2018-BCD

Triumph
TR6 & TR8
We take a look at the best-selling and last of the traditional Triumph Roadsters celebrating 50 years
and its later iteration, the final Triumph convertible –celebrating 40 years in 2018
by Terence McKillen • Photographs by Dave Sims & Terence McKillen
Introduced a decade apart, the TR6
was the last of the line of body-on-frame
Triumph Roadsters, a series of models
that began with the TR2 back in 1953 and
reached its final evolution with the 150
bhp fuel injected, in-line, six cylinder TR6
(UK and rest of world markets only). The
TR8, like its smaller engined sibling, the
TR7, were of unibody construction and,
like the TR6, were designed specifically for
the North American market. If Triumph’s
standard model naming protocol had
been followed, the TR8 should have been
named the TR7A or TR7B but with the
availability of the Rover (ex-Buick) small
block V8 engine (3.5 L), the designation
TR8 was too good to pass up. Both cars
were acknowledged, in their day, with
acclamation. The TR6 was dubbed the ‘last
of the hairy-chested British sports cars’
and has been a firm favourite for 50 years
while in 1980, Car & Driver commented
that the TR8 represented, “nothing less
than the reinvention of the sports car.”
The TR6
The Triumph TR6 ranks as one of the
most popular British sports cars ever
made. Introduced in 1968, it was
basically a re-skinned TR5, complete
with fuel-injected (not North American
markets), six-cylinder engine mounted
to an IRS chassis. Long-time Triumph
designer, Giovanni Michelotti, was
unavailable at the time so German firm
Wilhelm Karmann GmbH was retained,
producing a sharp redesign but cleverly
utilising the same body tub. Many saw
the ‘Six’ as the last of a breed of macho
British sports cars, and as such was a
fitting replacement for the likes of the
Austin Healey 3000, which had ceased
production in 1968, just before the
TR6’s release.
In period, more TR6s were
produced than any TR model
before it. The last fuel-injected TR6
was made in February 1975, while
production of the ‘Federal’ car continued
on in carburetted format and with everincreasing
emissions strangulation until
July 1976, although in fairness Triumph
managed to hold on to an output of 104-
106 bhp throughout. When it was finally
replaced by the TR7, 94,619 examples
of the Six had rolled off the Canley
production line. A contemporary road test
noted “the protesting creaks and groans
from a chassis which still does not feel
completely rigid on really rough roads.”
Although the Karman designed
body was different from the preceding
TR5 and 4 models, it cleverly was not
as different as first appearances might
suggest. The TR6 essentially received new
front and rear sections while the centre
section remained as the old TR4/5/250.
The German studio redesigned the TR6
to utilise many of the existing body
pressings. The external boot and bonnet
shapes were changed significantly
resulting in more luggage space, however,
the existing scuttle, doors and inner
panels were retained.
The front and back had a more
squared-off look with a matte-black rear
valance
and with
the headlights
moved out to the wing edges,
resulting in a more aggressive appearance
and finally shedding the rounded design
of the earlier TRs. Triumph retained the
2.5 litre in-line six-cylinder engine and
added a front anti-roll bar and wider (5½
J) wheels, the latter giving the car a lower,
leaner look. The contemporary advertising
by Triumph claimed that the “TR6 beats
any previous TR for road holding, and
that’s really saying something.”
In the cockpit, the facia
and trim followed that of the
TR250 except the ammeter
became a voltmeter and the
instruments changed from
the needle hanging down
to being upright and bezels
went back to being chromed.
The ignition key migrated
from a central position on
the facia to the lower side
of the steering column as
a steering lock was added.
Seating
was improved
with contoured and
adjustable bucket seats
with headrests provided
in the Federal specification
models. For some reason, the fuel tank
got smaller, with only a 43 litre capacity
compared to the 53 litres of the TR4A.
The UK CP series (with PI), produced
from 1969 to 1972, had a nominal 150 bhp
output at 5500 rpm. The corresponding
North American models, the CC series
(twin carb) had a nominal output of 106
bhp at 4900 rpm. The 1973 to 1976 UK
BCD 8 www.BritishCarDay.com September 16, 2018 • British Car Day Programme
Ragtop I Summer I 2013 www.TorontoTriumph.com 9