Lot 38: Triumph TR6

Launched in January 1969, the TR6 featured a very clever reworking of the TR4/5 bodyshell which had been in production since 1961. By combining a recessed rear panel (similar to that found on the Michelotti-penned Triumph 2000 and 1300 saloon models) with a new full-width, headlamp-embracing radiator grille, coachbuilders Karmann gave the TR6 a look that was bang up to date (but which cost Triumph very little). Utilising the same 2498cc fuel-injected straight-six engine which had debuted in the TR5 some fifteen months earlier, UK and European specification cars boasted some 150bhp and spirited 120mph performance. Although, peak power fell to 125bhp with the adoption of a 'milder' camshaft in 1973, contemporary road testers found that outright speed was only slightly affected. However, those TR6s destined for the American market eschewed fuel injection in favour of a more emissions friendly twin carburettor set-up developing a quoted 126bhp. Very much a traditional British sports car, the TR6 was characterized by decent acceleration, potent brakes and a firm ride (while, the presence of all-round independent suspension was a welcome bonus). Produced until 1975 it was the last of the traditional TRs, the replacement TR7 being a very different breed of car. Finished in black with black upholstery, this particular example is understood to have been with its "last but one owner for around seventeen years". The gentleman in question apparently treating `SCK 379L' to a restoration that included: "replacement front / rear wings, fresh sills and a respray" (though, there is no paperwork on file to document the work). The vendor reports that the car retains "excellent panel gaps" but rates the paintwork and interior trim as "average". The engine and electrical equipment are said to be "good" as is the four-speed manual gearbox albeit that "the overdrive sometimes misses". Stated to be one of the desirable "fuel-injected 150bhp" models, the attractively hued `SCK 379L' rides on steel wheels and is offered for sale with MOT certificate valid until June 2009.