1968 Triumph TR250

Convertible

6 - Cyl.

Manual

Gasoline

If you're reading this listing, you probably know what a TR250 is. In case you don't, here's a bit, courtesy of another seller (it's too complete not to steal): A little bit of history about the TR250: Among all the great stories of British car industry ineptitude, the genesis of the Triumph TR250 must rank among the best. Triumph had planned to replace the TR4A in the summer of 1967 with the car that eventually became known as the TR6. However, as legend has it, the Germans at Karmann who handled the development of the new model supplied all the tooling specifications in metric units. Unfortunately, the Brits were still employing the English system, and the resultant conversion not only taxed Triumph's slide rules, but also delayed the TR6 launch. Thus the hastily designed TR250 was pushed out the door in its place, destined to live for just a single model year. It was based on the same Giovanni Michelotti-styled TR4 body that dated back to 1961, but with an important change. In place of the TR4A's agricultural 2.2-liter four-cylinder, the TR250 got a smooth-revving inline six, essentially a stroked version of the motor found in the Triumph 2000 sedans. Calling this new powerplant "understressed" is just a kind way of calling it underachieving. In a feat seldom matched by modern engine designers, Triumph engineers nearly attained a less-than-coveted output of fifty hp per liter. With an additional 300 cc of displacement and two more cylinders than the four-cylinder unit it replaced, the inline six managed only six more horsepower (111 hp vs. 105). At least torque was improved, from 128 to 152 lb-ft. Even in carbureted form, the new six was a pleasant engine. Creamy smooth and with abundant torque, it could propel the TR250 to 60 mph in about ten seconds, pretty much on par with a Healey 3000. The exhaust note is also up there with the all-time British greats. Behind the wheel, the TR250 is quite a nice car as far as British sports cars go. The seats are comfortable and offer decent support, and the cockpit, although narrow, is reasonably accommodating for two average-sized people. Happily, little engine heat invades the interior. The full complement of Smiths gauges, although minus the chrome rings of earlier cars, is still handsome. Unexpectedly, face-level ventilation in the form of two "eyeball" vents on the dash provides welcome relief on warm days. The dash itself, while changed to a matte finish for "safety" reasons, is still a real plank of wood. No tacky rubber-and-vinyl injustice suffered here like that on the post-1967 MGB. While the TR250 inherited as standard the optional independent rear suspension from the TR4A, don't expect it to perform like a modern multi-link setup. The car still points its nose skyward under acceleration and dives on braking, and the ride is fairly bouncy. On the positive side, the servo-assisted front disc and rear drum brakes are more than adequate. The car is a great around-town driver, though overdrive is a nice option to have for higher-speed cruising. Spare parts are not a problem with this model. Nearly everything is available, and committed suppliers even reproduce items such as the unique green radiator hoses that the cars came with when new. The future collectibility of the TR250 is an interesting question. Most attention in naming the heir apparent to the Big Healeys has been focused on the TR6, the obvious next British sports car that should see serious appreciation. I'm not sure, however, that I agree-and the reason is the TR250. British Leyland built 92,000 TR6s in a production run that ended less than 30 years ago. Furthermore, Karmann did such a competent job designing the TR6 that it barely looks dated today. This means it lacks much of the vintage charm of a Healey or MGA. The TR250, however, is another story. The safety regulations of 1967 didn't hurt it badly, and the six-cylinder makes it an infinitely better car than its well-regarded older sister, the TR4A. The short tailfins, vestigial hood bulge, and full-wheel cutouts give it a tough look that's firmly rooted in the early sixties. Combine this with at total production run of about 8400 and its single-year-only status and I think the TR250 is a real sleeper, the best alternative to spending forty or fifty large on a Healey 3000. This TR250 This TR250 was included in a friend's house purchase. I'm helping her sell so she can have a little more room in her garage. I don't know a lot about the history but I'll do my best to describe the car and its condition. I'm an ASE certified master technician and I own a German specialty garage so I know a bit about cars, just not a ton about TR250s. I really don't have any idea what the mileage on the TR is. The previous owner did the majority of the restoration work. The overall condition is really quite nice. I can find only a bit of surface rust on the underbody which you can see in the pictures. The restoration isn't complete but the car runs and drives nicely. I think the biggest unfinished area is lighting. The headlights and one tail light work. The blinker system sounds like it's working but not of the turn signals flash. The engine runs very well. It's smooth and never fails to start. The starter/battery/alternator are all in fine shape. I had it in storage at my shop all winter and it fired right up in the spring without requiring a battery charge. It has the usual dual SU carbs but they seem to work better than most I've come in contact with. I've driven it on several occasions and I'm quite impressed with the power. It has a chrome valve cover and is nicely painted. The body is also in very good shape. It has been repainted in its original yellow and I think the repaint job is just so-so. If you're planning to show this car, you can plan on a full sanding and repaint. The driver and passenger floorboards and footwells are in great shape with no rust whatsoever. The chassis is in very good condition with a couple of exceptions. It does have the desirable Spax adjustable hydraulic damper conversion on the rear but I think the Spax dampers have disgorged themselves of their fluid. So, it's a bit bouncy at the rear. There's also something slightly amiss with the left rear trailing arm. Seems the left rear has slightly more positive camber than the right rear. Finally, the rear differential and half-shafts have a fair amount of slack to them, resulting in some drive line lash. I understand this condition isn't uncommon. Other than those items, the brakes, brake lines, fuel lines, front suspension, etc.are all in fine shape. The car is outfited with alloys shod with Hoosier tires. I'm not sure what possessed the previous owner to set it up that way but it looks kind of cool if not authentic. You can decide from the pictures if you agree or not. The Spares Okay, here's the fun part. Along with this TR250 comes a spare engine, spare transmission, spare differential, spare hood, spare fenders, spare dashboards, a spare door or two, spare convertible top mechanisms, spare pedal assemblies, bumpers, chrome stips, brake boosters, etc. There are way too many parts to list them all. Please see the pictures for more info. The winner of the auction gets everything that has anything to do with a TR250 that's in my friends garage, along with the car of course. On May-07-11 at 15:46:41 PDT, seller added the following information: Additional Information Some questions have been asked about the condition of the TR. Here are a few of them and my answers. 1. Hi. Can you tell me the condition of the frame where the rear suspension links attach? This is a notorious rot spot... I put the TR on my lift today and took a good look at the area of the frame where the trailing arms attach. There is some surface rust put none of it penetrates the frame rails and the body looks great in that area. The throught bolts that sucure the trailing arms are in good shape. One side has a few shims presumably to adjust the rear alignment. On May-07-11 at 16:02:12 PDT, seller added the following information: 2. I forgot to ask a couple other questions: does the car have an electric overdrive installed; and what is the 'Comm. No.' (commision plate number, it's stamped on an aluminum plate in the engine compartment along with the 'Paint' and 'Trim' numbers). Thank you. I found a plate on top of the left front fender that had the following information on it: - CD 7293 - L - 11 - 25 - APL 1-1968 The car does not have an electric overdrive installed.