Yes, there are people who drive TR6s as daily drivers. I even covered a local guy in my syndicated column...originally printed in 2002 -
https://www.apexstrategy.com/sc/76tr6.html
Triumph TR6 proves itself a reliable daily driver
Sound Classics -- by Sam Barer
Here at Sound Classics, we have a great respect for all those who drive their classic cars, rather than let them sit like museum pieces. For those like Bill Jacobs, who drive their classics as a daily driver, we downright revere their car-craziness. No matter what the weather, Jacobs drives his gorgeous, red 1976 Triumph TR6, one of the last TR6s off the production line, to his job as an Investment Representative for Edward Jones in Tumwater, WA each day.
Back in 1998 Jacobs, who had previously owned a 1961 Triumph TR-3B, decided he wanted to again own a car from the defunct Coventry, England marque. Looking through the classifieds in the next morning’s The Olympian, he found a listing for this car. Despite peeling original brown paint, destroyed interior and soft-top, and rust around fenders and sills, he bought the car.
It took Jacobs and his son, Scott, three months to get the car to what he describes as “respectable.” They installed a new tan interior and top, then outsourced the paint and body work to Little Rock Autobody, where the car was repainted to simulate Triumph’s traditional Signal Red. The engine was later rebuilt as well.
During the restoration, Jacobs made a deal with his son: if Scott could get As and Bs he’d get to drive the car on Fridays to high school, or for straight As, it was both Fridays and Mondays. Scott pulled a four-point the remainder of high school. Jacobs figures the amount he spent to purchase and restore the TR6 has been eclipsed by the savings from Scott’s college academic scholarships.
With Scott in college, the little red Triumph is again in Jacobs’ hands as a full-time commuter. This is impressive, not only because his car is now over 25 years old, but also because the TR6 was considered out-of-date when the model debuted in 1969. Due to Triumph’s financial problems, the TR6 was more evolution than revolution. The body-on-frame layout was strikingly similar to the design of the 1954 TR-2, Triumph’s first small, robust roadster. The independent-rear-suspension and inline six -cylinder 104hp engine were carryovers from the 1965 TR-4A and 1968 TR-250 respectively. Coachbuilder Karmann was hired to perform a quick, inexpensive freshening of the Michelotti-penned bodywork used throughout TR-4 and TR-250 production. So similar was the new model to its predecessor that even Triumph’s 1969 TR6 factory-sponsored racecar was, in fact, just their previous season’s TR-250 with the updated body panels affixed.
The TR6 is a lesson in British roadster minimalism. The vinyl-trimmed cockpit is narrow, but offers nicely supportive bucket seats. Ample head and legroom exists for anyone too short to be a center in the NBA. The wood dash is dominated by easy to read Smith gauges including speedometer, tach, oil pressure, fuel, temperature and amps. The top, or hood, as the British say, isn’t nearly watertight, but it’s the Lucas electrical system, legendary for failure with moisture that suggests you’d best be driving in the sunlight. While many British car owners have been stranded without lights, windshield wipers or even ignition, (they didn’t call Lucas “The Prince of Darkness” for nothing!) Jacobs’ car has been remarkably reliable.
Pulling the manual choke and turning the key brings the engine to life. Slot the 4-speed shifter up and to the left for first and let out the clutch. Unlike the TR-250, which requires Herculean-effort, the clutch action is easy and smooth, making the TR6 one of the easiest cars on which to learn to drive a manual transmission.
The loud growl from the exhaust is addictive and perfectly capable of setting off car alarms. The low-end torque and 5200RPM shift-point are courtesy of the engine’s tractor roots. At ten seconds to 60MPH, it’s no muscle car, but small dimensions makes it feel like one from the driver’s seat.
Handling in the TR6 is abysmal by modern standards. Steering is nicely weighted, but cranking the wheel at speed produces more body-flex than a yoga instructor. The painfully dated rear lever-arm shocks just can’t keep up with bumps, as well. The car predictably goes from front-end push to extreme oversteer with throttle input.
Compared to its contemporaries, this car is darn fun. It doesn’t feel diluted like others of its era. Today, as in 1976, the TR6 is for a different type of person, like Bill Jacobs, who enjoys a beautiful car that forgoes technology and luxury for constant driving entertainment.
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