1969 Triumph TR6

The first bit of good news with the early (1969) yellow example that's up for grabs here is that you'll have no trouble with the fuel injection system because it doesn't have one. It's an American-spec left-hand-drive car with the twin Stromberg carbs. In standard trim, that means lower horsepower than the injected 6, but there are three big pluses with the carbed cars: better reliability, less complexity, and – for the inveterate tinkerer – good options for extracting more power down the line. As they stand these US-spec cars make great boulevard cruisers.

Current owner Mark has had a few TRs in his time. The strong knowledge base he's built up on them over the years gives him a head start when it comes to knowing which cars to invest in. He specialises in solid, everyday examples with non-stratospheric price tags and that nice mix of usability and improvability many of us are looking for.

Mark imported two TR6s from the US in 2018. He sold his other one, a maroon car, through The Market a little earlier this year to Holland. Just type TR6 into our search function at the top of the page if you'd like to take a look at it.

This yellow one isn't quite as smart as that one but it's not far off. It has quite a few new parts: it also has a few, mainly cosmetic, issues. Some might describe it as average, a word that's acquired slightly negative connotations these days, but if you take the literal definition of the word 'average' to be something between the best and the worst you'd be about right.

Your best plan would of course be to come along to Abingdon and take a look at it for yourself, but there are no real worries if you're not able to do that because Mark has commissioned an impartial inspection of the car. You can see that report in full in the Gallery below. We'll pick out some of the car's key aspects for you here to give you an overview on it.

There is some evident 'frilliness' to some of the lower panels and a little bubbling to the rear valance, but in general terms the car's recently resprayed 50-year-old bodywork is holding up very well.

The fit of the front and rear wings wouldn't generate too many points in a concours event, and the sills will need replacing at some point as there is corrosion, splitting and filler in this area. You can pick up more detail from our photos and the inspector's report, but it's worth noting his comment that there was nothing to stop the car being used 'as is'. It's also heartening to see that the car passed an MOT test in November 2019 with no advisories.

You'll find light stone chipping around the offside headlamp and on the leading edge of the offside front wheelarch – nothing that can't be sorted in a spare half hour. The chrome (including that of the handy bootlid luggage rack) is rather better than average, and the paint is generally fine too although there is a slight colour mismatch on the passenger side door, which has a handful of chips on its trailing edge.

The painted wire wheels are in very good shape, as are the Dunlop Signature tyres. The windscreen is new, as is the vinyl hood, so no leaks. Interestingly there's a lock on the bonnet. Perhaps a previous owner felt the need to safeguard his Strombergs. It's something we've all felt at one time or another…

The phrase that best sums up this Triumph's cabin would be 'normal use'. You can smell the late Sixties in there, and not in a bad way. You'll never be afraid of hopping in with a leaky bag of takeaway on the seat: it's not that sort of car. It's a car for driving and using.

Having said that, Mark has had a new dash fitted, along with a new smaller steering wheel from Rimmers. 'I'm very tall and couldn't get my legs under the old one,' he reports. The smaller wheel does the car's butch image no harm at all as it adds weight to the already meaty steering. If you're not quite as tall as Mark you could of course reinstate the old wheel. 'If they wanted to remove the Autopower roll bar, that would allow the seats to go further back and free up some more leg room,' says Mark.

Although the carpets are a little bit worn and could do with a bit of tidying up at the edges, the seat material has valiantly come through half a century with no apparent rips or tears.  

Based on the independent report and the MOT test, this TR6's underlying structure – a ladder chassis with fully independent rear suspension – would appear to be sound. There's some minor chipping to the sealant on the chassis legs but overall the protection seems to have done its job. The suspension components look fresh and dry as do the hoses and brakes, which have rust-free lines. We presume it fits the California stereotype where cars struggle to rust.

Fitted with electronic ignition, the engine starts first time and runs smoothly with a healthy rort from the quad-end-piped exhaust. The engine has excellent emissions (hopefully you'll be able to see a video of that in the Gallery) and runs on unleaded. A slight oiliness on the sump shouldn't be too much cause for concern as there are no actual drips to be seen. The gearbox works well, the vendor reports none of the whining that these transmissions can sometimes exhibit.

Mark engaged a specialist to recondition the Stromberg carbs and fit an adjustment kit so there's now plenty of twiddling fun to be had. Mechanically speaking it's absolutely fine as it is, the engineer picking up no odd noises, and you should be aware that there is plenty of tuning potential with these motors. Popular mods include skimming the cylinder head and fitting a new cam or high-lift rocker arms. Mark would be delighted to pass on hints and tips if requested.

A new clutch slave cylinder has been added. The system may need a quick inspection as here at Abingdon we've noticed that two or three pumps of the pedal are required to firm it up when the car has been sitting overnight, but once on the move there are no problems.

A whole new dash-forward electrical loom has been installed, and if you like a powerful hooter you'll enjoy the piercing blast of the twin Fiamm air horns.

There isn't much in the way of paperwork with this car, but you do get the essential bits that you need to get out there on the road (V5 and MOT - not that you even need the MOT). The independent engineer's report goes a long way towards making up for that, however. You might even think it's preferable to a collection of 30-year-old receipt for light bulbs and brake pads. After all, it paints a picture of what the car is like now, not what it was like at a time when hipsters described trousers rather than people. 

A lower estimate of £7000 brings this TR6 well within the ambit of a wider audience. There'll be work to do on it at whatever point you deem appropriate, but the vast majority of that work falls into the 'desirable' rather than the 'necessary' category. Current owner Mark is more than happy to provide after-sales advice to the new owner. It is a No Reserve sale, bought from the first bid.

We always encourage viewings. This Triumph is located here at The Market HQ in Abingdon. Just click the ‘Contact Seller’ button at the top of the listing to arrange an appointment. Ahead of that, or at any time during the process, you’re more than welcome to ask any questions or jot down observations in the comments section below. You won’t be shocked to hear that our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’ section will answer general questions that are frequently asked about how The Market works.

Also please note that we have a network of trusted suppliers with whom we work regularly and successfully: Classic & Sportscar Finance for purchase-financing, Thames Valley Car Storage for storing your car, AnyVan for transporting it, and Footman James for classic car insurance.

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.