The TR6 and Big Healey typify the no-nonsense traditional British sports car but which is the winner as a classic?
When Donald Healey chose to fit a six-pot motor into his four cylinder Austin Healey 100/4 chassis then follow up by enlarging it to a full three litres, he had a winner. The Austin Healey 3000 was the undisputed king of the big British sports cars for most of the Sixties. The recipe was simple: glamourous drop-top styling, sufficient space inside for two, with a beefy straight six cylinder power unit up front driving through the rear wheels.
With their ‘Put your foot down – and live’ advertising strapline, Austin Healey were selling performance and lifestyle for the Swinging Sixties, and the firm did so very effectively, backed up by some notable rallying accomplishments. But no market leader is immortal and by 1967 the king of the Brits’ styling was dated and production was becoming uneconomic. In December of that year, after a run of eight years, the Austin Healey 3000’s reign was over.
The king may have left the stage but the big front engine, rear-wheel drive sports car formula remained popular and relevant. MG tried the recipe with their short-lived six pot MGC and Triumph’s TR5 also briefly challenged for the crown. However, it wasn’t until Triumph launched the TR6 in 1969 that we had another serious contender as ‘king of the big Brits’.
Triumph offered the same formula of six cylinder brawn powering the rear wheels, in a two seater convertible body shape that seemed bang up to date at the dawn of the Seventies. A seven year production run with huge trans-Atlantic sales suggests the TR6 may well have assumed the Healey’s crown. Fifty years later, we compare the two. Which one is the true king of the big British sports cars, and which offers the best classic car ownership experience today?
Austin Healey 3000 Mk3
Denne historien er fra January 2018-utgaven av Classic Car Mart.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra January 2018-utgaven av Classic Car Mart.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
3D Technology To Preserve Classics?
Traditionally, the unavailability of a critical component has had major repercussions for owners of historic vehicles, putting the brakes on a restoration project or even forcing a historic vehicle off the road.
UPCYCLING
Two British-made modern classics which made credible sporting saloons despite their unlikely origins.
NICHE WORK
A crossover model before the term had even been invented, the original Range Rover could well be the perfect multi-purpose classic.
CLASSIC REVIVAL
Fancy an MGB without the welding and SUs? The much modernised RV8 should fit the bill.
1980s FLEET FAVOURITES
We profile a line-up of popular mid-sized '80s company cars ranging from the ubiquitous Sierra and Cavalier repmobiles through to the king of the company car park, the BMW 3-Series.
Solid State
Although a well-preserved Volvo 120 Series ‘Amazon’ makes a good choice as an occasional everyday classic driver, the range can be confusing. We play the numbers game and reveal some of the Amazon’s main foibles.
Round-Up - 1990s Jaguars
Following Ford’s acquisition of an independent Jaguar in 1989, the Coventry-based luxury car maker underwent a transformation that led to the introduction of a range of capable models that today are reasonably affordable as well as being fun to own and drive.
Myth And Rumour
The Stag may have suffered a poor reputation when new, but in the 21st century it’s one of Britain’s most popular classics – and justifiably so. We take a look at the pros and cons of investing in Triumph’s sporting flagship.
The Full English
An English-built Citroën meets English wine as we enter a slightly bizarre parallel universe.
Tailgate Revolving Doors
Paul Guinness looks back at his experiences from 35 years ago, when he helped to arrange a club stand at the first-ever Classic Motor Show at Birmingham’s NEC
