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Six Instead of Four: 1968 Triumph TR250

1968-triumph-tr250-barn-find

Update 7/22/13 – This TR250 just popped up on eBay again. It sold back in December for $13,200 and is now located in Knoxville, Tennessee. Apparently there was a little more rust then the new owner had originally thought.

From 12/17/12 – This 1968 Triumph TR250 has been parked in this barn for the past 34 years and is a rare find, as there are only 600 or so left. It needs some work, but we think it would make a great Christmas gift or possibly a great replacement for Santa’s old sleigh. If you’re interested in taking on this project, it can be found in Locust, North Carolina and here on eBay.

1968-triumph-tr250-engine-barn-find

The story of how the TR250 came about varies based on who you ask, but what is known is that Triumph needed a car to fill the gap between the TR4 and the TR6. The TR250 was based on the aging TR4 platform, but came with a 2.5 liter inline six instead of the 2.2 liter inline four. The inline six only put out about 6 more horsepower, but torque increased by 24 pounds. The inline six was also smoother and emitted a great exhaust note.

1968-triumph-tr250-interior-barn-find

While the interior is complete, it’s in rough shape and will need a full restoration. Like most British roadsters of this era, parts are plentiful and there is a large following for these cars. It shouldn’t be overly expensive to get this rare roadster back on the street, as long as the frame is solid that is. We think Santa would look great in this little red roadster. What do you think? Should Santa trade in that old sled for something a little more unique?

Comments

  1. Avatar Jim

    The TR 250 was a US only model as the TR 5’s Lucas fuel injection wouldn’t pass US emissions. If memory serves, they all came with the silver racing stripe across the front of the bonnet and front wings. It appeared at about the same time as the GT 6, a smaller 6 with carbs.

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  2. Avatar Craig Ogren

    Looks sooo fun

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  3. Avatar gm barnett

    Seriously $10k for a bidding price! Trying like 1/10 of that! People are crazy!

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  4. Avatar Catfish Phil

    People are kRaZy… it’s worth maybe $3,000 as is, tops. Being complete is a plus, but so many of the things that make it a complete car will have to be replaced. Would rather purchase a running TR-250!

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  5. Avatar Jeff

    Last Thursday (12/13) on Madison, WI. Craigslist is a 65′ TR4, rebuilt engine, hardtop, looks great in pics link: http://madison.craigslist.org/cto/3441834928.html

    Only 8K.

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  6. Avatar Rancho Bella

    Aaaaa………10K……..really? Spot on barnett and Catfish. By the time this dude gets the car right he will have spent………toooo much. These are nice…..but they ain’t that nice

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  7. Avatar Jeff

    My previous comment is awaiting moderation because of link posted but anyway I found
    Last Thursday (12/13) on Madison, WI. Craigslist is a 65′ TR4, rebuilt engine, hardtop, looks great in pics , only 8K.

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  8. Avatar Jeff Dahn

    I can see an easy 20 grand going into the restoration, not counting the purchase price.. As common as people think the parts are, yeah, they’re available, but they ain’t cheap. Look at a Moss or Rimmer Bros. catalogue, but be sitting down when you do.

    I’ve got close to that in my GT6 in 1992 dollars, and it’s still not done. That was a total frame off resto.

    I’d love to have it, but I know better.

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  9. Avatar Troy

    There must be $5K in the glove box?

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  10. Avatar paul

    you have to look long & hard to find these selling for 20 g & from the looks of it your probably into this for say 15 g so at 10 your very far upside down, unless you have to have it & are keeping it.

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  11. Avatar Scott Francis McGrath

    Love these, but I’ve seen California drivers go past this year for less than half that. Seller made out well on this one.

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  12. Avatar Jim

    It is kinda rare but could be very easy to get way to much money into it. I have s TR4 and love it, but that six sure sounds sweet.

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  13. Avatar Dolphin Member

    By the look of the bidding, which is already past $10K, some people don’t agree with my take on this listing. But here goes anyway…….

    What gets my attention in this auction listing is the contrast between the seller’s approach to maintaining and preserving his TR vs. his approach to selling it.

    He never got around to replacing a bad coil, and then let the car sit for 34 years in a barn. Now, 34 years later the auction listing becomes a hard sell about things like the original 4 decade-old spare tire and the 4 decade-old ‘original yellow and black striped water hoses’.

    I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but it’s not safe or smart to have 4 decade-old tires or 4 decade-old water hoses on any car. These are consumable parts, which deteriorate with the passage of time, and buyers expect them to be replaced before 4 decades have gone by. A buyer would be playing Russian roulette to run this car on these original rubber parts, and since the car has sat for 34 years, who knows how many other parts are marginal or bad? Some of the photos clearly show that some serious rust has taken hold.

    I’m guessing that there’s a simple explanation here. Back in 1978 this was just an old sports car that wasn’t worth much, so it wasn’t fixed and was stuck in a barn. Now, decades later, it’s an old sports car that happens to be rare, and people are willing to bid more than $10K for it. Naturally, that’s their right, and I sincerely hope that someone comes out of this with a nice, shiny (after restoratrion) TR250 that they can enjoy. But I also hope that they take a very close look at the photos—or, better yet, the actual car—because there is going to be a lot of work and money needed to bring this neglected car back to the point where someone can enjoy a ride in a nice, shiny, safe TR250 on a sunny afternoon.

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    • Avatar Larry

      Very wel said Dolphin, I couldn’t agree more.

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    • Avatar paul

      What he said. Ditto.

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  14. Avatar Bob

    Maybe some guys just want a cool project and have some extra time to have fun working on it—I mean this is basically what our nostalgia for old cars from our past is all about—not about crunching numbers and resale value.

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  15. Avatar Doug M

    @ Dolphin, you are right on track! I purchased a barn find tr-250 a couple of years ago (search barn finds for white one) that was pretty darn clean, a Cal black plate, even…but didn’t run. Bought it for $5500. Even at that, I had quite a bit into it when done, and as was mentioned in post above, could not quite get to $20k when I was ready to sell! However, I do still like the cars… oh, and I do even have a good left over six motor that I am still trying to figure out what do do with? -yes, parts are readily available… These make a nice variation from the plentiful tr-6’s and the 4’s…

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  16. Avatar FRED

    I’M WITH LARRY,WELL SAID DOLPHIN.WOULD LOVE TO HAVE IT BUT NOT AT THAT PRICE.

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  17. Avatar Chris

    New in 1968 the TR 250 was listed at $3,513, add $175 with overdrive. If our seller had put $3,688 in a savings passbook at 2.625% he’d have $12,000. You could buy a Mustang Fastback V8 for $600 less than the Triumph. Dolphin is right on, but how much would you pay for a non-Lucas aftermarket ccil in 1968 to have a runner? As for Doug M’s spare motor, I wonder how many hp you could get out of it built up with Webers, cam, decent cr pistons and headers. Didn’t Huffaker out on the west coast sell parts to do just that?

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  18. Avatar Josh Mortensen Staff

    There is another TR250 for sale on eBay, but it’s rough. If your willing to tackle the tin worm it can be found here.

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  19. Avatar Michael Grummer

    My brother owned a TR 250 around 1970. Being 10 years older than me, he was the inspiration that sent me on my quest for inspiring cars. My brother is no longer with us. Good to see this TR 250 found, and thank you Chuck for teaching me that there were more than Chevys and Fords.

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  20. Avatar BillR

    You guys are rough. I have restored 5 old British roadsters that were barn finds. I never once thought of them as financial investments. There are plenty of investment websites for that. It was all about bringing them back to life and the elusive search for time period accessories on the Internet and at car shows. It’s a hobby, for crying out loud! I never once bought a set of golf clubs thinking about what I could sell them for at a later time. Just saying.

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  21. Avatar MikeS

    Thank you to all the auto restorers and their understanding spouses for saving old cars. To hell with the cost! The more relics that are saved and cared for the better.

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  22. Avatar Jimmy

    $10,000 is a lot even here in England where classic car prices have gone through the roof. Its all very well saying that you shouldn’t treat them as investments but most people, even those with cash to spare can’t afford to throw money into a project even when a car costs a fraction of this. Long gone are the days when on you’d see 20 somethings fixing old cars by the roadside on a Sunday afternoon- seems only bankers and their ilk can get into it now- real shame.

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  23. Avatar Barn Finds

    Sold for $13,200 with 16 bids.

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  24. Avatar Fredo

    I bought a 59 Tr3 30 years ago in the same shape. It takes a lot of money and time to restore to a daily driver. I am looking for Tr-4 / Tr-250 being 61 years old now and knowing $ 5000.00 max

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  25. Avatar Chris H.

    If anyone is interested and needs a PPI, I am local and would be more than happy to go see it for you.

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  26. Avatar Dolphin Member

    Sad end to the 2012 buyer’s story. Those rusty trailing arm mounts are a very common problem on these, and if they are bad, chances are that other frame and body metal is bad too. I looked at a few TRs for possible purchase, and reading the TR club websites told me to look carefully at those mounts. At least half of the cars I looked at had bad or questionable mounts.

    This rare TR should definitely be properly saved, but that will likely only happen when a dedicated TR expert/enthusiast with the needed skills and experience gets the car.

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  27. Avatar scheese

    They are on the rise, They have the great styling of the TR4 and the power of the 6. http://www.hagerty.com/valuationtools/HVT/VehicleSearch/Report?vc=851341

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