Modern Classic: 1969 Triumph TR6

To qualify as "modern classics," we're choosing vehicles that are comparatively affordable now and that we think will increase in value over time. These are cars that many people would love to have: head-turners, trend-setters in their time, cars that people still see that make them smile, cars that were definitive in their own right, stylish and fun to drive. We're focusing on cars that are at least 25 years old so they can be registered and insured cheaply and aren't subject to annual inspections.


Tastes may vary, as may people's own definitions of "affordable." Our theoretical limit is $50,000 for a car in good to excellent condition, which rules out many of the traditional exotics. This month's selection is the 1969 Triumph TR6.


Fancy a wind-in-your-face vintage British sports roadster, but think you can't afford one? Here's a bargain that'll change your mind the moment you hear the throaty burble from its twin tailpipes.

History
Truth is, by the time Triumph's brawny TR6 appeared in 1969, it was virtually obsolete, but that's just part of its charm. Look closely and you can see outlines of the old, Michelotti-designed, 1961 TR4's bodyshell. The talented Michelotti was busy doing British Leyland family cars, so Germany's Karmann (of Karmann-Ghia fame) did the facelift. Karmann did its best—stretching the overhangs, flattening the hood, and widening the grille and headlamps—but they couldn't do much about that traditional narrow cockpit. The earlier car's few curves gave way to 1970's-style angularity, hence the TR6's then-fashionable Kamm-chopped tail and matte-black rear counter. A new, one-piece, optional, removable hardtop replaced the TR 4/4A/5's two-piece, targa-like Surrey top, but purists usually settled for the standard version.


In typical British fashion, Triumph did skimp a bit on technical updates. The TR6 benefited from a new front anti-roll bar and wider steel wheels (wires would be optional for a while longer). However, the chassis—independent suspension all around, with unequal-length A-arms and coils in front, semi-trailing arms, vintage-style lever shocks(!), and coil springs in the rear—was a TR5/TR250 hand-me-down. So were the sturdy front discs and rear drums. The 2498-cc, long-stroke, inline OHV six, by far the biggest engine in its class, was a carryover too. Lucky Brits got a lusty 150-bhp Lucas fuel-injected version—emissions-sensitive Yanks had to make do with twin Stromberg carbs and 104 bhp. (For 1972-73, it was bumped to 106 bhp, and then it dropped to a pathetic 101 till the model's end.)