experts auto cars: Triumph TR6

Triumph TR6

70's, British, british cars, sports car, Triumph TR6 12:45 PM

The Triumph TR6 (1969–76) is a British six-cylinder sports car and the best-seller of the TR range built by Triumph when production ended in July 1976. This record was then surpassed by the TR7. Of the 94,619 TR6s produced, 86,249 were exported; only 8,370 were sold in the UK.[3]

The bodywork closely resembled that of the previous model, the Triumph TR5, but the front and back ends were squared off, reportedly based on a consultancy contract involving Karmann.[4]

All TR6 sports cars featured inline six-cylinder engines. For the US market the engine was carburetted, as had been the US-only TR250 engine. Like the TR5, the TR6 was fuel-injected for other world markets including the United Kingdom, hence the TR6PI (petrol-injection) designation. The Lucas mechanical fuel injection system helped the home-market TR6 produce 150 bhp (112 kW) at model introduction. Later the non-US TR6 variant was detuned to 125 bhp (93 kW) in order for it to be easier to drive, while the US variant continued to be carburetted with a mere (but more reliable) 104 hp (78 kW).

The TR6 featured a four-speed manual transmission. An optional overdrive unit was a desirable feature because it gave drivers close gearing for aggressive driving with overdrive available on 2nd, 3rd and top gears on early models, yet "long legs" for open motorways. TR6 also featured semi-trailing arm independent rear suspension, rack and pinion steering, 15-inch (380 mm) wheels and tires, pile carpet on floors and trunk/boot, bucket seats, and a full complement of instrumentation. Braking was accomplished by disc brakes at the front and drum brakes at the rear. A factory steel hard top was optional. TR6 construction was fundamentally old-fashioned: the body was bolted onto a frame instead of the two being integrated into a unibody structure; the TR6 dashboard was wooden (plywood w/ veneer).