1968 Triumph TR250

The Triumph TR250 is effectively a US market version of the TR5, a car which saw quite a direction change for the long-running TR franchise. Following on from the success of the Vitesse, the TR line was the next Triumph to receive the silky smooth six-cylinder overhead-valve power unit used in the 2000/2500 saloon. Unlike the Vitesse, which received the 2.0-litre straight-six, the TR5 and TR250 enjoyed all the benefits of the longer-stroke 2.5-litre version.

Performance was up from the old four-cylinder TR4, but even more noticeably, it now came equipped with a wonderful Jaguar-like soundtrack. Roadholding was improved over the visually similar TR5, thanks to the fitment of a new independent rear suspension system, which did away with the old swing-axles and scary on-limit oversteer of the older car.

In many ways, the US market TR250 was preferable to the more potent TR5. And that was mainly down to the fact that it did without the TR5's Lucas fuel injection, which was riddled with teething problems. Okay, so most of these were easily cured, but more often than not, Triumph dealers didn't know how to. Instead, the TR250 was fitted with twin Zenith-Stromberg carburettors, and ran at a lower state of tune – 111 bhp against 150 bhp of the fuel-injected TR5 – and that was due to the US's tighter emissions regulations. Performance was down, of course, but reliability was an agreeable pay-off.

The TR250 wasn't exactly quick, with a 0-60mph time of more than 10 seconds, but it proved surprisingly successful, outselling the TR5 by a factor of three-to-one. Over the course of its 15-month production run, a total of 8,480 cars were produced. It’s not unusual to find examples repatriated to the UK and fitted with the injection engine from the much-less-valuable TR6, and it's estimated that around 600 still exist. Good job, as these are undoubtedly the six-cylinder TRs to have.

Like all Triumphs of this era, parts availability is good for current owners, although bear in mind that hard tops don't fit cars rebuilt using Heritage shells due to production inaccuracies – so if it's a rust-free example you seek, you'll probably prefer an example with its original body in place.