It can be justly argued that Triumph did make some lovely cars, even through the era after the company had become swallowed up by Leyland – later to become The British Leyland Motor Corporation (BLMC). There was the TR range, offering a high performance open top sports cars a model series that culminated in the production of the much maligned and scorned TR7/8. Lower down the Triumph sports car range was the feisty and popular Spitfire that was produced through the 60’s and 70’s from the Spitfire 4 through to the 1500. This small-engined open top fun time two-seater enjoyed much the same kind of popularity as the Mazda MX5 does today. At the top of the range there was Triumph’s Grand Tourer, the infamous Triumph Stag, although only produced for seven years, offered a sedate and more high-class style of sports car motoring.

However, there was another Triumph sports car that was very much under-rated and one feels that perhaps with a little better marketing strategy would have been a greater success than it actually was. We are talking here of the Triumph GT6, a Spitfire derivative that ran with a straight-six 2-litre engine, as fitted to the Triumph 2000 saloon and the 2-litre Vitesse, shoe-horned into a hard-top Spitfire coupe body. With a lively performance this car was aimed directly at the market place occupied by the MGB GT.

Perhaps if Triumph had officially provided us with a soft-top GT6 the car might have enjoyed a higher profile? There are actually a few soft-top GT6’s about, but these are merely customised Spitfires with the GT6 engine fitted or GT6’s that have been customised by having their roofs cut off.

The fact remains that these cars have become more sought after today than they ever were when they were being made 30-years ago.

In Autumn 1968 the GT6 Mk2 was introduced (known as the GT6+ in the US), which had revised body styling incorporating a raised front bumper as given to the Spitfire Mk3. Due to customer complaints of the Mk1’s handling when cornering, the Mk2 was fitted with an advanced rear suspension layout. This used a reversed lower-wishbone with double-jointed drive shafts. The resulting effect on the handling of the GT6 was most impressive. At the same time the new car acquired a new cylinder head, which was borrowed from the TR5, and together with a revised camshaft profile the result was an increase in power output from 95bhp @ 5000rpm to 104bhp @ 5300rpm. In 1970 the Mk2 was given an upgrade, which included new reclining seats, a matt black facia surround, a new steering wheel and new badges.

In November 1970 the GT6 Mk3 was launched, and in line with the Spitfire Mk4, the tail was "chopped-off" to produce the corporate Triumph Stag-like styling of the time. The bonnet was flattened out, although it still retained the centre bulge, the rear roof-line was altered and the door handles and fuel filler cap were made to fit flush to the body. The rear suspension was again re-worked to provide even better road manners.

The US car market, this being the largest customer, was all important to Triumph and in 1972, to meet new US emission regulations, the US specification cars saw a change in carburettor, piston, ignition, distributor and camshaft design reducing power down to 95bhp.

In 1973 the GT6 Mk3 received a facelift with new fabric upholstery, new style instruments, Sundym glass, and for the European market, servo assisted brakes. Later the control of emissions on the US specification cars further reduced the power output of the engine down to just 79bhp, which was little more than that of the UK specification Spitfire. This extra cost this placed on the car meant that it was not so attractive to buyers any more so, in an effort to make GT6’s more cheaply, the advanced rear suspension was converted back to the old swing axle system keeping the car competitive cost wise with its nearest rival, the MGBGT.

Although optimism in the GT6 sales department was high, in reality the death nell was sounding for the car. When further safety and exhaust emissions legislation in the US came into force, modifications necessary to bring the GT6 up to the standard required would have caused too much of an increase in weight and the restrictions in exhaust emissions, which badly affected the power of the six-cylinder engine, meant that the car could no longer survive.

Although no official death certificate was ever issued for the GT6, but its production ceased on 30th November 1973 with the completion of the last two cars.