Introduction by Charles
III
In my introduction to the previous edition of this catalogue more than two
years ago, I stated that it was an exciting time to own a TR250 or TR6 sports
car, and this statement is still very true today, although my reasons for making
it may have been modified during the time that has passed.
It has been twenty-eight years since I purchased my first TR6 and almost
that long that I've owned TR250's and TR5's. I can remember a cold evening
in December 1979, soon after I had purchased a pristine 1976 TR6. The car
was parked in the drive at the farm where my parents lived then. The sun was
going down, and the air was very crisp and cold. I came out of the farmhouse
and walked down the drive toward the car, thinking how beautifully the lines of
the car showed in the slanting sunshine. I have always thought the cars were
beautiful, but there has always been something more about them that is not so
easily defined.
When I completed TRF's first TR6 catalogue in the autumn of 1980, almost
every part was still available from Triumph through Unipart. Everything from
hard top kits to trunk lamp switches. And carburettors, fenders, trunnions,
handbrake levers, wiring harnesses, seats, wishbones, tachometers, choke
cables, spoilers, rear valances, wheels, rear axles, differentials, camshafts,
convertible top frames, bumpers, bearings, trunk floors, ignition cables, horns,
crash pads, windscreen frames, pre-bent brake pipes, wood dash panels, lenses,
distributors, fuel gauges, gearshift knobs, seat belts, tonneau covers, fuzzy door
seals, floors, trunk trim panels, door glass channels, gearbox shafts, engine
valves, cylinder blocks, crown wheel and pinion sets, shock absorbers,
thermostats, green water hoses, brake shoes, and hundreds of other
components, plus every clip, screw, washer, bolt, and bracket to put them all
together to make a car. In those days, it was easy to purchase parts and sell
them again, and we at TRF rarely had to consider how these parts had been
designed and manufactured. When I mailed out my first catalogue, the U.S.
enthusiasts beat a path to my door, buying parts to keep cars on the road, cars
used most every day for transportation.
Almost thirty years later, things are very different. Almost no parts remain
available from the original manufacturer, and in fact, the original manufacturer
is no longer in business. Thankfully, British Motor Heritage remains and
continues to manufacture major body panels and many miscellaneous
components. Some parts also remain available from original equipment
