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My first car -- as a 17 year old -- was a 69 TR6. This was in the mid 70s. I dreamed of having one and I somehow managed to scrape together enough money to buy one with my hard-earned money from delivering papers and working in a car wash. It was white with a tan interior, wire wheels, and an overdrive. I thought it was so cool, so responsive, so fast...
and then a good friend of mine took me for a ride in his 66 912. Up until then, I was scornful of Porsches. I thought they looked funny, sounded strange, and had an uncomfortable driving position. And then that ride. I couldn't believe it. The 912 outclassed the TR6 in every way. It was quick, handled well, had great brakes, and it didn't rattle! I gained a lot of respect for Porsches and actually began to like them. A few months later, I sold the TR6 and bought a 66 911. Changed my life forever. Since then, I've owned 14 Porsches of all sorts, mostly 911s and 930s, and currently have two track-oriented GT3s. I really liked that TR6, but getting into a Porsche rocked my world and I never looked back. Today, I still have a soft spot in my heart for the TR6, but like most British cars, I want others to own them so I can enjoy seeing them without having to deal with owning one!
In 1976 I worked for a British Leyland dealer as a mechanic, that was a big transition year for Triumph. It was the last of the TR6s and the first of the TR7s. I used to do pre-delivery inspections and first service jobs for both cars. With apologies to those who like the TR7, even at that time it was, in my mind, a disaster. Ugly, problematic, unreliable, and utterly worthless. I think that time has proven this to be true. Long live the TR6 and all its predecessors.
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