1972 Triumph TR6

“This is a three-owner from new TR6,” states the vendor. “Originally supplied to its first owner through a Glasgow main dealer in 1972, they owned it until 1976, with the second – a Mr (and Mrs) H of Henley-upon-Thames – then keeping it for 44 years, before I bought it in January 2021. The V5c states one more owner, but the fourth (incorrectly documented by the DVLA) was just a house change for Mr and Mrs H”.

The car comes with an incredible history file (four fully stocked A4 folders), with detailed information from both the vendor and the second owner. “This includes nice stories about the car that I received by E-mail and good maintenance records – more than enough to support the recorded mileage of 89,302”. A matching numbers Heritage File is also included.

In 2017 the second owner decided to refresh the paintwork, spending £5,000 with Protek, plus another £3k or so on mechanical work; the latter included going from wire wheels to the steel items that the car currently wears.

“It is staggeringly original and the specialist who carried out much of the work I’ve commissioned remarked several times on how it must have had an easy life, as so many of the parts that would usually be worn by now are still factory original and in good shape”.

The vendor has spent a small fortune and a “crazy amount of time and effort!" going through the car, taking care not to undo any of the factory build. “The goal was to make it as factory original as possible (local maintenance over 44 years meant quite a few items repaired or replaced with ‘good enough’ but not actually correct items). I’ve replaced hundreds of worn or damaged items with either better original or new-old-stock correct items. For example, the entire exhaust system is now brand new; I went for the correct mild steel system for the original sound. Luckily, I found a new-old-stock Stanpart rear silencer, which then took two days to prep and paint in exactly the right colour”.

A mountain of work has been carried out in his time to get rid of fluid leaks, noises, and to remove any issues; the net result is a car that is as usable and reliable as possible. “It can now be parked on friends’ driveways without apologising – a first for an old Triumph, I think!”

The vendor is only selling as he’s recently retired and has decided to reduce the number of cars that he owns. “It’s time to simplify things. Selling this car is not an easy decision, as so much has gone into it. Hence my seller’s name for this listing: TooManyJamJars!”

TR6s are such rugged looking beasts, and this example is no exception; it retains that masculine, thrusting demeanour. We mentioned the body repaint at Protek in 2017, well, all four wings were replaced at the same time. It remains in excellent condition with the paint finish particularly pleasing. Panel gaps are very good, although as a self-confessed obsessive the vendor says he’s “not wild about a couple of them”. 

We think he’s being harsh because this is one of the most correct-for-the-year examples we’ve ever set our eyes upon. It is superb. He’s gone to town and back in terms of ensuring that. Want evidence? Then there’s plenty of that via invoices and photographs in those four history files.

“The only deviation from factory is that this car originally had wire wheels, which were replaced by brand new (correct) steel versions in 2017. To these, I added US-correct wheel-rim trims as I like them; they are correctly fitted with wheel balancing weights inside the rims only”. If, however, the next owner wished to return to wire wheels then they could. 

The hood is also in superb condition and comes with a storage bag and tonneau cover. 

It should come as no surprise that the cabin of this car is in every way just as good as the exterior. “It’s fabulously un-messed with and original”, says the vendor. “Although the carpets are probably more recent. Again, it is correct-for-the-year in every way – the dashboard, controls, gear knob, fixings, etc, etc, etc…”

The radio works but is not currently connected – why would you when you have that beefy straight six to listen to?

There’s no gearbox tunnel lamp although the wiring for one remains intact. “Seat tie-down latches are included but not installed, as they make use of the seatbelts a bit tricky – nobody in 1972 foresaw the use of them, I guess! The blower fan is fouling slightly on its casing and will need a bit of attention. The driver’s seat bolster does have a small tear at the side, which I’ve made look worse with a bit of gaffer tape – sorry!” The last item of note is small beer and something any good trim shop should be able to smarten up, tout suite.

Period-perfect. 

The only real change from original is the fuel pump with the vendor having a full Revington TR Bosch kit fitted (in 2021) to replace the issue-prone original. “I always try to opt for original, but we all learnt about this in the Eighties and accept that it must be done. It’s transformative and a million times more reliable than the original Lucas version”. Good work, because it means no stopping for a bag of frozen peas, as owners often had to do back in the day.

“These cars sound so good through an original mild steel exhaust. The first one lasted 50 years, so I couldn’t see the need for a stainless-steel version”. Check out 3 minutes and 42 seconds into our Video Review below, for a bit of cheeky exhaust fruitiness. 

“With so much of it still original, the lack of hard use over its entire life and the frankly colossal amount of care that has gone into it, it’s no surprise that it is mechanically impressive. It starts as it should, drives straight, smoothly and without any of the bangs and rattles that these cars can suffer from. It sounds amazing and smells like we all remember. The car is set up correctly (for fuel and spark – not an easy task) and is a joy to drive.

“Very rarely, with a certain set of circumstances I can never repeat, the gear lever drops out of 3rd gear. I am told this is easy to solve with the (original) gearbox out, but that’s a job for when a new clutch is required. Gearchanges are stiff and direct, with no slop; there are no signs of wear or strange noises."

The underside is original and unmolested. There’s a touch of dirt and surface rust, but the chassis looks to be in excellent, undamaged condition. Virtually all bushes have been replaced with top quality items, and the rear shock absorbers rebuilt by Revington TR to include a 20 per cent upgrade.

We’re going to struggle to do justice to what is a truly superb history file (x4), here. It is beyond thorough, and our Photo Gallery shows only a small selection of the multitude invoices, photographs, handwritten notes, Owner handbooks, magazines, books and other documentation. Suffice to say, it is very worthwhile flicking through our Gallery. The next owner can then enjoy the rest at their leisure.

We will point out the most important document, which is the British Motor Industry Heritage Trust certificate. This is dated 17th February 2021 and can be examined in the gallery.

Please visit the documents section of the gallery of this listing where you will find photos of the paperwork to support our claim that this has been maintained to an exemplary standard.

Well, well, this is perhaps one of the most exhaustive, detailed auction listings that it has been our pleasure to write. The vendor has provided a wealth of information for you to read, process and consider. 

Be in no doubt that all of it is backed up by a simply superlative example of the TR6 breed, which is presented with wonderful originality by its self-confessed ‘obsessive’ vendor. We’ll refer you again to our consignment specialist Paul Hegarty’s view that this is, “By far, the best driving TR6 I have driven”. He isn’t a chap given to hyperbole, so you can take that as fact.

Given all the above information, the car’s condition and how it drives, we believe that it will realise somewhere between £17,000 and £22,000. Those scandalously low amounts are reflective of just how much of a bargain TR6s remain. To be fair, even if this example goes for well above that, we’d still consider it to be steal. 

Okay, so to the summary: you can buy any Triumph TR6, but why would you, when you can buy this TR6?

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at the Bonhams|Cars Online HQ. Viewings are strictly by appointment. To make a booking, please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, and read our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.