Highlights
- A great looking example of a late model MKII Triumph GT6
- Presenting in an eye-catching gold livery with plenty of bright chrome in evidence
- Complete with a well-trimmed and faithfully original looking cabin
The Appeal
Standard Triumph commissioned Giovani Michelotti to style a GT version of their convertible Spitfire in 1963. He obliged with a sleek fastback design, but the extra weight of the GT body irrevocably challenged the Spitfire’s modest 1,147cc engine. As a result, the Spitfire GT concept was shelved. The more aerodynamic shape, however, was successfully adopted for racing duties with fibreglass iterations fitted to racing Spitfire underpinnings. Such was the success of the GT bodied race cars that the road car concept was revived in 1966. In order to overcome the performance deficits, however, the 2L straight six unit from the Triumph Vitesse was fitted.
This example of the six-cylinder GT6 is a late MKII iteration and better for it. The MKII was launched specifically to deal with the handling inadequacies of the original car. This is an eye-catching Triumph with a bold metallic gold livery and a subtly modified look.
The History and Paperwork
- This example was first registered in June 1970
- As such it is a MKII model from the last few months of production
- The GT6 was known to have left the Coventry factory in blue
- The Triumph has been used and enjoyed by 10 previous owners
- The change to a gold colourway was registered in 1991
- The current owner acquired the GT6 in April 2014
- Since that time the current owner has added around 6,000 miles
- A small paperwork archive is included with the car
- This includes the current V5 in the name of the owner
- This classifies the GT6 as a Historic Vehicle
- As such the GT6 is MOT and VED exempt in the UK
- Public records show that the GT6 was last MOT’d in 2017 at an indicated mileage of 10,845
- A high value maintenance and repair invoice from 2022 is also present
The Interior
- The GT6’s interior looks to be in great overall condition
- It appears to be admirably period faithful and complete
- The seats are finished in hard wearing black vinyl
- The centre sections are arranged into horizontal box pleats
- The vinyl in these areas is perforated for additional grip and comfort
- The cabin floor is trimmed with fitted black carpets
- Additional areas of black vinyl adorn the transmission tunnel
- The original light, perforated headlining appears to be present
- The dashboard is constructed from black vinyl top and bottom rolls
- Between these is fitted a wood veneer fascia
- A range of white on black Smiths gauges are fitted
- Black rocker switches take care of various of the car’s functions
- A three spoke alloy and vinyl sports steering wheel is fitted
- The gear lever features the signature overdrive on / off button
- The luggage compartment is also trimmed in black carpet
The Exterior
- This example is presented in a bright metallic gold livery
- This appears to be in a good overall condition with some minor areas of deterioration
- The paintwork is the product of a later respray and contains a good level of metallic flake
- A high shine appears to emanate from the panels
- A few chips and paint cracks were noted and photographed
- The offside front corner appears to be somewhat discoloured
- Some surface corrosion is also noted in this area
- The chrome of the bumpers, light surrounds and other trim pieces appears bright
- A little surface tarnishing is noted in places but remains minor
- The original marque and model badges appear present and correct
- The GT6 rolls on a set of 13-inch, 8-spoke alloy wheels
- These are finished with an almost mirrored chrome
- These appear to be in excellent condition all round
- They are shod with a set of radial type tyres in a 155/80 configuration
- Cabin glass and light lenses appear clear and undamaged
- Chromed twin exhausts hint at the car’s performance orientation
The Mechanics
- In the MKII GT6 the straight six 2L unit was tweaked to deliver 104bhp
- This originally endowed the GT6 with a 107mph top speed
- The 0-60mph dropped to 10 seconds and fuel consumption even improved
- Power is fed to the rear wheels via a four-speed manual gearbox
- This is fitted with a switchable overdrive operating on third and fourth
- This example has undergone some significant mechanical repair in May 2022
- This work amounted to a shade under £2,000 and included the following
- A strip and rebuild of both carburettors
- A full gearbox reconditioning was undertaken including rewiring the overdrive
- A new clutch was fitted at this stage as well as a new alternator
- A full service and oil change was undertaken at this time, also
- This recent work should give the new owner a good degree of peace of mind
Summary
The GT6 was a great addition to the Triumph range adding a fair degree of Italian design allure and sophistication to the Spitfire. So much so that it soon became known as the “poor man’s E-Type.” The MKII cars put to death the unsophisticated and outclassed rear suspension carried over from the Triumph Herald. With the new reversed lower wishbones and Rotoflex driveshaft couplings came transformed handling and gone was the awful sagging rear end and the extreme negative camber.
This is a great looking example. The deeply applied metallic gold livery sets off the sophisticated “mini-E Type” design perfectly and makes for a head turning and highly desirable British classic. The interior is equally well trimmed and presented with a high degree of all-important originality retained. The extensive mechanical attention the GT6 received in 2022 is just the cherry on top of a very attractive looking cake. Bid today to secure yourself a taste!
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UK-registered cars and motorbikes on Car & Classic are run through an online HPI check. On the HPI report, this vehicle shows no insurance database markers for damage or theft. It is currently not covered by a finance agreement.
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