The Triumph Motor Co Ltd had been producing the Spitfire sports car for a little over a year when, in 1962, a project was initiated to make this model more powerful and, ultimately, to race it in the Le Mans car race¹.

This Spitfire GT was fitted with a 6-cylinder 2 litre engine, taken from the Vitesse model, but still using the basic Spitfire body. The car raced in the 1964 and 1965 Le Mans races which led to customer demands for a road-going version.

The GT6 Mark 1, introduced in October, 1966, was the result of this pressure. The car had a fastback body, a synchromesh gearbox and a much more luxurious interior than the Spitfire - a walnut dash, and carpets. At around £900 it had a big price tag to match its luxurious ambitions.

This first model was a sales success by small sports car terms, but the British motoring press² was highly critical of the rear suspension, claiming that the car had a 'sting in its tail'. The problem was attributed to the car's rear axle employing the swing-axle system, used successfully on the lower-powered Spitfire, but a disaster when putting 95bhp³ through the same set up.

The Mark II was the company's response. The rear suspension was redesigned using an unique reversed lower wishbone plus making changes to the cylinder head thus generating 104bhp and a top speed of 110mph. Reclining seats and an even more up-market interior trim were also introduced.

Developments had continued on the Spitfire itself, in parallel to the GT6. In 1970 the Mark 3 GT6 was released, featuring the latest trim and panelling from the Mk IV Spitfire. It sold extremely well in the United Kingdom but was hindered by changes to the United States exhaust emission regulations⁴ which robbed it of some of its power and distinctive throaty sound. The car lost money there - along with most British sports cars of the time. The GT6 was quietly shelved and the last one left the production line in 1973.

Good Points

• Looks - they have cleaner lines and are more curvaceous than the ubiquitous MGB.

• Performance - although the top speed of 115mph for the Mark III is not great by modern standards, the high torque and light weight mean you can still get away from the traffic lights pretty sharpish.

• Parts - panels and parts that were shared with the much higher volume Spitfire and Herald models are readily available and Rimmer Bros can find virtually everything else.

• Purchase cost - a good working model should cost about £3000 UK and a 100% restored and ready to wax one shouldn't be more than £6000 UK.

• Rarity - only 13,000 were ever produced... and most of those never made it back from California when the 1970s oil crisis kicked in.

Bad Points

• Handling - the Mark I is very skittish and even the Mark 3 can be a bit dodgy on a cobbled street.

• The gearbox - because the chassis rails are very close together the only gearbox that will fit a GT6 is a GT6 gearbox... so these are costly and rare.

• Reliability - all classic cars require more maintenance and break down on a more regular basis than a modern motor vehicle.

To the enthusiast, these little trials and tribulations all add to the fun of owning one of these great classic cars.