1971 Triumph TR6

This car was manufactured in June 1971 and first supplied to British Leyland Motor Inc. in Jacksonville, Florida, but eventually made its way to Winchester, Virginia. A copy of the Certificate of Title from that State is retained in the car’s history file.

It was then imported back to the UK in 1992 and converted to right hand drive over the course of the following two years. Still painted in the same Laurel Green colour it left the factory with in 1971, although clearly repainted at least once, it now sports a black vinyl interior rather than its original New Tan.

As an emissions-conscious US-spec car the engine would have had reduced power of 104bhp compared to the contemporary UK car’s 150bhp - however this car has had the Zenith Strombergs replaced with SU carburetors and we can report that the engine runs beautifully and sounds oh-so sweet.

The vendor has owned the car since 2014 and has kept it garaged when not in use, only taking it out on a handful of sunny days each year but thoroughly enjoying the experience. He is selling to make some garage space for another project.

The car comes with a history file, a number of manuals and two keys.

The dark Laurel Green bodywork looks like it has been repainted within the last 10-15 years and is in a solid condition. If you look more closely, you will see an orange peel effect across the lower panels, especially the doors, but such imperfections could be forgiven as more authentic to how it may have left the Canley factory back in the day.

The body panels are largely straight, and gaps and shutlines, whilst not perfect, are pretty good for a car like this. There are a few small areas needing attention soon - a relatively new scratch on the passenger door sill, paint starting to bubble on the joint between the top panels on the nearside, paint cracking in the scuttle to nearside wing joint, rust starting to appear on the driver door base and a tiny patch of corrosion starting on the leading edge of the nearside front wing above the headlamp. None of these should be cause for concern but “a stitch in time” and all that.

The folding hood is relatively new, only 5 years old, and with the car having been garaged and only driven a couple of thousand miles since, both the mohair roof and tonneau cover are in good condition and function correctly.

The chromework around the car is sound and bright with just slight surface pitting and abrasions in places on the bumpers, as you would expect for a car of this age. The luggage rack, so characteristic of a classic British roadster, also appears in good, usable order. Window rubbers, door seals and other perishable trim items are also in a reasonable condition.

The 15” minilite wheels present well, just a very small ding in the rim of the rear offside, and they’re all shod with matching Yokohama rubber which have good tread depth.

Note: We know that you will be limiting your social exposure over the coming days and weeks, so please give us a call and we can shoot a personal video of the car honing in on any areas you’d like us to concentrate on. Or, even better, contact us with your mobile number and we can set up a WhatsApp video call, where you can direct us in real-time.

As part of the conversion to right hand drive in the early ‘90s, the dash top, wood veneer instrument panel and Moto-lita steering wheel were replaced with new items. The original interior was New Tan (an orangey brown) but has been replaced by what appear to be OEM black vinyl seats, trims and door cards and black carpets. Although dark green and tan is having a resurgence at present, the black interior probably appeals to a broader audience. Additional TR6 floor mats are included and serve to protect the carpet from damage.

The Smiths instruments are in top class condition. They were removed, recalibrated and their dials and indexes repainted a few years back and they now sit very well in the wooden dash. No radio is fitted, although there is provision for one behind a blanking plate in the centre console. To be honest, when you’ve got the top down (which is why you’d have a TR6) the sound of the wind and the tuneful exhaust will be entertaining enough.

The seats are in good condition, although like the centre console, handbrake and gearstick gaiter they could be improved further by a bit of recolouring. Both seats are fitted with inertia-reel, over-the-shoulder seat belts. 

It is understood that the heater is currently not working - a new one may be required although the vendor hasn’t yet got round to diagnosing the problem - but are you seriously contemplating taking this out on a day that you’d need cabin heat?

Under the bonnet, the engine bay is in reasonable condition for the age of the car - it’s something that maybe could be tidied and improved with some careful cleaning and paint touching up if the new owner happens to find themselves stuck at home with time on their hands. The engine and ancillaries all appear in fine fettle though so any work would likely be cosmetic. The front-hinged bonnet itself is in good order and appears rust free.

Whilst the underbody and wheel arches have been recently wire brushed and re-undersealed with a rubberised coating and therefore appear in good solid condition, the suspension components and linkages are sound but showing a little surface rust. Their presentation could be greatly improved by a light rubbing down and application of some suitable black paint where appropriate. The stainless exhaust seems in good order, it certainly sounds like it, and is unlikely to trouble a new owner for many years.

Inside the boot the carpet lining is intact and in good order, underneath there is a full-sized spare minilite wheel fitted with an older tyre which might be worth updating as you never know when you might need to use it. A jack and wheel brace are also stowed here. The floor of the boot appears in a good condition and free of rust. Luggage capacity is further enhanced by the boot mounted rack - perfect for the wicker picnic hamper. The underside of the boot lid itself presents well with only light surface rust around common places like the hinges and catch.

Following this TR6’s import into the UK in 1992 on a Q-plate the car underwent what we believe was a home-conversion to right hand drive over a two year period - invoices for parts and costs were well documented by the then owner, a Mr Lees-Collier. The car was then re-registered with its current age-appropriate UK plate.

Since then the car has undergone a number of part-restorations and improvements - the more recent of which are shown by invoices in the history file including:-

New chassis and engine rebuild 2014, new hood 2014, new rear light clusters and side indicators 2016, Smiths gauges repainted and recalibrated 2016 (odometer reset at around 79,000 miles), new steering rack 2017, wire brush rust removal and underseal 2017, carb balancing and timing 2017, new clutch 2018.

Also done at some point in the car’s history but timing unknown were a conversion from Strombergs to SU carbs and the replacement of the original New Tan vinyl interior with what look to be original Triumph black seats, door cards and carpets, presumably from a donor vehicle.

According to DVSA, the car’s last MOT expired in January 2018 and although exempt by virtue of its age (even with the LHD to RHD conversion less than 30 years ago), we would strongly encourage the new owner to have it tested at the earliest opportunity. The cost of an MOT is a small investment when offset against the purchase and upkeep of any classic car, and it gives an independent, third-party assessment of the car’s condition, which not only provides reassurance to the owner and any subsequent purchasers but is also invaluable in the event of a bump when negotiating with the police and any interested insurance companies.

As we’ve already mentioned, the engine on this TR6 runs beautifully and sounds very sweet with a pleasant exhaust note, testament no doubt to a full retune a few years back and careful ownership since. On the short test drive we managed, the car certainly wasn’t lacking any power, there were no unexpected rattles and the steering pointed the wheels exactly where we wanted to go - things you can’t always say about every classic.

Enthusiasts’ enduring interest in keeping the TR6 alive, allied to the robustness of the car itself, is reflected in the fact that more than 4000 cars are still registered for the road here in the UK; rising by over 500 in the last two years. Another 1000 or so are SORN, telling us that restoration projects are still very much an ongoing part of the TR6 story. Winter drops in TR6 values are always followed by rises in the spring. The overall trend is up.

We’ve sold several TR6s and whilst this isn’t the strongest example we’ve seen, it is better than some, so we feel its value lies around the average for the model, somewhere between £12,000 and £15,000.

With a ready supply of parts and in the hands of someone with only basic skills, this very driveable, early ‘70s classic, would offer the perfect opportunity for a spot of self-isolated tinkering and fettling over the coming weeks and (we hope) a glorious return to the roads in the summer.

This particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.

If needed, please remember we have a network of trusted suppliers we work with regularly and can recommend: Classic & Sportscar Finance for purchase-financing, Footman James for classic car insurance Thames Valley Car Storage for storing your car and AnyVan for transporting it.

BORING, but IMPORTANT: Please note that whilst we at The Market always aim to offer the most descriptive and transparent auction listings available, we cannot claim they are perfect analyses of any of the vehicles for sale. We offer far greater opportunity for bidders to view, or arrange inspections for each vehicle thoroughly prior to bidding than traditional auctions, and we never stop encouraging bidders to take advantage of this. We do take a good look at the vehicles delivered to our premises for sale, but this only results in our unbiased personal observations, not those of a qualified inspector or other professional, or the result of a long test drive.

Additionally, please note that most of the videos on our site have been recorded using simple cameras which often result in 'average' sound quality; in particular, engines and exhausts notes can sound a little different to how they are in reality.

Please note that this is sold as seen and that, as is normal for used goods bought at auction, the Sale of Goods Act 1979 does not apply. See our FAQs for more info, and feel free to inspect any vehicle as much as you wish.