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Triumph TR6 - Barrett Jackson Auction

The Barrett Jackson Auction in Palm Beach County is going on this weekend. I went out there with my 2 sons and checked it out. It was lots of fun, but the prices are unreal. A 1967 or 69 Chevelle SS brough $109,000 + the buyer's premium to the auction company. An Impala fetched $59,000.

My older son, who is 24 now, pointed out that all the bidders were old white guys. As a member of that fraternity, how true that comment was!

Anyway, there were no Triumphs at the auction. I saw 1 Austin Healey and a bunch of Jags. Porsche was there, but mostly American muscle cars from the 60's and early 70's. The Jags were pretty cool, but nothing else tickled my fancy. They need some more affordable classics like the TR's and MG's.
JL Bryan

You might point out to your son that most of the bidders are proxy buyers or agents.

Buying for the mideast oil rich and the midwest basketball rich...:) Affordable depends on your bankroll?

15 years ago an aquaintance was showing his wifes MG and his Tr6 at a small fair. Both cars very nice at that time were worth under $10 thousand for both. Fella walked up looked them over and offered 25,000 for the both package deal. Figured the guy was a flake but gave him his # and address. He showed up with a certified cheque followed by a multi-deck car hauler. Buddy had never been handed a cheque for 25 grand before and ran it down to the bank to check validity before releasing cars. The manager gave a call to the writers bank and was told it was as good as liquid gold.

The agent told him the buyer from mideast was setting up a country estate in England and required a number of cars. His 2 cars just happened to match part of the order. He could have asked for more and got it because having them there in 2 weeks was much more important than the price.

Bill Brayford

Bill, I lovingly washed and dried my TR6 this weekend, after looking at those overpriced muscle cars. And when I was driving down the beach road Sunday afternoon, the top down, I kept wondering if the guy who paid $109,000 for a similar aged Chevelle SS would ever even drive it!

John
JL Bryan

In my opinion, those that are paying huge sums for these apparently 'special' cars are buying bragging rights. The $109K Chevelle and its owner will never enjoy the road together. Perhaps that's a good thing as there is a need to preserve a few examples of the automotive era. We should be grateful there are wealthy preservationists around to do it I guess.

I still don't fully appreciate the value of the hot rod frenzy. And American Chopper doesn't interest me nearly as much anymore since they've sold out to the advertisers.

Rick O.
Rick Orthen

Rick, I don't get it either. Since I got my TR6 last year, and it was my 3d LBC, 2 of my slightly younger neighbors have bought old muscle cars. One is a Shelby GT Mustang from the late 60's and another just told my wife they bought a 1970 Vette. The Vette is actually okay with me, but the true muscle cars aren't fun to drive and cost way too much. I don't get the appeal, but I guess pretty soon my neighborhood can have its own classic car parade!

By the way, we have one really old guy whose kid tells me he has something like 20 classic cars. I have seen the son driving a MGA and recently a newly acquired TR3, which I confess to coveting!

John.
JL Bryan

John if that Shelby is a 350GT 68 erra it will out sports car the best. Vettes had no chance. Carrol was looking for Ferarri and porche?

The big block version was a muscle car for the drags crowd.

Bill
Bill Brayford

I agree guys, I've never understood the trailer queen
segment of the car hobby, these cars don't even have fluids in the engine! I guess you don't want a spot of oil on your mirrors. Every time I see these cars I
imagine taking my old beer fridge empty it, drain the coolant, spend a ton of money cleaing painting and polishing, putting in a covered trailer and hauling
all over to show people what I did, and then drink warm beer when I get to the show. It's not that they
are not beautiful to look at, but unlike my shiny
old fridge, they leave me cold.
Christopher Trace

Eleanor
What a car what a movie(s)

I have walked the streets and been across the bridge many a time...did not run the toll booths though:)
Rick C
Rick Crawford

Remember too that Detroit is paying attention to what attracts the boomers in the vintage muscle market. It'll come full circle when Ford has the retro-styled Mustang fastback in the show rooms in the next few years. Yes, 'Gone in 60 Seconds' has stirred the Eleanor pot big time.

Too bad there isn't a retro maker for our Triumphs similar to the reborn Morgan.

Rick O.
Rick Orthen

I wonder who owns the name of Triumph these days?
Just a couple of weeks back in the Saturday paper,
Wheels section there was a picture of the new MG.
Can't remmber if it was concept or prototype but although it had been updated it was as bland as the old ones.
Rick O.I have a calender/poster of that new Mustang
Coupe GT concept car. It is a lovely design because
they stuck very close to the original design.
Who knows we very well see a new Triumph in the near
future.
Anyone want to start a thread on the posible improvments?
Christopher Trace

Last I heard, the name is owned by BMW.....I personally would hope they sell it rather than make another 'Mini'....and there's nothing wrong with the car except the engine comes from a Chrysler engine plant in Brazil, most of the other parts made in Germany, shipped to Oxford for assembly. Domestic content dictates a German VIN #. ...what a mixed up world it is....
But on the other hand, haven't 'real' Mini prices climbed since this all came about? Maybe this is something that pushes the value of our old hairy-chested beasts a bit higher? I bet not even BMW can get that great exhaust note tho......

Rod
Rod Nichols

I agree with Rod that BMW owns the rights to the Triumph name. They had also owned Rover, but sold that group to Ford (who also owns Jaguar).
R.C. Blair

at the Barrett Jackson in Scottsdale in January a TR6 went for $16,000. Sort of disappointing seeing how much butt ugly American muscle cars go for. I should have been buying 60's and 70's Chevy's would have paid back dearly.

I keep hoping that the TR6 is currently under valued and hopefully rise. Other than the E-type, AH 3000 it is the only 6cyl british roadster (MGC was a very short installment)
Steven

Some vendor at the Barret-Jackson auction was selling subscriptions to some British classic car mag--one of the old display copies had a TR6 on the cover and a story inside about why our cars are underappreciated by some of the classic car snobs. I got the guy to give me a copy of that one without having to buy a subscription.

The magazine was very high on the TR6. I suspect they will go up in value with the baby boomers from that era starting to hit their golden years. Like me. Sort of.
JL Bryan

My theory is that a TR is simply too much fun to drive to be collectable. If you have one, you either drive it or dream about driving it. It is inconceivable that a TR could be consigned to artifact status, thereby depriving someone of a life enhancing experience.

I can't actually imagine regularly driving a 427 Camaro that had a full rotisserie restoration and a factory build sheet. Each furlong of travel would erode the investment. With the TR, on the other hand, each furlong is a return on my investment.

The snow is melting here. I may start 'er up this weekend.

Tony (clutch foot a'twitchin')
A. J. Koschinsky

I would thorougly enjoy taking that rotisseried Camaro to daily driver status, paint chips and all. Just like I have in my six (although the closest it has ever, or will ever, come to a rotisserie is in a restaraunt parking lot). That's what it is all about in my book.

As someone else has said somewhere: "life is too short to drive a boring car."

Rick O.
Rick Orthen

This thread was discussed between 20/03/2004 and 25/03/2004

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