Triumph GT6

The Triumph GT6 was a 1966-1973 built sports coupe of the British car manufacturer Triumph. The GT6 based on the popular Triumph Spitfire.

History

With the Spitfire Triumph 1962 resulted in an affordable sports cars. The competitor MG had at that time of his MGB a coupe in the offer, which sold well. Therefore Triumph commissioned the Italian designer Giovanni Michelotti with a design based on the Spitfire. However, the result is not delivered with the Spitfire engine due to the higher weight sufficient power. The problem was solved by the 2- liter engine of the Triumph Vitesse you einbaute in the new Spitfirecoupé.

The result was called GT6 and presented in 1966. Due to its rear tailgate there were certain similarities of the GT6 for Jaguar E -Type. Therefore, and because of its low price, he received the nickname Poor man 's E-Type (Jaguar of the poor man's E). Conceptually, however, the GTR6 's more back to the Sunbeam Alpine Harrington Coupé, the British coachbuilding company Thomas Harrington Coachbuilders had made ​​1961-1964, based on the Sunbeam Alpine roadster.

The GT6 was well equipped. Besides the wooden dashboard with four instruments a two-stage windscreen wipers, a two-stage heating fan, a padded steering wheel and bucket seats were standard equipment. The fuel consumption was very reasonable for that time. The assumed by the Spitfire and the Triumph Herald small saloon swing -axle system has often been criticized. Therefore, the GT6 MkII was delivered in 1968 with a much improved independent suspension with additional wishbone.

Overall, there were two facelifts. With an unchanged wheelbase of 2128 mm, the Mk.1 model was 3717 mm long and 1450 mm wide, the Mk.2 model 3734 mm long and 1450 mm wide and the Mk.3 model 3785 mm long and 1486 mm wide. The height was 1193 mm, respectively.