curb weight. Factory steel wheels wear
bright trim rings and hubcaps, along with a set of 195/75/15
Bridgestone 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! Harwood Motors
recommends and welcomes personal or professional inspections of any
car in our inventory prior to purchase.
