1974 Triumph TR6

First things first.

This has to be one of the very best TR6s out there.

Normally, you can look at an older restoration and guess fairly accurately at its age.

There’ll be a bit of fading here, some creases and wear there, and some flapping trim, tarnished chrome or scuffed paint elsewhere.

When we read that this restoration dates from 2011 we assumed it must be a misprint, because this very shiny and fresh-looking beast looks like it only left the Triumph showroom a year or two ago, never mind the restorer’s workshop. 

It has 51,454 miles on the clock, a low figure that can be mostly attributed to the fact that it was laid-up and in storage for some 35 years before Eclectic Cars of Oxfordshire got hold of it and worked their considerable magic on it in 2011 - at which point it was recorded as having covered just 42,000 miles.

Thankfully, Eclectic Cars not only did a superb job of restoring the car, they also fastidiously recorded and photographed every aspect of the restoration and even created a printed hardback book to present to the first post-restoration owner.

TPX 893M left the factory as a ‘Carmine Red’ CR specification car with a tan interior. 

It is now the magnificent shade of Triumph Royal Blue and has a black mohair hood and a black interior with leather seats and a sumptuously rich and glossy burr walnut dashboard.

During the body-off, ground-up restoration everything that needed refreshing, refurbishing or replacing was refreshed, refurbished or replaced as appropriate. 

Now with an unleaded, 150bhp CP-spec cylinder head, the car has a Bosch fuel pump, high-torque starter motor, stainless steel exhaust, full Waxoyl treatment, poly-bushed suspension and thoroughly fettled brakes, drivetrain, engine…and everything else. 

It has recently had a new clutch fitted, plus a new horn, radiator shroud, rocker cover and sun visors.

The vendor, who has owned the car since 2020, is only selling because personal circumstances mean that it’s now become rather surplus to requirements.

From 50 metres away this car looks absolutely wonderful.

Ditto from 10 metres.

Get up close and press your nose against the bodywork, however, and it’s even better.

It is nothing short of jaw-dropping in the excellence of its presentation and preservation. 

It must have a picture of a decrepit and shabby version of itself in an attic somewhere.

The bodywork is untroubled by any dinks or dents of significance and the glossy blue paintwork is really very good indeed pretty much everywhere you choose to rest your gaze.

The shut lines and gaps are impressively crisp, consistent and even. Probably more so than when the car left the factory.

The chrome is in first-rate order all round.

The mohair hood, trim, badging, lights, lenses and other exterior fixtures and fittings are all in fine fettle.

The chrome-rimmed wheels seem wholly unacquainted with kerbs or other hazards and the white wall tyres look to have a great deal of life left in them.

Basically, the car’s condition is extraordinary even for its very low mileage, let alone its age.

There are a few light swirly scratches on top of the front wings, but they look like the sort that would capitulate without a fight if threatened with a decent machine polisher. 

There are one or two stone chips on the forward-facing aspects of the rear wheel arches and a small patch of lumpy paint on top of the o/s/f wing.

That’s it. Everything else is minty fresh and squeaky clean.

You won’t be surprised to learn that the inside is every bit as impressive as its exterior counterpart.

The black leather upholstery is barely troubled by any creases worthy of the name and looks to be decades away from earning any meaningful patina. 

The seats are as comfortable, supportive and functional as you’d like. 

The carpets and mats are fine. 

So, too, are the door cards and roof lining. 

The wood veneers on the dashboard and inserts are beyond reproach.

There is a small split to the vinyl trim to the right of the dashboard where it meets the driver’s door.

We didn’t flick every switch, press every button or twiddle every knob, but those we did flick, press and twiddle responded faithfully to our instructions.

The vendor tells us that he tends to always keep the petrol tank at the full end of the spectrum as he’s not entirely sure he can trust the accuracy of the fuel gauge. 

The boot, unsurprisingly, is every bit as good as the rest of it. 

The engine bay is in equally fine fettle and looks as clean, dry and healthy as you’d like. 

We’d give it 5 stars on a food hygiene rating, never mind a mechanic’s report. 

The car’s undersides look to have all the structural integrity you’d hope to find, but there is some rust to be seen here and there and you’ll no doubt want to gauge for yourself the extent to which it’s just surface rust or something more progressive.

The car comes with a clear HPI check, a current V5, two sets of keys and an owners’ handbook. 

It also comes with a big file of invoices, bills and receipts and loads of info pertaining to its restoration.

Not least among the latter is a hard-backed book that looks to be rather thicker and more detailed than anything Eammon Andrews ever handed over on ‘This is Your Life’. 

We’ve seen lots of TR6s come and go over the years.

Some, inevitably, are better than others.

This, we’re confident, is the best we’ve yet seen.

We are happy to offer this vehicle for auction with an estimate in the range of £25,000 - £30,000.

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’.