1969 Triumph TR250

This is a late TR250, first registered in 1969 though the model supposedly ceased production in September 1968, in anticipation of the new TR6. It was bought in Canada in 2015 by the vendor, who was living there at the time. He imported it in 2018 when it was registered on an appropriate ‘G’ plate, and it’s lived in the garage ever since, bar bouts of regular exercise.

The vendor was told the car received a rotisserie restoration in Canada in the late 1990s but no printed record of this survives in the history file. Indeed, the paper history only really exists from the vendor’s ownership. Examination of the shell, the chassis and the very thorough re-paint certainly supports the tale of the restoration.

It presents nicely with the distinctive TR 250 nose-band decal in silver. The interior trim shows a few scuffs and repairs here and there but overall the car is smart, clean and solid. It starts and runs extremely well. It remains left-hand drive, of course, but as an accessible entry to those most desirable classic Triumphs - the six-cylinder TRs - it’s hard to beat.

Reasons for sale? The vendor and his wife are retired and are finding it less easy to spring into and out of a low-slung TR than they once did. In fact, they’ve recently bought a Mercedes from TheMarket.co.uk, so the TR 250 needs a new home.

First impressions are excellent, thanks to the car’s attractive colour and its purposeful stance on those spotless Minilite-style Matador alloys. It wears Continental 165/80 15s at the rear and some Dunlop SPs on the front that are showing signs of age in the sidewalls.

The car’s paint code, 66, corresponds to Triumph Valencia Blue, which is usually a little darker and less like French Racing Blue than this example. Nonetheless, it looks very appealing and is generally in fine condition, bar the odd stonechip near the nose and a little bald spot on the nearside rear wheel arch.

The badges are present and correct, the trim strips and lamp lenses are undamaged and the chrome varies from very good (front bumper and over-riders) to rather pitted and elderly (back bumper and over-riders). None of it is rusty though, and it’s all still good enough to produce an appealing shine.

Panel fit and door gaps are impressive, another sign that the body has been professionally restored. On the whole, it’s a big thumbs-up from out here: this one’s going to turn heads!

The interior is best described as having an original feel, which means seats with the odd minor scuff and instrument bezels that are starting to lose their paint. The steering wheel’s leatherette wrap is an aftermarket touch from years gone by, and if it were ours we’d get rid of it, but it does provide a satisfying cushioned grip.

The convertible top is looking a little worn with a gaffer-tape repair to the upper corner behind the passenger’s head. The frame has some surface rust and although it all fits and functions, replacing the top and smartening up the frame is probably the biggest single improvement the next owner could make. Then again, who needs a roof? Go out on sunny days and if the heavens open, put your foot down…

The carpets and mats are worn in, but not damaged or dirty, though the door cards are having a little wobble at the edges. There is no hood-bag or tonneau cover but there is a fitted, tailored car cover that accompanies the TR. In the boot, we find more fresh paint and two intact fibreboard panels, one closing off the fuel tank and the other over the spare wheel, which is a steel item shod with an elderly Dunlop.

The heater functions and the instruments all work, even down to the dash-light dimmer. We’ve done a fair bit of nit-picking here but the overall impression is good: there’s nothing to stop you jumping straight in and enjoying it.

The Triumph straight six starts obediently on the first touch of the key and settles to a nice, smooth idle. It revs with no worrying noises, responding crisply to the throttle and sending a distinctly sporty growl out of the twin exhausts.

Triumph TRs are quite firm and hard-riding; we’re at the hairy-chested end of the sports car spectrum here. That translates into neat handling, especially with this one, which feels a lot more planted than many old TRs. Overdrive functions properly on second, third and fourth gear - who needs a modern car to get seven forward ratios?

The engine bay is presentable and with a fastidious clean of the shiny rocker cover and other bare metal surfaces it could be even better. Replacing the odd perished hose (the breather pipe, for example) would finish the job.

It’s underneath that this car really scores. The best reason for buying North American Triumphs is the much lower incidence of corrosion and after its restoration this one looks dry and sound in every area: sills, floors, wheel arch lips, door bottoms and the separate chassis itself. We only found evidence of one repair, an area of the main rail under the nearside driveshaft well covered with fresh seam sealer.

Although the bills from the restoration are missing there are some encouraging documents from more recent times. Starting with last week, when the car passed an MoT - not necessary for a car of this age but very reassuring. Advisories consisted only of minor play in the steering rack and a small oil leak, but hey…it’s a 1960s Triumph. The vendor says it goes from one annual service to the next without needing the oil topped up so the drip must be tiny.

As well as the MoT, the V5C and the import documentation, there are a few receipts for service work and repairs including a new clutch and differential in 2016 and new front brakes last year.

Also with the car you’ll find sundry spares in the boot - lamps, filters etc - many still in boxes.

This is how classic British sports cars are meant to be: not concours-perfect, just sound and smart and useable. Many TRs had aged more than this by the time they were three years old, never mind more than 50.

The lack of earlier history and especially the restoration records is a frustration, though sadly all too common to American and Canadian-sourced cars, so it’s one to buy on condition. The left-hand steering, the modest history file and the carb-fed engine are the reasons it might not fetch as much as a home-market TR5 PI, but do they matter when you’re belting down a B-road on a summer’s day? Nope.

We think this exciting TR will sell for between £16,000 and £20,000. That’s less than you’d pay for a right-hand drive TR6 this nice, and about half what would be asked for a RHD TR5 PI in equivalent condition. This car is mechanically and structurally strong but with scope for gradual cosmetic improvement. Buy it, drive it, enjoy it and smarten it up as you go along.

Viewing is always encouraged, within Govt. guidelines of course, and this particular car is located with us in Abingdon. To arrange an appointment 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, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.