I owned a TR250 (Triumph 250) in the mid-1980s and it was the funnest car I have owned. (And yes, it was even more fun than my Saab.) I bought it from Casner Imports in El Paso while assigned to Ft. Bliss, and I sold it while I was in college due to concerns over high maintenance cost. I dearly regret selling it.
The TR250 was a one year production car of approx 8,000 units in 1968. It was the transition between the under powered TR4 and the peppier TR6. The car had an in-line six cylinder engine with growling dual carburetors, and 15 inch Michelins to hug the road as you accelerated. The fact that it was a convertible only added to the fun.
My other car at the time was my old high school car, a 1972 Mustang Mach 1, Sprint Fast-Back edition. It was your basic muscle car. It could go like a bat out of hell, but God help you if you needed to change direction. The Mach handled like a heavy truck on high speed turns and I'm lucky I didn't kill myself in it.
The TR250 by contrast, could turn on a dime at higher speeds. It was not only fast, but it hugged the road like it was on rails. I felt in absolute control of the vehicle as I would put it through its paces on tight winding mountain roads. I think that was one of the key reasons I fell in love with it. The other key emotional response came from the cockpit smell of leather, wood, and the engine. I wasn’t removed from the driving experience in a plastic shell.
Unfortunately this beautiful machine came with a price. As anyone who has ever owned one of these 1960s convertibles can tell you, they’re temperamental machines who need a seasoned specialized mechanic and pricey repair parts. In short, it’s not the initial price that gets you; it’s the ongoing bank account drain.
I recently cruised the internet for TR250s and was dismayed by the high pricing of restored models and the absolute state of disrepair of the based price ones. To buy one today would have to be an absolute act of love. It would be cheaper to buy, say, a used Porsche and face less repair issues. You also wouldn’t have the issue of finding a capable mechanic, or rare parts.
I’m afraid that for me at least, that ship has sailed.
The TR250 was a one year production car of approx 8,000 units in 1968. It was the transition between the under powered TR4 and the peppier TR6. The car had an in-line six cylinder engine with growling dual carburetors, and 15 inch Michelins to hug the road as you accelerated. The fact that it was a convertible only added to the fun.
My other car at the time was my old high school car, a 1972 Mustang Mach 1, Sprint Fast-Back edition. It was your basic muscle car. It could go like a bat out of hell, but God help you if you needed to change direction. The Mach handled like a heavy truck on high speed turns and I'm lucky I didn't kill myself in it.
The TR250 by contrast, could turn on a dime at higher speeds. It was not only fast, but it hugged the road like it was on rails. I felt in absolute control of the vehicle as I would put it through its paces on tight winding mountain roads. I think that was one of the key reasons I fell in love with it. The other key emotional response came from the cockpit smell of leather, wood, and the engine. I wasn’t removed from the driving experience in a plastic shell.
Unfortunately this beautiful machine came with a price. As anyone who has ever owned one of these 1960s convertibles can tell you, they’re temperamental machines who need a seasoned specialized mechanic and pricey repair parts. In short, it’s not the initial price that gets you; it’s the ongoing bank account drain.
I recently cruised the internet for TR250s and was dismayed by the high pricing of restored models and the absolute state of disrepair of the based price ones. To buy one today would have to be an absolute act of love. It would be cheaper to buy, say, a used Porsche and face less repair issues. You also wouldn’t have the issue of finding a capable mechanic, or rare parts.
I’m afraid that for me at least, that ship has sailed.
-JP
Specs for the TR250:
ENGINE- Inline six-cylinder, cast iron block, cylinder head, overhead valves. Horsepower @ RPM-111 @ 4,500. Torque @ RPM-152 lbs.ft. @ 3,000. Fuel System, Twin Stromberg CD175 carburetors. Front Engine, rear-wheel drive.
TRANSMISSION- Four-speed manual, plus reverse.
BODY- Steel body over steel frame with cruciform brace.
TIRES- 15 x 6 inches
WEIGHT & SIZE- Weight 2,350 pounds. Wheelbase 88 inches. Length 153.6 inches. Height 50 inches.
PERFORMANCE- Zero to Sixty MPH in 10.6 seconds. Zero to One-Hundred MPH in 39 seconds. Top Speed 107 MPH. (To put this in perspective, at that time the average car went from zero to sixty in about 15 or 16 seconds plus.)
PRICE
Cost new in 1968- (esti) $3,395.
Specs for the TR250:
ENGINE- Inline six-cylinder, cast iron block, cylinder head, overhead valves. Horsepower @ RPM-111 @ 4,500. Torque @ RPM-152 lbs.ft. @ 3,000. Fuel System, Twin Stromberg CD175 carburetors. Front Engine, rear-wheel drive.
TRANSMISSION- Four-speed manual, plus reverse.
BODY- Steel body over steel frame with cruciform brace.
TIRES- 15 x 6 inches
WEIGHT & SIZE- Weight 2,350 pounds. Wheelbase 88 inches. Length 153.6 inches. Height 50 inches.
PERFORMANCE- Zero to Sixty MPH in 10.6 seconds. Zero to One-Hundred MPH in 39 seconds. Top Speed 107 MPH. (To put this in perspective, at that time the average car went from zero to sixty in about 15 or 16 seconds plus.)
PRICE
Cost new in 1968- (esti) $3,395.
No comments:
Post a Comment