Triumph GT6 MKII - 1970

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Model history and curiosity

The GT6 is a car produced by the Triumph Motor Company between 1966 and 1973.

To counter the success achieved by the competitor (which, ironically, would soon become a "cousin" with the merger of Triumph into British Leyland) MG B GT (i.e. the coupé derived from the famous MG B spider), the English company decided to derive a fastback coupé version from the Spitfire.

The design was entrusted to Giovanni Michelotti, while the mechanics (as well as the bodywork, apart from the roof) remained unchanged. The desire to stand out from the competition, however, led Triumph to replace the 1.1 and 1.3-liter 4-cylinder of the Spitfire with a 2-liter in-line 6-cylinder. Instead of choosing the recent engine of the 2000 sedan, the old single-cam, lateral-axle, 1998 cm³ of the Vitesse was inexplicably chosen. Powered by 2 Stromberg carburetors, the old 6-cylinder provided 95 hp, enough, thanks to the weight of only 864 kg, to put the set-up (identical to that of the Spitfire) into crisis. The interiors were also identical to those of the small spyder from the company.

In 1967, with the update of the Spitfire, the GT6 was also updated in the same way. On a technical level, there was a novelty relating to the rear suspension, modified, with the adoption of a Swing Spring central pin, to improve road behavior and keep the camber of the wheels constant.

The third series (1970) of the GT6 also underwent an update identical to that of the Spitfire MK 4.

On a technical level, the GT6 MK 3 finally adopted the 1998 cm³ 104 hp inline 6-cylinder engine of the 2000 sedan.

Production ceased in 1973, after 40,947 units, divided as follows.

MK I (1966-67): 15,819 units
MK II (1967-70): 12,086 units
MK III (1970-73): 13,042 units