1969 Triumph TR6

Delivered new in US-spec to the American market in 1969, the car spent most of its life in the sunnier and drier parts of the USA.

The vendor purchased the car, which had been dry-stored for a number of years, with a view to using it and keeping at his home in Tenerife.

Some issues with his back (and some difficulty in sorting out Tenerife registration) have since persuaded him to rather reluctantly part company with the car.

The previous owner did a lot of heavy lifting to get this car into the outstanding condition you see today.

He supplied and bought all the parts required for the job (which took four years), and an engineer/restorer friend took the car back to bare metal for a high-quality restoration that included a full engine and gearbox rebuild.

Copious and exhaustive parts invoices from Rimmer Bros and James Paddock Ltd give a good indication of the extent of the restoration and the forensic attention to detail paid to the task by the then vendor.

With its twin Stromberg carbs the car is, of course, free of the infamous troubles and woes that so routinely affected the fuel injected iterations.

It drives very well indeed, feels properly screwed-together and must be one of the best examples of a USA/Canada-spec TR6 out there.

Repainted in its original (and rare) factory hue of Jasmine Yellow, the car presents stunningly well from every angle and is as good to drive and use as it is to stare at.

The shut-lines and panels gaps are crisp, consistent and all you would want them to be.

Unusually, this fine car comes with an ultra-rare hard-top, to which a fully functioning Webasto roof has been fitted.

So, whatever the weather or your mood, the car has you covered (or not).

It comes with a new soft-top frame, and a very good fabric hood with a clear and undamaged rear window.

Currently, neither the hood nor the tonneau covers have been fitted and will require the attachment of clips and fittings if required.

The wheels are decent, save for a little pitting here and there, and are shod in 195/65 R15 Evergreen rubber that appears to have a good amount of life left in it.

Faults are few and far between on this car but, after peering at it closely for a long time, we finally spotted the following.

In no particular order, we found a blemish to the paint on the offside of the bonnet; a paint chip above the trim on the offside sill; a paint chip atop the n/s/f wing next to the bonnet; and an entirely standard number and distribution of small stone chips in the usual places.

The very fetching Jasmine Yellow paintwork has retained plenty of shine and lustre in general and helps make the car as pretty as a picture.

That said, there is the odd flat patch here, and one or two ‘orange-peely’ bits there.

The car’s brightwork is in very good order and is largely free of any foxing, pitting or tarnishing that we can see.

There are one or two spots of surface rust evident on the chrome trim at the base of the hard-top.

The car comes with RHD headlamps in situ, but also a set of LHD items for anyone thinking of repatriating the car to LHD roads.

There’s nothing twee, continental or feminine about the interior of this car.

It’s definitely not a 1960’s Alfa Spider Duetto.

It’s got far more in common with hairy chested British brutes of yesteryear such as the ‘Big’ Healey.

Just looking at it tells you in no uncertain terms that you’ll need to keep up your spinach intake if you’re to get the most out of it on a twisty road.

In general, the interior is very good and has survived the challenges of time and use with commendable amounts of pluck and stoicism.

But it’s not perfect.

The black vinyl upholstery is wearing a small patch of gaffer tape on the passenger seat squab and another on the driver’s seat backrest.

Otherwise, the seats are comfortable, supportive and functional.

The woodwork on the dashboard is very good and has stubbornly resisted any temptations to crack or fade that we can see.

The black carpets, including those in the very useful storage space behind the front seats, have held up well, as have the door cards, hard- and soft-top linings and mats.

A piece of trim at the top of the driver’s door has come adrift and will need re-affixing.

The steering wheel, gear selector and handbrake are good too, bar the odd scratch here and there, and as far as we’re aware, all of the refreshingly analogue buttons, dials, knobs, levers and switches do as they’re told without hesitation, repetition or deviation.

It also has a new ‘retro’ head unit incorporating an electric aerial and hands-free and USB connectivity.

The carpeted boot is in excellent condition and contains a full-sized spare wheel.

The engine bay is reassuringly dry, clean and orderly.

Everything on and ancillary to the engine looks to be in excellent order.

The undersides look notably sound, clean and possessed of oodles of structural integrity.

You can tell that this car has spent its life living in the sunny, salt-free parts of America.

Nothing we’ve seen has made us question the car’s integrity, character or honesty.

It’s all beyond reproach as far as we can tell.

There are thick wads of bills, invoices and receipts from marque-specialist parts suppliers.

We know that the restoration included a full strip to bare metal, new front wings, and a full engine rebuild including the carbs and cylinder head.

The gearbox was rebuilt by a specialist and the brakes, cooling system, fuel system, wheels, wiring and many other mechanical components were refurbished or replaced as appropriate.

The car doesn’t require an MoT certificate by dint of its age.

Its last certificate, which came with no advisories whatsoever, expired in May 2024.

The car has covered just a few hundred miles since then.

It comes with a V5C, a recent, clear HPI report and a number of useful spare parts.

You really can’t go far wrong with a properly sorted TR6, and particularly one that comes with tried and trusted Stromberg carbs.

This one, however, comes with the seriously valuable twin benefits of a life spent in sunny, salt-free conditions and the fact that it has evidently been restored to a very high standard indeed.

And then there’s the colour….

We like this car a lot.

We are happy to offer this car for auction with an estimate in the range of £18,000 - £23,000.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at THE MARKET HQ in South Oxfordshire. Viewings are STRICTLY BY APPOINTMENT and we are open weekdays (apart from Bank Holidays) between 10am - 12pm or 2pm - 4pm. To make a booking, please use the ‘Enquire About This Vehicle’ button on the listing. Feel free to ask any questions, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.