When I moved to the UK in 1988 I thought I'd try the 'opposition' after coming from MGBs and MGB GTs in Oz. I bought a Mk.III in white with 44,000 miles. My early morning trips through central London on a Sunday were a blast with the sound of the engine echoing of the office buildings. I really enjoyed that car though personally I found it somewhat cramped after the MGB GT and after a long day at the wheel in summer it became a mobile sauna due to heat soak. Sunroofs are the go with these cars if you can find one. The chap I bought the car off became a great friend and he went out and bought a red Mk.2 on wires with a webasto, as said the sunroof made a difference with heat. We'd journey out together along the M4 (in our respective GT6s) late at night to blast through the Heathrow Tunnel, side by side. The sound of both stainless steel exhausts in the tunnel was music with both of us grinning like Cheshire cats. Aside from it being a bit cramped etc I bought another Mk.III with the 2.5 litre lump from a Triumph saloon. That made a big difference, the car becoming a really long legged touring GT. Now back in Oz, GT6s are quite rare here, though when they come up for sale they are priced very highly, often more than a Stag! But I'll never forget that lovely view down the bonnet of the GT6 and that lusty sound - great cars.
My old school Physics and Gym teacher at Carmathen Grammar had a mk3 one of these. Hello to Brian Llewelyn, if you're still above ground. I do hope so, what a lovely man.
@@alanlake5220 Amazingly, my teacher was about 6ft 2 or 3 tall. His brother, Barry Llewelyn played rugby for Wales 0n 13 occasions and I recall Brian playing for Llanelli. Not the ideal motor for men of that stature !
@@michaelarchangel1163 I'm sure I remember reading an article (possibly in the AA's Drive magazine) about a police force that used a GT6 as a traffic car. It was crewed by a couple of WPCs, presumably because yer average PC Dunkin' Donuts wouldn't fit in with any degree of comfort :)
Undoubtedly the most beautiful car you have ever reviewed . Personally I would much rather have this than the e type . As always a pleasure to come along with you . Cheers
I do love the sound of the Triumph 6 pot. A former neighbour had a GT6. Every time I heard it fire up it so reminded me of my old Triumph 2000. I miss that car.
Having owned a 2500 S with the Laycock - de Normanville o/d there is no need to use the clutch when engaging/disengaging the o/d. However it is advisable to ease off the throttle so as not to strain the clutch within the o/d itself. And yes, around town I found 3rd and 3rd o/d very useful. Wish I still had that car. Mike
having been with GT6's since 1987 i can tell you i never tire of this car and yes very old school now 50 years on and i think they are having their moment ...never fails to turn peoples heads and any journey does create a draw of people asking questions and wanting to take a picture ......great review
As I recall the Vitesse overdrive which was a Laycock de Normanville unit would operate on both third and fourth gears. This gave the possibility of six forward ratios. There are two switches embedded in the top of the gearbox which control the electrical circuit.
Ohh yess finally! And I mean this in a very good way. We still have our GT6 MK2 that is family owned. Delivered brand new in the south of France not far from Cannes to my uncle. Those engines sound lovely and I just completed an overdrive conversion on it. As already stated in the last HubNut Live, it is one of my bucketlist to do’s to take her to the UK to the meeting in September, or later in the future. Also going to the museum in Warwickshire is one of my dreams with the car. Cheers from Belgium.
I was taken home from hospital after being born in the back of a 1971 signal red GT6 Mk III two years after the car was made, so have a soft spot for these cars. I owned a 1973 year GT6 Mk III in emerald green in the late 1990s to around 2002. It was very original and I was only the third owner of a then 33 year old car. I liked the cleaner dials design of the 1973 year model. It had the swing spring set up, overdrive, a brake servo and Sundym glass. I much preferred the overdrive switch on the gear knob because it reminded me of the ejection seat button in the James Bond DB5 from Goldfinger. The Laycock De Normanville overdrive operates on 3rd & 4th on the GT6. I never used the clutch when engaging/disengaging overdrive because it's a cone clutch system with a single ratio set of epicyclic gears. The overdrive is also fitted with an overrun clutch.
I’ve been waiting for this for years Ian. I had a mk3 as my daily driver for 23 years, drove it all over New Zealand. It was noisy, rattly and loads of fun. I absolutely loved it.
Agreed, I was lucky enough to own both at the same time! I actually bought a GT6 to run around in and used the E-Type at weekends only, but they really aren't comparable. For a start the E-Type was comfortable, the GT6 would give me backache after driving it for more than an hour! But nice little car, just not comparable to the E-Type!
@@bernardwarr4187 😂Oh yeah, so where's that link, would love to see that. As I said, I owned both (The E-Type for 7 years and GT6 for 2 years) and they aren't even close. Like comparing a Mini with a Rolls. (both great cars, but again not comparable) I suggest you buy both and drive them for a few years, then make your own judgement 👍We're talking different leagues, a car that cost half the price of the other, so how can they even be "comparable" Utter nonsense.
Something nice about these old Triumph's they somehow made everything work and drive so well you end up with a big smile on your face. Another great video and well balanced review
I was very lucky to be given yes you read that right actually given a 1971 GT6 mk3 back in 2000. It was in a very sorry state and was residing under a hedge bottom in a chaps back garden. It was a previous neighbours car who had done a runner and not paid his rent. The chap who’s garden it resided in just wanted it out of the way so my brother and I rescued it. Within hours of rescuing it we had it running after cleaning the carbs and ensuring everything turned over. It was even drivable under its own power. The back of the car was full of boxes of bits as the interior was partially dismantled. We later discovered it was fitted with the engine from a 2500 saloon as it had twin SU's rather than Delorto's however it also had a set of Dellorto's complete with the inlet manifold in the back. The front end it a fibreglass reproduction as the original steel bonnet has long gone. In the early days I removed some of the rot to prevent further deterioration and did a bit of rust proofing. As we didn’t have a garage at the time we swapped it for one of my ‘other’ classics that was stored on my uncles farm over 100 miles away (my 1969 Minijem GT mk2 kit car). Sadly life intervened (as it always does) and it stayed in the garage for 18 years at what point my uncle retired from the farm so we had to move it to another garage near my brothers house where it still is. I really should sell it as a project as I just don’t have the time any more plus still have the kit car plus a 32 year old motorbike and many other things that my wife constantly reminds me I don’t have time for. But I loved the GT6 from the first time I laid eye’s on it. I even had a university lecturer who had one in the exact same orange colour. They have the most amazing sounding exhaust that’s a gruff burble at idle but a howl when revved. If they are fitted with the sports exhaust they sound truly amazing. Thanks ever so much for sharing this video that reminds me what mine should look like after owning it for 24 years lol.
Drove a 'French racing blue' MkIII off the dealer's lot in Ft. Lauderdale in the Spring of '73. Bill was $4000, almost to the penny. Had ridiculously skinny, bias-ply Dunlop tires. Switched to radial Semperits and omg did the handling improve! I loved the car, but it was a lemon! We were replacing wheel bearings within a few thousand miles. Then the transmission went. Then the differential locked up. Solid. I did keep it together long enough to drive across the US and back in the summer of '75. Great trip, other than the locked differential in Texas, the clutch that died in CA, the water pump that gave up in the MIDDLE OF NOWHERE in Eastern Oregon... Oh, for the good ol' days!
100MPH in a GT6 feels like you're braking the land-speed record ;) I touched it once - never again 😆 They're more of a cruiser than a top-speed car, which is perfect for avoiding points on your licence
I adored the style of the GT6. To me as a kid it had better styling than the MG. My dad had a 948cc Herald so the handling foibles were less of an issue with that engine and my famed fathers feather foot approach to throttle application. Later my brother had a couple of spitfire 1500 convertibles that I remember were so easy to work on as you mention. The MG's were more modern unitary construction but that GT6 style would win me over every time back in the day. I would love one. Many thanks for sharing, this brings back memories.
A 1973 Mk. III in Old English White sold for £7,000 plus premiums at my local auction house last month. At 8:50, the Mk. IV Zephyr and Zodiac suffered *exactly* the same problem at the back which earned them the nickname "Flying Pigs" by police drivers - indeed, some very early magazines I have from the Mk. IV ZZOC have a flying pig on the cover!
I owned a 1971 GT6+ from 1975 to 1994 in Alberta Canada . Big problem is the tiny radiator that causes overheating on the highway especially on hot days going over mountain passes in the summer. The Transmission is fantastic as long as you know how to baby it. Brakes are not good. The brake pedals are tiny . You can miss the pedal in a sudden emergency stop. Also that Girling brake master cylinder is not reliable. The body is prone to rust if driven in the winter, but other than that an excellent fun hobby car. I miss that car after 30 years. Still dream about it. I had many an adventure in it. It has so much personality not like the plastic blobs today. Thanks for the video.
Ian, you're pulling at my heart strings with this one. in the early 80s when a was an apprentice, the GT6 is the car I most wanted to own. being at a Triumph Snag specialist I certainly had plenty of Triumph and very fancy sports cars to play with but it was the GT6 that did it for me and you couldn't have summed up its styling any better either. one customer had swapped the standard 2000 engine for a 2500 TC and some kind of road legal exhaust upgrade (Janspeed possibly?) and wider wheels. it went like that proverbial excrement off a greased shovel. some cars you never forget 😁
My dream car as a young lad back in the 80s,lovely thing.I could only afford a Spitfire but didn’t have it long as I could never get used to seeing the road through the floor under my feet as I drove along.That was one of it’s better points!
Test drove one of these about 20 years ago - your comment about getting in made me laugh reminding me of that car. I found getting out considerably harder, but I am 6'3"!
I am glad you mentioned the turning circle because back in the 1960s l got the Book of cars and it had a couple of cars from the 1960s and one of them was the Triumph Spitfire and it had the smallest turning circle of any car in the book which is a pretty good achievement
My engineering lecturer had one exactly the same. He would pick me up daily in it. He chose four students ( including me) from my class and asked us if we would like help him restore it. Needless too say we jumped at the chance
Had a mk111 Gt6 for 20 years from age 17. Non overdrive. It started life that colour but I changed it to emerald green. Must admit your test car doesn't sound as smooth as mine did. Probably will improve as it is run in fully. That sunroof gives a bit more headroom than standard. The air blowers are pretty inadequate to deal with the huge amount of heat that soaks into the cabin from the engine. I think the owner will find they have the roof open quite a bit. Those wheels, though standard pattern, are wider than the 4.5j version fitted as standard. They make all the difference to the look of the car. Though I'm over 6', I never felt cramped in the car and found the seats/ driving position very comfortable. As it was practically my first car, perhaps I just didn't know any better.
I’ve always had a soft spot for Triumph. When I passed my driving test in 1977 The Herald and the Spitfire were at a point where the value was at the lowest, so a lot of my friends had them Triumph was very innovative from the Triumph 2000s to the Herald. The Triumph straight 6 was legend in its time very reliable and very easy to work on. But again, the big mistake, which was British Leyland, sucked the living daylights out of Triumph and destroyed it
I had a Mk2 a 1969 car when 18, two happy years of ownership, only one scary moment a downhill left bend in the wet, driving to fast and lifted ... numpty, but avoided field..replacement was a company Citroen Xantia
That one must have an interesting history. ZV plates so it was imported to Ireland as a used car, probably from the UK, and now it's back there to be put together again.
Yes - UK - original reg HKP982L from March ‘73. In Ireland since 2008. Changed ownership in Jan ‘24. (From Motorcheck website) Oddly - it’s not clear if it had multiple UK owners - looks like it had one UK owner for 35 years… but that’s not absolutely clear from the website. Someone who knows their way around the DVLA sites might be able to clarify that.
Was brought to Ireland around 2000 having been in a garden for about 7 years, after a lot of work was registered and back on the road in Ireland in 2008, needed a lot more work and taken off road afterward, now back on the road.
Ah happy memories. My best friend at Reading university, who was also an engineering apprentice at BL, had a turquoise GT6 backed spitfire. I don't think Pete ever let me drive it, but it was also a fun car to be a passenger in. It was however almost impossible to get into and out of whilst retaining any sense of decorum and dignity. Personally I've always preferred the comparative refinement of a Stag, which was and is my dream car. (To my shame, back in 1989, I once had the opportunity to buy one, which I stupidly turned down!) but yes - all Triumphs are magical.
Had the GT6 MK3 in red, bought it for £175 (thanks Cousin Paul), and sold it for the same a few years later. Don't know if it was modified, but kept up with a MR2 Fiesta, until the hinged bonnet lifted and i couldnt see the road ahead. Lovely little characterful car and the engine was glorious.
I have a 1969 MK3 Spitfire owned over 26 years since I restored it and GT6 engine I put in it my insurance is less than a 100 pounds a year Kev East Devon 👍 👍🇬🇧
We had one of these in early 1980s (OUE 281M where are you?) in white. Very front-heavy with that big engine and the swing axle rear suspension so it wasn't the best handling car but it was pretty and sounded good. Weak point was the bottom trunnion on the front suspension uprights - broke at least 2 leaving us stranded. Ours had the overdrive gearbox so the actual drive shaft to the diff was only about 2 feet long! Mostly happy days...
The vertical,link broke as the trunnions were supposed to be filled with oil but were often greased and grit and water caused corrosion and the link broke. You can now get trunnionless kits which were developed for racing Caterham 7s which used, as many sports cars did, the Triumph front suspension and this completely removes this issue. Easy to fit.
Yes, time adds magic to certain cars, and more than that, the glowing admiration of owners past make this car a stand-out. As a car nut, I must say I was underwhelmed at the time in 1966 when the GT6 appeared. It was so obviously a bodge on the Spitfire -- look at the Wiki pic of the green Mk1. But move a few feet for a different perspective and it looks fantastic, a styling chameleon. More British kit cars of the '60s had the HUB front uprights from the Herald upon which they attached their own wishbones than any other, perhaps because it was so easy to source. Really the only one, I think. Formula Junior racing cars and who knows what else also used those uprights! Just reading the comments and watching Ian's test drive has changed my entire lifetime perspective on this car from so what to "I'd like to have a go!" My experience is nil, but have put a fair few hours in on a '68 Spitfire which I much preferred to Sprites. Not only that, but after four years away from MGBs (a long time to experience from age 19 to 23 as compared to a jiffy in one's seventies), I drove an MGB in '69 just before embarking on almost five years back in the UK from Canada. I was so disappointed in that MGB! Felt antiquated in all senses, while somehow the Spitfire was cheerful. Oh well. My perspective on cars had been changed by a '68 Plymouth Barracuda Formula S. Cart sprung it might be at the rear, but its effortless power, 60 in less than 6 seconds with no tyre-squealing histrionics brought my mind into the modern car era. So, just as many here would like to have their GT6's back, I've always wanted that 340 Barracuda. Not a hope - rust and silly hotrodders have emptied the pool, so to speak. Thus, this is really rather a great vid for me, and has evoked all sorts of automotive memories, while giving me a huge change in perspective on the GT6. Can't ask for better than that. Nice.
71 mph is the fastest I’ve ever driven my 67. At 50, with no overdrive, you’re in four (top) gear at 2000 RPMs, like said, possibly over. All I know is that I’ve never redlined it, but to go over 60, you’re driving 4000 RPMs, so not really something you want to cruise down the highway for miles in. I have never driven it on the highway, though I should, just to see how fast it truly can go without speeding. I’m just too scared because it’s like driving a go cart among all these monster trucks people drive these days.
I used to have a TR4. It had overdrive on 2,3, and 4. My favorite way to use it was to start from standstill in 2nd (no need to even slip the clutch as the engine would not stall.Full throtle to the red line then overdrive on. 0-60 mph in one gear basically. Really miss that car.
I absolutely love that car! Beautiful styling and a delicious engine sound. I always hankered after the Stag when I was younger, but now I'm not so sure!
When I was at uni on my placement year, my boss (who was only about 2 years older than me) had a vintage black GT6, and occasionally gave me a lift in it. We were both 6ft or so, and even then, it felt a bit like you had to fold yourself up to get in and out. It felt for all the world like your bum was somewhere below road level when you sat down though, and had to climb up in order to get out. Lovely car though. Nothing like 6 cylinder British sports cars. Something that size is perfect for our country roads - and urban ones come to think of it!
I bought a 1970 GT6+ in 1973. The pedal placement wasn't an issue in left-hand drive cars. Loved the car, drove it for 3 years before rust consumed it. Got a 1975 TR7 in 1977. Kept it running for 50,000 miles before the engine and gearbox needed rebuilds. Good times.
Finally I get the point of a traditional sports car: it's not to go fast, it's to make ordinary speeds exciting. And so the Austin 7 and Ford 100E specials of my youth make sense, now.
Absolutely. I had a modified XR3i back in the early '90s (and 9 points on my licence because 100MPH felt like 60MPH) which was fun, handled corners like a pro and ate up motorway miles with ease... But I also had a little 1500 Spitfire for weekends, and that thing was more fun on windy roads at 40MPH than the modern "Sports hatch" was at illegal speeds!
My dad borrowed a Spitfire for a few days when his own car was out of action. He was overweight at the time and it was hilarious watching him get in and out of it!
Yes. Some of them did, indeed have a tiny rear seat and YES it was TINY. Even as a 10 year old I couldn't actually sit properly in my Dad's GT6's rear seat.
I love these little old sports cars - they look like they are a lot of fun to drive even if you're not going particularly fast. Did anyone ever put this six cylinder engine into the regular Spitfire?
Yep! A few of us have. If based on a Spitfire, it's known as a 'SpitSix'. If you put a Spitfire shell onto a GT6, it's known as a 'Gitfire'. Worked on and driven both. That straight 6 Triumph engine isn't powerful for its size and weight (in fact, it throws the Spitfire's 'poise' out of the window with all that weight up front) but it's a fantastic sound and significantly more torque than the Spitfire's 4-pot.
Fantastic video, Ian. What a lovely car. When you were talking about the MGB all I thought of was a head to head comparison between a Triumph GT-6 and an MGC GT. Sport hatch to sport hatch.
I feel the sporty Triumphs were targeted 'in between' the MG models of the time, in terms of price and features. The Spitfire sat between the Midget and MGB, and the GT6 between the MGB and MGC. Saying that, I'd still pick the GT6 over the MGC (even in MG's beautifully deep Tartan red) for looks and sound!
In my early 20s, I saw one rotting away behind a building and had no idea what it was. When the time came for a project car, I crowd sourced what that car was, and began my search. Bought a 67 in 2009 for $2300 USD, and me and my husband did a frame off restoration. Got it road legal in 2011, but it wasn’t until a few years ago when I got to finally drive it because we could never get the carbs to work. By the time we fuel injected it, we realize that one of the problems was probably the fuel tank itself. Anyway, 2024, and I still have it. When the weather is nice, I pick up my kid from school in it. This is tough because it’s Texas, so without AC, it’s kind of hard to do.
What vlog, as a 16teen year old it was a fantasy that I always thought I might own one day as opposed to an e type which I always though was beyond my reach. I love the look and the bonnet bulge, thank you for reviewing a classic.
When a car sounds that good, and it does, you overlook all the other foibles that come with old motors. I once had a 1969 MKII Vitesse, straight Six, and I loved driving that car, more for the sound alone than anything else. She always drew a crowd too when parked up. Oooh that engine sound is one of the best. Beautiful! 🙂
I've got a 69 Vitesse at the moment, Primrose yellow, Webasto sunroof on Revolution wheels. Gets lots of looks and that Straight Six makes me smile every time I start her up.
Loved my 1973 Mk3 GT6. Only had two problems. Overheating in traffic - solved by an electric radiator fan. And being so low down that I could not see over road bollards. Required a bit of maneuvering. The overdrive was really useful and I wish I had it on my current car.
Had same overheating on my 68. Totally solved by one of my 2 mods: 1) Had radiator shop clean mine. 2) Same time during race prep, polished combustion chambers in head, exhaust ports, and top of pistons. This reflected heat away from those surfaces, keeping the engine mass cooler. I had boosted hp to about 160, and ran three 30 minute track sessions on 90 degf track days, temp gauge needle never moved.
A friend had a rather looney tuned Midget in the late seventies while a geezer he knew had a GT6. The Midget would leave the GT6 for dead up to 60 MPH and do corners way faster. I had a bit of a blast in the Triumph and loved it. Not fast but still fun.
@@johnmoruzzi7236 No, it was a 1275 A series with some nice bits on. It was made for hill climbing really so was noisy as hell but revved like a Honda Vtec.
When I was in college doing mechanics back in '95/'96, one of my lecturers had one. We all thought it was a lovely wee car, even remember he had a talking alarm fitted to it.
I wonder why Triumph never put the 6-pot in the lovely Spitfire? Better looking than the GT6 AND open-top fun! I bought a new Spit Mk4 in 1972 in French Blue, when i was 23. Wow! what fun I had with that car. It gave me a life long love of open 2-seat sports cars (I now have a lovely soul red 2021 MX5 2.0 bought new).
Loved the GT6, years ago, when I lived and worked in Kings Lynn for 6 months, September 1973 to February 1974, one one my workmates Bob had a very late orange Mk 2, Reg No EBJ 10J. The difference in engine noise between his 6 cylinder GT6 and my humble Smoke Grey Morris Minor Traveller (1960 reg, with a 948 cc engine) was like the difference between a lion's roar and young kitten's 'squeak'. The colours of orange, yellow, magenta and red seemed very popular in the early 70s to early 80s. Most cars by the early 70s had steering locks, surprisingly this hasn't. Believe it or not, late Minor Travellers and vans in 1971/2 had steering locks fitted as standard.
Apologies here, EBJ 10J was apparently a white Triumph 2000 first registered in August 1970. The old memory isn't what it was once, but I wonder if that particular Suffolk registered orange Reg Mk 2 GT6 my workmate had is still on the road? It would be nice to think it still was.
Checking the MOT database, EBJ 11J was a Triumph (model unknown, for some reason) in yellow, so not only might I have got the reg wrong, likewise I got the colour wrong.
I used to own a mimosa yellow GT6 MK3 that was pretty much in original condition... still miss that car. Nowhere to keep it when I moved to Wales so it had to go 😞 Took it up to the Isle of Skye once to go camping - was great fun to drive. Took it around Castle Coombe on trackdays a couple of times too! P.S. I think they look nicer than the E-Type which is too bulbous looking 😀
If I remember rightly overdrive worked in 3 and 4 - really handy for overtaking - plant your foot in 3rd, once you run out of revs flick it into 3.5, then change into 4.5! Also it was common for people to make Spit-6's (or Gitfires) by bolting the convertible spitty body shell onto the GT6 chassis.
@@MultiVogon Been driving mine today - GT6 chassis and running gear and interior dash (though tarted up a bit - magnolia dials x7 and burr elm dash and door cappings, red leather interior and O/D switch on column so nice metal gear knob!) Wonderful sound and goes up to 90 like a train.
I remember working on one of these in the 80's. Underneath it was like a brown doily. I remember being bundled into the rear "space" when we went off to the pub.
When I was 18 and just passed my test I so wanted one of these, a mate of mine had one and I was so jealous, many years later I brought one without seeing it in person and had it delivered, the the car was great, what I had not remembered was how small they were and much bigger I had got 😂.
Always wanted a GT6 when I was in my late teens and early 20s but never got around to owning one, however, a girlfriend of mine owned one so I did get to drive a GT6. I have always loved Giovanni Michelotti's designs from the Triumph 2000 MKII to the Stag and GT6. Thanks for the memory.
As others have said here, what was it about 60s and 70s teachers and sports cars? I can remember many MGBs and Triumphs, the occasional Alfasud etc, but regrettably no GT6s, but it was definitely a thing! Great review and historical context Ian, thank you as always.
They are indeed a lovely little car. Plenty of go and with the overdrive they were good on the A roads just eating up the miles as well. About 5 years ago, I had someone suggest swapping his restored MkI GT6 for my Stag. Although I loved the car, I'd only had my Stag for 2 years and was still very much in love with that too. In a lot of ways I wish I HAD swapped it as it would be two Triumph sixes in the garage - the GT6 and the 2500S saloon, so one for the family outings and one for times where the lovely Mrs KiwiStag and I wanted a cruise on our own. As you say, the fun thing about the little Triumphs being so low geared is that - like the Mini - you can have an absolute ball of a time, high revs and all, and still not break the speed limit. Like the Vitesse before it, if you know about its propensity for cornering mischief, then you are forearmed and it doesn't take you by surprise or leave you sitting higher in your seat when it happens. I wasn't aware of the Vitesse's penchant for a sudden sideways lurch if you lift off in a corner when I was first given the keys for a convertible 2-litre MkII for a wonderful weekend a few years back....but I soon learned. The Stag's patented twitch is nothing compared to the sudden pit-in-the-stomach feeling when the Vitesse''s rear end just picks itself up and moves 3 feet sideways in a split second! Have a word to your mate at Cambrian Classics - that six needs to lose a muffler (or have a resonator added) so you can hear the cackle of that beautiful rebuilt engine in all it's glory. I'm sure the owner would agree when he heard it!
Had friends driving "British Elend" Spitfres and MGs of that period. In the end all of them swapped the original drivetrains for Opel and the Lucas "Prince of Darkness" electrics for Bosch - but then they rusted quicker than they could weld new tin in. Nice to look at, but best taken as a pre-assembled kit car. Today, I would get one, strip it, rustproof it for good - possibly by galvanizing as much as I could - and ten, again, putting reliable running gear in it.
Loved my MK I GT6, until.such time as my body required me to exit the car on my knees. It was the car that gave me smiles when driving, far more so than my Porsche 911 or Mercedes SL. It was awesome on narrow winding roads. Hopefully my Rudy is still riding proud.
Myself and my wife had a game when we were driving about. Whoever spotted a yellow car would shout "yellow car!" and smack the other person's thigh. Simpler days!
Great review Mr hub nut and Mrs hub nut you tell us exactly how it is for us which have never had the pleasure 👍love your videos all way make me smile ❤😊
Often wonder if Mungo Gerry used the soundtrack from a GT6 in their song "In the Summer Time". Had a tatty Mk3 from 2000 until I sold it in 2007. The Chech lady I was seeing, when I drove down to London in it with my dog, was not impressed, but she preferred it to the Humber Super Snipe Series IV and Triumph Herald 13/60 Estate. Whilst I taking her back to her place, it was during a Euro football match, and two ladies who were outside a pub lifted their 'T' shirts. Had to explain what was going on. Brilliant little car, but, alas mine was a money pit.
The advantage of having the overdrive switch on the gear-lever was that you could change from 3rd o/d to direct top without using your other hand for the o/d switch. I'm sure my GT6 didn't have the ignition switch right down there - it was a combined ignition switch and steering lock much closer to the steering wheel.
As someone who is part custodian (main custodian, different story) of a 72 Mk4 Spitfire, the GT6 is literally a Spitfire with a fastback and straight 6. I can attest to the ignition position being a complete pain in the arse. Even more so as the key isn't actually unidirectional either, it will only go in one way, so that's irritating when you're trying to figure that out when toure 6ft and already just about folded in. So most of them have an absolutely mashed up ignition. Honestly, there is so much about these that I struggle with just in terms of being quite tall. If I had my choice i would have rathered a Stag, if which I do have many a great memory of during my childhood. But alas. All that being said, all of that goes completely out the window when driven, it is so fun. The steering is direct and full of feel, it rolls and bounces around with so much character, the exhaust note is so throaty and the handling is perfectly progressive. You can feel like an absolute drift hero (not that I would know about that, officer).
Datsun and the 240Z showed the world how to do it right ... I owned a 69 MkII (Plus in the USA) RotoFlex . It would rust just looking at it. One of the smoothest engines ever. Nylon 30,000 mile "bushes". CD carbs 100 times better than Skinners Union leakers. Cardboard trans cover. Inside fuel tank - see Ford Pinto - for excitement.
Got in France the TR3, TR4 , MK4 spitfire, loved British cars at this time then get Corvette, love it 1981 , beautiful my favorit was TR3 and Corvette (good time does not exist anymore 😂
I had a MK3 back in 1984 which was sold for a house deposit. I now have a 1967 MK1 which is well loved. Never had any issues with the rear end tucking in, you just have to know how to drive it.
When I moved to the UK in 1988 I thought I'd try the 'opposition' after coming from MGBs and MGB GTs in Oz. I bought a Mk.III in white with 44,000 miles. My early morning trips through central London on a Sunday were a blast with the sound of the engine echoing of the office buildings. I really enjoyed that car though personally I found it somewhat cramped after the MGB GT and after a long day at the wheel in summer it became a mobile sauna due to heat soak. Sunroofs are the go with these cars if you can find one. The chap I bought the car off became a great friend and he went out and bought a red Mk.2 on wires with a webasto, as said the sunroof made a difference with heat. We'd journey out together along the M4 (in our respective GT6s) late at night to blast through the Heathrow Tunnel, side by side. The sound of both stainless steel exhausts in the tunnel was music with both of us grinning like Cheshire cats. Aside from it being a bit cramped etc I bought another Mk.III with the 2.5 litre lump from a Triumph saloon. That made a big difference, the car becoming a really long legged touring GT. Now back in Oz, GT6s are quite rare here, though when they come up for sale they are priced very highly, often more than a Stag! But I'll never forget that lovely view down the bonnet of the GT6 and that lusty sound - great cars.
"Hark the Herald axles swing..." 🎵🎶
MGBetts1
On a so called sports car aswell
@@andypicken7848 In fairness, it was sort-of fixed after the Mk I GT6.
Nope not the Mk2
Glory to the six pot zing
Hark! the Herald axles swing
Glory to the six pot zing
Turn-in slowly, and throttle mild,
Corners and sinners reconciled!
My old school Physics and Gym teacher at Carmathen Grammar had a mk3 one of these. Hello to Brian Llewelyn, if you're still above ground. I do hope so, what a lovely man.
My Geography teacher in 1973 had one
@@alanlake5220 Amazingly, my teacher was about 6ft 2 or 3 tall. His brother, Barry Llewelyn played rugby for Wales 0n 13 occasions and I recall Brian playing for Llanelli. Not the ideal motor for men of that stature !
@@michaelarchangel1163 I'm sure I remember reading an article (possibly in the AA's Drive magazine) about a police force that used a GT6 as a traffic car. It was crewed by a couple of WPCs, presumably because yer average PC Dunkin' Donuts wouldn't fit in with any degree of comfort :)
Undoubtedly the most beautiful car you have ever reviewed . Personally I would much rather have this than the e type . As always a pleasure to come along with you . Cheers
I do love the sound of the Triumph 6 pot. A former neighbour had a GT6. Every time I heard it fire up it so reminded me of my old Triumph 2000. I miss that car.
@coops206 sure, it should remind you, it is the same engine.
Having owned a 2500 S with the Laycock - de Normanville o/d there is no need to use the clutch when engaging/disengaging the o/d. However it is advisable to ease off the throttle so as not to strain the clutch within the o/d itself. And yes, around town I found 3rd and 3rd o/d very useful. Wish I still had that car. Mike
having been with GT6's since 1987 i can tell you i never tire of this car and yes very old school now 50 years on and i think they are having their moment ...never fails to turn peoples heads and any journey does create a draw of people asking questions and wanting to take a picture ......great review
As I recall the Vitesse overdrive which was a Laycock de Normanville unit would operate on both third and fourth gears. This gave the possibility of six forward ratios. There are two switches embedded in the top of the gearbox which control the electrical circuit.
Ohh yess finally! And I mean this in a very good way. We still have our GT6 MK2 that is family owned. Delivered brand new in the south of France not far from Cannes to my uncle.
Those engines sound lovely and I just completed an overdrive conversion on it. As already stated in the last HubNut Live, it is one of my bucketlist to do’s to take her to the UK to the meeting in September, or later in the future. Also going to the museum in Warwickshire is one of my dreams with the car.
Cheers from Belgium.
good one from the uk
I was taken home from hospital after being born in the back of a 1971 signal red GT6 Mk III two years after the car was made, so have a soft spot for these cars.
I owned a 1973 year GT6 Mk III in emerald green in the late 1990s to around 2002. It was very original and I was only the third owner of a then 33 year old car. I liked the cleaner dials design of the 1973 year model. It had the swing spring set up, overdrive, a brake servo and Sundym glass.
I much preferred the overdrive switch on the gear knob because it reminded me of the ejection seat button in the James Bond DB5 from Goldfinger. The Laycock De Normanville overdrive operates on 3rd & 4th on the GT6. I never used the clutch when engaging/disengaging overdrive because it's a cone clutch system with a single ratio set of epicyclic gears. The overdrive is also fitted with an overrun clutch.
I was watching that thinking “Jesus he’s getting a lick on, must be doing at least 70!” Only to be followed by “And we’ve not hit 50 yet” 😂
I’ve been waiting for this for years Ian. I had a mk3 as my daily driver for 23 years, drove it all over New Zealand. It was noisy, rattly and loads of fun. I absolutely loved it.
A very nice little car . Any comparison with a e-Type Jag should stop at . 'Both cars have four wheels '
4 wheels, and the bonnet opens in a similar manner - one giving better access than the other ;)
Agreed, I was lucky enough to own both at the same time! I actually bought a GT6 to run around in and used the E-Type at weekends only, but they really aren't comparable. For a start the E-Type was comfortable, the GT6 would give me backache after driving it for more than an hour! But nice little car, just not comparable to the E-Type!
There is a guy on TH-cam who has both and said the GT6 is a better driving experience
@@bernardwarr4187 😂Oh yeah, so where's that link, would love to see that. As I said, I owned both (The E-Type for 7 years and GT6 for 2 years) and they aren't even close. Like comparing a Mini with a Rolls. (both great cars, but again not comparable) I suggest you buy both and drive them for a few years, then make your own judgement 👍We're talking different leagues, a car that cost half the price of the other, so how can they even be "comparable" Utter nonsense.
@@PrettyRecords depends what you want it for, golf club and attacked attentions at show, ten out of ten, well done
Something nice about these old Triumph's they somehow made everything work and drive so well you end up with a big smile on your face.
Another great video and well balanced review
In 1980 I had a 1974 Spitfire 1300 in magenta. Loads more fun than I ever expected😀
I was very lucky to be given yes you read that right actually given a 1971 GT6 mk3 back in 2000. It was in a very sorry state and was residing under a hedge bottom in a chaps back garden. It was a previous neighbours car who had done a runner and not paid his rent. The chap who’s garden it resided in just wanted it out of the way so my brother and I rescued it. Within hours of rescuing it we had it running after cleaning the carbs and ensuring everything turned over. It was even drivable under its own power. The back of the car was full of boxes of bits as the interior was partially dismantled. We later discovered it was fitted with the engine from a 2500 saloon as it had twin SU's rather than Delorto's however it also had a set of Dellorto's complete with the inlet manifold in the back. The front end it a fibreglass reproduction as the original steel bonnet has long gone. In the early days I removed some of the rot to prevent further deterioration and did a bit of rust proofing. As we didn’t have a garage at the time we swapped it for one of my ‘other’ classics that was stored on my uncles farm over 100 miles away (my 1969 Minijem GT mk2 kit car). Sadly life intervened (as it always does) and it stayed in the garage for 18 years at what point my uncle retired from the farm so we had to move it to another garage near my brothers house where it still is. I really should sell it as a project as I just don’t have the time any more plus still have the kit car plus a 32 year old motorbike and many other things that my wife constantly reminds me I don’t have time for. But I loved the GT6 from the first time I laid eye’s on it. I even had a university lecturer who had one in the exact same orange colour. They have the most amazing sounding exhaust that’s a gruff burble at idle but a howl when revved. If they are fitted with the sports exhaust they sound truly amazing. Thanks ever so much for sharing this video that reminds me what mine should look like after owning it for 24 years lol.
This is the Triumph that is on my list to own one day, just have to save up. Wonderful six-cylinder sound.
Drove a 'French racing blue' MkIII off the dealer's lot in Ft. Lauderdale in the Spring of '73. Bill was $4000, almost to the penny. Had ridiculously skinny, bias-ply Dunlop tires. Switched to radial Semperits and omg did the handling improve! I loved the car, but it was a lemon! We were replacing wheel bearings within a few thousand miles. Then the transmission went. Then the differential locked up. Solid. I did keep it together long enough to drive across the US and back in the summer of '75. Great trip, other than the locked differential in Texas, the clutch that died in CA, the water pump that gave up in the MIDDLE OF NOWHERE in Eastern Oregon... Oh, for the good ol' days!
First time I was in a car at over 100 mph was in a GT6, that one had a tiny back seat and I sat across the car, I’m over 6’
100MPH in a GT6 feels like you're braking the land-speed record ;)
I touched it once - never again 😆
They're more of a cruiser than a top-speed car, which is perfect for avoiding points on your licence
I adored the style of the GT6. To me as a kid it had better styling than the MG. My dad had a 948cc Herald so the handling foibles were less of an issue with that engine and my famed fathers feather foot approach to throttle application. Later my brother had a couple of spitfire 1500 convertibles that I remember were so easy to work on as you mention. The MG's were more modern unitary construction but that GT6 style would win me over every time back in the day. I would love one. Many thanks for sharing, this brings back memories.
A 1973 Mk. III in Old English White sold for £7,000 plus premiums at my local auction house last month. At 8:50, the Mk. IV Zephyr and Zodiac suffered *exactly* the same problem at the back which earned them the nickname "Flying Pigs" by police drivers - indeed, some very early magazines I have from the Mk. IV ZZOC have a flying pig on the cover!
I used to have Triumphs 2.000 and the wonderful 2.5 pi.loved the overdrives, overtaking lorry’s in third then overdrive, then top.
I owned a 1971 GT6+ from 1975 to 1994 in Alberta Canada . Big problem is the tiny radiator that causes overheating on the highway especially on hot days going over mountain passes in the summer. The Transmission is fantastic as long as you know how to baby it. Brakes are not good. The brake pedals are tiny . You can miss the pedal in a sudden emergency stop. Also that Girling brake master cylinder is not reliable. The body is prone to rust if driven in the winter, but other than that an excellent fun hobby car. I miss that car after 30 years. Still dream about it. I had many an adventure in it. It has so much personality not like the plastic blobs today. Thanks for the video.
Ian, you're pulling at my heart strings with this one. in the early 80s when a was an apprentice, the GT6 is the car I most wanted to own. being at a Triumph Snag specialist I certainly had plenty of Triumph and very fancy sports cars to play with but it was the GT6 that did it for me and you couldn't have summed up its styling any better either.
one customer had swapped the standard 2000 engine for a 2500 TC and some kind of road legal exhaust upgrade (Janspeed possibly?) and wider wheels. it went like that proverbial excrement off a greased shovel. some cars you never forget
😁
My dream car as a young lad back in the 80s,lovely thing.I could only afford a Spitfire but didn’t have it long as I could never get used to seeing the road through the floor under my feet as I drove along.That was one of it’s better points!
Well done Ian spot on car and a cracking video.
The early MK1 and 2 looked so extraordinary. They are special because of the Michelotti shape which was to my eyes one of the greatest ever.
Test drove one of these about 20 years ago - your comment about getting in made me laugh reminding me of that car. I found getting out considerably harder, but I am 6'3"!
Same. The bane of a tall car enthusiast. Like the midget, mini or Elise. Even the MG B is cramped. Mx5 Mk1 is perfect, tiny but lots of leg room:)
I am glad you mentioned the turning circle because back in the 1960s l got the Book of cars and it had a couple of cars from the 1960s and one of them was the Triumph Spitfire and it had the smallest turning circle of any car in the book which is a pretty good achievement
My engineering lecturer had one exactly the same. He would pick me up daily in it. He chose four students ( including me) from my class and asked us if we would like help him restore it. Needless too say we jumped at the chance
Love the sound of a small straight six!
Had a mk111 Gt6 for 20 years from age 17. Non overdrive. It started life that colour but I changed it to emerald green. Must admit your test car doesn't sound as smooth as mine did. Probably will improve as it is run in fully. That sunroof gives a bit more headroom than standard. The air blowers are pretty inadequate to deal with the huge amount of heat that soaks into the cabin from the engine. I think the owner will find they have the roof open quite a bit. Those wheels, though standard pattern, are wider than the 4.5j version fitted as standard. They make all the difference to the look of the car. Though I'm over 6', I never felt cramped in the car and found the seats/ driving position very comfortable. As it was practically my first car, perhaps I just didn't know any better.
The heat thing... you can spot the GT6 owners at a Triumph meeting in December, they're the ones wearing shorts and a T-shirt ;)
I’ve always had a soft spot for Triumph. When I passed my driving test in 1977 The Herald and the Spitfire were at a point where the value was at the lowest, so a lot of my friends had them Triumph was very innovative from the Triumph 2000s to the Herald. The Triumph straight 6 was legend in its time very reliable and very easy to work on. But again, the big mistake, which was British Leyland, sucked the living daylights out of Triumph and destroyed it
I had a Mk2 a 1969 car when 18, two happy years of ownership, only one scary moment a downhill left bend in the wet, driving to fast and lifted ... numpty, but avoided field..replacement was a company Citroen Xantia
Lovely car Ian. Loved the bonnet opening like the Herald.
Always liked Triumphs.
That one must have an interesting history. ZV plates so it was imported to Ireland as a used car, probably from the UK, and now it's back there to be put together again.
Yes - UK - original reg HKP982L from March ‘73. In Ireland since 2008. Changed ownership in Jan ‘24. (From Motorcheck website)
Oddly - it’s not clear if it had multiple UK owners - looks like it had one UK owner for 35 years… but that’s not absolutely clear from the website. Someone who knows their way around the DVLA sites might be able to clarify that.
Was brought to Ireland around 2000 having been in a garden for about 7 years, after a lot of work was registered and back on the road in Ireland in 2008, needed a lot more work and taken off road afterward, now back on the road.
@@desmarymurray3061 Great work - look forward to seeing it around!
Ah happy memories. My best friend at Reading university, who was also an engineering apprentice at BL, had a turquoise GT6 backed spitfire. I don't think Pete ever let me drive it, but it was also a fun car to be a passenger in. It was however almost impossible to get into and out of whilst retaining any sense of decorum and dignity. Personally I've always preferred the comparative refinement of a Stag, which was and is my dream car. (To my shame, back in 1989, I once had the opportunity to buy one, which I stupidly turned down!) but yes - all Triumphs are magical.
Had the GT6 MK3 in red, bought it for £175 (thanks Cousin Paul), and sold it for the same a few years later.
Don't know if it was modified, but kept up with a MR2 Fiesta, until the hinged bonnet lifted and i couldnt see the road ahead.
Lovely little characterful car and the engine was glorious.
Mr2 fiesta?
@@pistonpopper5783 I'm guessing "MK2 Fiesta". It wouldn't keep up with an MR2 unless the MR2 was parked ;)
It's not often that we have a chasm of disappointment relating to the wipers!
Aside from that - what a glorious machine! I like it very much!
I had Triumph GT6 as my first car in high school in 1975. What a riot it was. I would love to have that car today.
These days the insurance would cost more than the car!
I have a 1969 MK3 Spitfire owned over 26 years since I restored it and GT6 engine I put in it my insurance is less than a 100 pounds a year
Kev East Devon 👍 👍🇬🇧
We had one of these in early 1980s (OUE 281M where are you?) in white. Very front-heavy with that big engine and the swing axle rear suspension so it wasn't the best handling car but it was pretty and sounded good. Weak point was the bottom trunnion on the front suspension uprights - broke at least 2 leaving us stranded. Ours had the overdrive gearbox so the actual drive shaft to the diff was only about 2 feet long! Mostly happy days...
The vertical,link broke as the trunnions were supposed to be filled with oil but were often greased and grit and water caused corrosion and the link broke. You can now get trunnionless kits which were developed for racing Caterham 7s which used, as many sports cars did, the Triumph front suspension and this completely removes this issue. Easy to fit.
Yes, time adds magic to certain cars, and more than that, the glowing admiration of owners past make this car a stand-out.
As a car nut, I must say I was underwhelmed at the time in 1966 when the GT6 appeared. It was so obviously a bodge on the Spitfire -- look at the Wiki pic of the green Mk1. But move a few feet for a different perspective and it looks fantastic, a styling chameleon.
More British kit cars of the '60s had the HUB front uprights from the Herald upon which they attached their own wishbones than any other, perhaps because it was so easy to source. Really the only one, I think. Formula Junior racing cars and who knows what else also used those uprights!
Just reading the comments and watching Ian's test drive has changed my entire lifetime perspective on this car from so what to "I'd like to have a go!"
My experience is nil, but have put a fair few hours in on a '68 Spitfire which I much preferred to Sprites. Not only that, but after four years away from MGBs (a long time to experience from age 19 to 23 as compared to a jiffy in one's seventies), I drove an MGB in '69 just before embarking on almost five years back in the UK from Canada. I was so disappointed in that MGB! Felt antiquated in all senses, while somehow the Spitfire was cheerful. Oh well. My perspective on cars had been changed by a '68 Plymouth Barracuda Formula S. Cart sprung it might be at the rear, but its effortless power, 60 in less than 6 seconds with no tyre-squealing histrionics brought my mind into the modern car era.
So, just as many here would like to have their GT6's back, I've always wanted that 340 Barracuda. Not a hope - rust and silly hotrodders have emptied the pool, so to speak.
Thus, this is really rather a great vid for me, and has evoked all sorts of automotive memories, while giving me a huge change in perspective on the GT6.
Can't ask for better than that. Nice.
It always astounds me that you feel you're braking the speed limit, until you look down and realise your just touching 50 mph,but still great fun.
These days those characteristics are so important. Can I have fun legally and safely on a nice road?
71 mph is the fastest I’ve ever driven my 67. At 50, with no overdrive, you’re in four (top) gear at 2000 RPMs, like said, possibly over. All I know is that I’ve never redlined it, but to go over 60, you’re driving 4000 RPMs, so not really something you want to cruise down the highway for miles in. I have never driven it on the highway, though I should, just to see how fast it truly can go without speeding. I’m just too scared because it’s like driving a go cart among all these monster trucks people drive these days.
Oh just listen to that thing! Utterly sublime!
A teacher at my Primarh School had a GT6 in yellow, back in the mid 70's.
It really stood out among the other teachers Autins and Singers!
I used to have a TR4. It had overdrive on 2,3, and 4. My favorite way to use it was to start from standstill in 2nd (no need to even slip the clutch as the engine would not stall.Full throtle to the red line then overdrive on. 0-60 mph in one gear basically. Really miss that car.
I absolutely love that car! Beautiful styling and a delicious engine sound. I always hankered after the Stag when I was younger, but now I'm not so sure!
Another brilliant video 📹 Hub Nut. 😊
Yes, there WAS a " rear seat " option on some. One of mine had it. Not recommended for even taking one passenger, let alone 2!
When I was at uni on my placement year, my boss (who was only about 2 years older than me) had a vintage black GT6, and occasionally gave me a lift in it. We were both 6ft or so, and even then, it felt a bit like you had to fold yourself up to get in and out. It felt for all the world like your bum was somewhere below road level when you sat down though, and had to climb up in order to get out. Lovely car though. Nothing like 6 cylinder British sports cars. Something that size is perfect for our country roads - and urban ones come to think of it!
I bought a 1970 GT6+ in 1973. The pedal placement wasn't an issue in left-hand drive cars. Loved the car, drove it for 3 years before rust consumed it. Got a 1975 TR7 in 1977. Kept it running for 50,000 miles before the engine and gearbox needed rebuilds. Good times.
Finally I get the point of a traditional sports car: it's not to go fast, it's to make ordinary speeds exciting. And so the Austin 7 and Ford 100E specials of my youth make sense, now.
Absolutely. I had a modified XR3i back in the early '90s (and 9 points on my licence because 100MPH felt like 60MPH) which was fun, handled corners like a pro and ate up motorway miles with ease... But I also had a little 1500 Spitfire for weekends, and that thing was more fun on windy roads at 40MPH than the modern "Sports hatch" was at illegal speeds!
My dad borrowed a Spitfire for a few days when his own car was out of action. He was overweight at the time and it was hilarious watching him get in and out of it!
What a lovely sounding engine
Yes. Some of them did, indeed have a tiny rear seat and YES it was TINY. Even as a 10 year old I couldn't actually sit properly in my Dad's GT6's rear seat.
I love these little old sports cars - they look like they are a lot of fun to drive even if you're not going particularly fast. Did anyone ever put this six cylinder engine into the regular Spitfire?
Yep! A few of us have.
If based on a Spitfire, it's known as a 'SpitSix'. If you put a Spitfire shell onto a GT6, it's known as a 'Gitfire'.
Worked on and driven both.
That straight 6 Triumph engine isn't powerful for its size and weight (in fact, it throws the Spitfire's 'poise' out of the window with all that weight up front) but it's a fantastic sound and significantly more torque than the Spitfire's 4-pot.
Fantastic video, Ian. What a lovely car. When you were talking about the MGB all I thought of was a head to head comparison between a Triumph GT-6 and an MGC GT. Sport hatch to sport hatch.
I feel the sporty Triumphs were targeted 'in between' the MG models of the time, in terms of price and features.
The Spitfire sat between the Midget and MGB,
and the GT6 between the MGB and MGC.
Saying that, I'd still pick the GT6 over the MGC (even in MG's beautifully deep Tartan red) for looks and sound!
In my early 20s, I saw one rotting away behind a building and had no idea what it was. When the time came for a project car, I crowd sourced what that car was, and began my search. Bought a 67 in 2009 for $2300 USD, and me and my husband did a frame off restoration. Got it road legal in 2011, but it wasn’t until a few years ago when I got to finally drive it because we could never get the carbs to work. By the time we fuel injected it, we realize that one of the problems was probably the fuel tank itself. Anyway, 2024, and I still have it. When the weather is nice, I pick up my kid from school in it. This is tough because it’s Texas, so without AC, it’s kind of hard to do.
What vlog, as a 16teen year old it was a fantasy that I always thought I might own one day as opposed to an e type which I always though was beyond my reach. I love the look and the bonnet bulge, thank you for reviewing a classic.
When a car sounds that good, and it does, you overlook all the other foibles that come with old motors. I once had a 1969 MKII Vitesse, straight Six, and I loved driving that car, more for the sound alone than anything else. She always drew a crowd too when parked up. Oooh that engine sound is one of the best. Beautiful! 🙂
I've got a 69 Vitesse at the moment, Primrose yellow, Webasto sunroof on Revolution wheels. Gets lots of looks and that Straight Six makes me smile every time I start her up.
I know that sound when you fire it up. I know that warm fuzzy feeling inside too when you hear it. Big smile time. 😊
Loved my 1973 Mk3 GT6. Only had two problems. Overheating in traffic - solved by an electric radiator fan. And being so low down that I could not see over road bollards. Required a bit of maneuvering. The overdrive was really useful and I wish I had it on my current car.
Had same overheating on my 68. Totally solved by one of my 2 mods: 1) Had radiator shop clean mine. 2) Same time during race prep, polished combustion chambers in head, exhaust ports, and top of pistons. This reflected heat away from those surfaces, keeping the engine mass cooler. I had boosted hp to about 160, and ran three 30 minute track sessions on 90 degf track days, temp gauge needle never moved.
A friend had a rather looney tuned Midget in the late seventies while a geezer he knew had a GT6. The Midget would leave the GT6 for dead up to 60 MPH and do corners way faster. I had a bit of a blast in the Triumph and loved it. Not fast but still fun.
Did the Midget have the Triumph 1500 engine ?
@@johnmoruzzi7236 No, it was a 1275 A series with some nice bits on. It was made for hill climbing really so was noisy as hell but revved like a Honda Vtec.
Always an under appreciated car!
My parents bought a green one here in NZ in 1973.People used to approach them and ask to buy it!
When I was in college doing mechanics back in '95/'96, one of my lecturers had one. We all thought it was a lovely wee car, even remember he had a talking alarm fitted to it.
JTR303L was mine had it about 15 years, loved it.
Overdrive was 3rd and 4th.
Talking of squeezing in, I took a friends MG Midget for MOT with the hardtop on.. crawled out on my knees 🤣
I wonder why Triumph never put the 6-pot in the lovely Spitfire? Better looking than the GT6 AND open-top fun! I bought a new Spit Mk4 in 1972 in French Blue, when i was 23. Wow! what fun I had with that car. It gave me a life long love of open 2-seat sports cars (I now have a lovely soul red 2021 MX5 2.0 bought new).
It would have competed with their own TR series.
But it's not stopped many enthusiasts doing the conversion themselves over the years
Loved the GT6, years ago, when I lived and worked in Kings Lynn for 6 months, September 1973 to February 1974, one one my workmates Bob had a very late orange Mk 2, Reg No EBJ 10J. The difference in engine noise between his 6 cylinder GT6 and my humble Smoke Grey Morris Minor Traveller (1960 reg, with a 948 cc engine) was like the difference between a lion's roar and young kitten's 'squeak'. The colours of orange, yellow, magenta and red seemed very popular in the early 70s to early 80s. Most cars by the early 70s had steering locks, surprisingly this hasn't. Believe it or not, late Minor Travellers and vans in 1971/2 had steering locks fitted as standard.
Apologies here, EBJ 10J was apparently a white Triumph 2000 first registered in August 1970. The old memory isn't what it was once, but I wonder if that particular Suffolk registered orange Reg Mk 2 GT6 my workmate had is still on the road? It would be nice to think it still was.
Checking the MOT database, EBJ 11J was a Triumph (model unknown, for some reason) in yellow, so not only might I have got the reg wrong, likewise I got the colour wrong.
I love a GT6! Much the same as with the MGB GT, I think the coupe design works much better than the open one it was based on.
I used to own a mimosa yellow GT6 MK3 that was pretty much in original condition... still miss that car. Nowhere to keep it when I moved to Wales so it had to go 😞 Took it up to the Isle of Skye once to go camping - was great fun to drive. Took it around Castle Coombe on trackdays a couple of times too!
P.S. I think they look nicer than the E-Type which is too bulbous looking 😀
If I remember rightly overdrive worked in 3 and 4 - really handy for overtaking - plant your foot in 3rd, once you run out of revs flick it into 3.5, then change into 4.5! Also it was common for people to make Spit-6's (or Gitfires) by bolting the convertible spitty body shell onto the GT6 chassis.
@@MultiVogon Been driving mine today - GT6 chassis and running gear and interior dash (though tarted up a bit - magnolia dials x7 and burr elm dash and door cappings, red leather interior and O/D switch on column so nice metal gear knob!) Wonderful sound and goes up to 90 like a train.
I remember working on one of these in the 80's. Underneath it was like a brown doily. I remember being bundled into the rear "space" when we went off to the pub.
When I was 18 and just passed my test I so wanted one of these, a mate of mine had one and I was so jealous, many years later I brought one without seeing it in person and had it delivered, the the car was great, what I had not remembered was how small they were and much bigger I had got 😂.
An old chap had a green one for years. He kept it immaculate. I can hear it now
These are great looking sports cars. I probably prefer these to a MGB GT in the looks department.
Always wanted a GT6 when I was in my late teens and early 20s but never got around to owning one, however, a girlfriend of mine owned one so I did get to drive a GT6. I have always loved Giovanni Michelotti's designs from the Triumph 2000 MKII to the Stag and GT6. Thanks for the memory.
Nice to hear a positive review of a British classic
Cracking video. Great point re what was achieved on a budget.
As others have said here, what was it about 60s and 70s teachers and sports cars? I can remember many MGBs and Triumphs, the occasional Alfasud etc, but regrettably no GT6s, but it was definitely a thing! Great review and historical context Ian, thank you as always.
They are indeed a lovely little car. Plenty of go and with the overdrive they were good on the A roads just eating up the miles as well. About 5 years ago, I had someone suggest swapping his restored MkI GT6 for my Stag. Although I loved the car, I'd only had my Stag for 2 years and was still very much in love with that too. In a lot of ways I wish I HAD swapped it as it would be two Triumph sixes in the garage - the GT6 and the 2500S saloon, so one for the family outings and one for times where the lovely Mrs KiwiStag and I wanted a cruise on our own. As you say, the fun thing about the little Triumphs being so low geared is that - like the Mini - you can have an absolute ball of a time, high revs and all, and still not break the speed limit. Like the Vitesse before it, if you know about its propensity for cornering mischief, then you are forearmed and it doesn't take you by surprise or leave you sitting higher in your seat when it happens. I wasn't aware of the Vitesse's penchant for a sudden sideways lurch if you lift off in a corner when I was first given the keys for a convertible 2-litre MkII for a wonderful weekend a few years back....but I soon learned. The Stag's patented twitch is nothing compared to the sudden pit-in-the-stomach feeling when the Vitesse''s rear end just picks itself up and moves 3 feet sideways in a split second! Have a word to your mate at Cambrian Classics - that six needs to lose a muffler (or have a resonator added) so you can hear the cackle of that beautiful rebuilt engine in all it's glory. I'm sure the owner would agree when he heard it!
These little coupes, make great race cars! 😊
It sounded great! Love the overdive too.
Had friends driving "British Elend" Spitfres and MGs of that period. In the end all of them swapped the original drivetrains for Opel and the Lucas "Prince of Darkness" electrics for Bosch - but then they rusted quicker than they could weld new tin in. Nice to look at, but best taken as a pre-assembled kit car. Today, I would get one, strip it, rustproof it for good - possibly by galvanizing as much as I could - and ten, again, putting reliable running gear in it.
Wonderful review! 6 cylinder burble brings back great memories of childhood.
Loved my MK I GT6, until.such time as my body required me to exit the car on my knees. It was the car that gave me smiles when driving, far more so than my Porsche 911 or Mercedes SL. It was awesome on narrow winding roads. Hopefully my Rudy is still riding proud.
Love that car..... I had a Spitfire and a TR6 and loved every minute of them.😎
Myself and my wife had a game when we were driving about. Whoever spotted a yellow car would shout "yellow car!" and smack the other person's thigh. Simpler days!
These days you could play the game for any non-white/grey/black car.
Great review Mr hub nut and Mrs hub nut you tell us exactly how it is for us which have never had the pleasure 👍love your videos all way make me smile ❤😊
Often wonder if Mungo Gerry used the soundtrack from a GT6 in their song "In the Summer Time". Had a tatty Mk3 from 2000 until I sold it in 2007. The Chech lady I was seeing, when I drove down to London in it with my dog, was not impressed, but she preferred it to the Humber Super Snipe Series IV and Triumph Herald 13/60 Estate. Whilst I taking her back to her place, it was during a Euro football match, and two ladies who were outside a pub lifted their 'T' shirts. Had to explain what was going on. Brilliant little car, but, alas mine was a money pit.
That straight six had immense torque, which made it great fun to drive.
Thanks for the review Hubnut. I fear that I wouldn't fit in one of these, though I've looked at them with some interest. Cheers.
What a gorgeous car. I wish we still had a motor industry we created some absolute gems 😢
The advantage of having the overdrive switch on the gear-lever was that you could change from 3rd o/d to direct top without using your other hand for the o/d switch. I'm sure my GT6 didn't have the ignition switch right down there - it was a combined ignition switch and steering lock much closer to the steering wheel.
He exaggerates a little - not down by feet but is below and slightly further away than the bottom of the dash - still not than convenient though!
As someone who is part custodian (main custodian, different story) of a 72 Mk4 Spitfire, the GT6 is literally a Spitfire with a fastback and straight 6.
I can attest to the ignition position being a complete pain in the arse. Even more so as the key isn't actually unidirectional either, it will only go in one way, so that's irritating when you're trying to figure that out when toure 6ft and already just about folded in. So most of them have an absolutely mashed up ignition.
Honestly, there is so much about these that I struggle with just in terms of being quite tall. If I had my choice i would have rathered a Stag, if which I do have many a great memory of during my childhood. But alas.
All that being said, all of that goes completely out the window when driven, it is so fun. The steering is direct and full of feel, it rolls and bounces around with so much character, the exhaust note is so throaty and the handling is perfectly progressive. You can feel like an absolute drift hero (not that I would know about that, officer).
In our one we always developed the (fighter pilot syndrome)!! Great fun
Datsun and the 240Z showed the world how to do it right ... I owned a 69 MkII (Plus in the USA) RotoFlex . It would rust just looking at it. One of the smoothest engines ever. Nylon 30,000 mile "bushes". CD carbs 100 times better than Skinners Union leakers. Cardboard trans cover. Inside fuel tank - see Ford Pinto - for excitement.
I love a GT6 beautiful cars, tiny but stunning
Got in France the TR3, TR4 , MK4 spitfire, loved British cars at this time then get Corvette, love it 1981 , beautiful my favorit was TR3 and Corvette (good time does not exist anymore 😂
What a lovely example, sounds great - those engines are superb.
I had a MK3 back in 1984 which was sold for a house deposit. I now have a 1967 MK1 which is well loved. Never had any issues with the rear end tucking in, you just have to know how to drive it.