IDRIVEACLASSIC reviews: Triumph GT6 Mk.3

[@craigsimister6008]

I own this car now and I love in to bits! Overdrive gearbox is being fitted next year 😀

[@henryhartley9993]

My older brother owned a GT6 in the 70s, he used to scare the life out me, he floored it everywhere we went...

[@daveowen9481]

I had one as my daily driver for 20 years. I do agree with your comments but I absolutely loved it. Great little car.

[@TheSaabClinicUK]

My Dad had one when i was quite young and he had converted it to the 2500 PI engine out of a Triumph Mk1. Complete with the mechanical timed Injection. 150bhp in that little car was quick !.

[@TheSaabClinicUK]

@Sean M Never did as far as i know. I will ask him when we speak next.

[@martinda7446]

@Sean M Ha ha ha. I had 3 MK1 Vitesses and being young and silly would treat them really harshly..I have a feeling the diff and gearbox would handle a 50% power increase without too much worry.

[@martinda7446]

@Sean M My point was smooth driving will make something last significantly longer..I was saying I would be silly for instance drop the clutch from a rolling 5mph to throw my mates off the back (Vitesse)and being generally unsympathetic mechanically. If you are smooth and gradual something could last forever (ish). It is the hammer vs the silk glove - literally with the hammer. I'll never get another Triumph anyhow. I've played with them to my satisfaction. They just don't give driving satisfaction, agricultural, cheap running gear on a wobbly old chassis. I just couldn't now. I love Michelotti's style and was seduced by the look. A Mini is a 1000 times more fun and rewarding to drive.(for instance).

[@mickjones5763]

In the 70's, I had them all MGB, MGB GT, Spitfire Mk4, and GT6 Mk 3. Loved them all and wish I'd have been able to keep them.

[@lr_s3102]

What a wonderful colour. It's a shame that Triumph is out of business - I absolutely love their cars.

[@brianwhittington5086]

It looks like it's Triumph French Blue / Lavender. Certain colours suited some Triymph models better than others. I remember working on these in the 1970s. Magenta, a plum purple colour and Mallard Green were popular, as was Mimosa / Inca Yellow and Pimento Red. I used to know all the names, some Triumph colours were only available on the Stag and the 2 seat sports models. The exotic names and shades did change slightly over the years.

[@lr_s3102]

@@brianwhittington5086 Inca Yellow was another class colour.

[@roddymac1370]

@@brianwhittington5086 You're right, it's French Blue. Agree a lot of colours suited the GT6 but this is one of the best. Love Carmine (sort of burgundy) too. Bring back 70s colours to replace today's boring grey, silver, white etc!

[@brianwhittington5086]

@@roddymac1370 Yes there wasn't much difference between French / Lavender. Only subtle changes and you often found a named colour was only available on specific models in those good old days. I've been involved in colour matching in my many years in the motor industry. We had colour library swatches and code reference books, but still year and paint plant variants may need some adjustment to get a formula to match. It's a lot easier today, with electronic spectrum analysis to identify the exact ingredients that make up any colour's formula. It also made a big overall difference that a vehicle had a suitable matched hood, vinyl roof and inerior trim to show off its paint, and of course the outside brightwork / chrome.

[@brianwhittington5086]

@@lr_s3102 I actually preferred the earlier Mimosa Yellow, a bit more subtle and not quite as stand out. Inca did look good on the Stag and Dolly Sprint. It really needed the satin black tail panel , coachlines and hood /vinyl roof and the other satin black to take the edge off it.

[@hutchcraftcp]

American actress Nancy Walker owned a brown GT 6. It was the subject of a few interviews in the 1970's. She was very proud of the Triumph.

[@24th1879]

I used to love these GT6 when I was a teenager back in the early seventies even though some of the suspension came from a Triumph Herald. It was a stunning looking car and I think it can still turn heads today. Would still love to have one today.. Thanks Steph another great video, thanks for uploading this one...

[@magform]

I think that you are spot on with your review. I have driven American versions of the Triumphs, MGs, Austin, etc. The side mirror/ wing window interference was not unique to Triumph. As someone nearly a foot taller than yourself, I did find the footwell fell cramped. Loved the torque of theses engines, but always felt Triumph had an edge over the Austin designed motors. We often eliminated the lockout on the overdrive and used it on the upper three gears. Sometimes third is too low, but fourth a bit high. The heater was something we joked about in all British roadsters but Triumph especially. Your feet always seemed overheated year-round, but coats were not optional in Winter, heater or not. I did find, like the Sprite Mk 1 and my Fiat X1/9, that once inside, it is comfortable. I did find the ride more "jaunty" than the MG due to the independent rear suspension, but like the difference between the TR-4, and the TR-4A, once you were accustomed to the quirks, and did not overreact, the handling was excellent. Great job!

[@RHM6x4]

.... when this car was made, the traffic was slower - your comment on the 'mess-up' of not fitting an overdrive as standard are unwarranted I feel, as a business selling cars you would have to consider the cost v benefit/saleability and it would not have made sense to fit the overdrive as standard 50 years ago - different story for todays fast moving traffic - other than that little bit , an excellent review as ever - good job Steph

[@williamegler8771]

This car brings back memories. My aunt had one but with overdrive. When you mentioned the heat in the cabin I remember riding to the Milwaukee County Zoo on a mild summer day and sweating through my shirt and my thighs sticking to the vinyl. Fast forward to December and the heater couldn't warm up the interior enough to melt in tracked in snow after 45 minutes of highway driving. I remember the car had a constant stream of issues. After two years she traded it in for a Opel GT with dealer installed A/C. The Opel was a far better car and she drove it for 140k miles in 7 1/2 years. It was warm in the winter too...

[@terryc8164]

I had a Mk2, for a few years, wish I had kept it., You don't have to pull the heater controls out they just move from side to side. Yes it's hot in there very true, a cardigan wasn't a good idea :), the O/D yep it was an option but it was on many cars of that era, not everyone liked them sadly, I did, it is brilliant far better than a 5 spd. Those mirrors need sorting, the quarter lights should not clash, probably incorrect replacements. Nice to see a review of a GT6, much underrated cars.

[@steveabbott4518]

On the MkIII you pull the left hand knob to operate the heater fan. It is two speed. These controls can get stiff over time and the knobs are held on with grub screws, the plastic can break if the screws are over tightened, the only fix is replacement knob.

[@terryc8164]

@@steveabbott4518 ahh, I don't remember my mk2 being like that, maybe it was an upgrade. Cheers. I remember the plastic as that very hard type, that does not age well so pulling in and out over a long time period....

[@royfearn4345]

I had two GT6s and enjoyed both of them immensely. The first had a Webasto sunroof which was noisy both open and closed and, when open, buffeted you about something chronic as soon as you went over 50! My second one had aTR6 2.5 litre engine and optional overdrive and that was a real shifter! No sunroof so much quieter than my first car. Loved them both and would have another like a shot.

[@steved3702]

My HA Viva did not have the interference issue with the side mirrors owing to there being no side mirrors. Great review. Good to hear you call out the less-desirable points!

[@daftcarrot8035]

That was my brother's GT6, small world. Fabulous car, loved driving it.

[@nigbiker2592]

Well Steph, you got that one spot on. I lusted after one of these many years ago and about 5 years ago set out to buy one. Fab styling externally but the interior disappoints. Great engine but so SMALL both inside and out (and i am a lightweight 5 ft 9inch). Noisy and the optional overdrive is a must. Gearboxes on the ones I tried were all rubbish as they were designed for a Herald i.e. not the same power. After test driving a few I gave up and bought a Sunbeam Alpine SV instead. Now you would be impressed with that!!! I find it sublime.

[@racketman2u]

I'm 5'10" and had plenty of legroom in my GT6; lots more room than my Spridget! The GT6 diff stub axles were weak though, smaller than the TR6.

[@Mark_T]

I can't fault the styling on that at all. Wooden dashboards as well 8-)

[@isthereanybodyoutthere9397]

Triumph trade marks, and real wood too.

[@peterriggall8409]

More desirable I reckon and rarer than an MGB. Lovely example and colour.

[@brianwhittington5086]

They handled a lot better than any MG BGT, once they changed the swing arm rear suspension. The Herald based cars all had a fantastic tight turning circle too. They took a slightly backward step towards the end of GT6 production, by messing with the rear suspension setup again, to save on production costs.

[@stumac869]

Those six pots are great, just leave it in top and unless you go below 10mph you never need to change down and sound lovely.

[@DavidHall-ge6nn]

I've always thought this was an absolutely gorgeous car, especially in French blue. Never been in one until riding with you just now. Wonderful, honest review.

[@adrianrowden8266]

Yes French Blue is the best colour.

[@mattw8332]

Clamshell bonnet! Nice and easy(ish) to work on. Love the styling - I’d have one of these over a Spitfire.

[@andreaabout]

I often wondered what the GT6 was like and how it differed from the Spitfire. Great video. Coincidentally I done a jigsaw today for the first time in ages and it has a red Triumph Spitfire in the picture. These cars are from a time when cars were individual and quirky with their own character and charm and not clones of each other. Thank you for the video, take care and stay safe.

[@lawrencew]

Great review Steph. I had one in the late 90s. MkIII, TR6 block making it 2.5litre with uprated carbs. It was quick, hot inside and absolutely fantastic! Fantastic little cars that truly entertain.

[@simonhodgetts6530]

I love the GT6 - a bit of 60s Italian style exotica with some British straight 6 grunt.

[@noseyparker6622]

I wouldn't call 95bhp grunt TBH.

[@donaldtucker4914]

@@noseyparker6622 It is when you're driving one. Light body, low gearing and smooth engine combine to give plenty of pace. Sometimes the stats aren't everything.

[@jrbs]

One of the best sounding 6 cylinder engines ever, in my opinion! 😁

[@Zadster]

It sounds way bigger than 2 litres too!

[@ricklazio7923]

and if you fuel inject them with a bigger exhaust.... it's heaven.

[@promerops]

I had a 1970 Vitesse Convertible. Many happy recollections of that car, including driving it through the Peak District, hood down and just loving the music of that six rebounding off the rock faces of the cuttings. Some years later I had a 2500 TC (actually a South African Triumph Chicane). One of my favourite things to do was to drive it slowly along a long straight suburban street near my home and just see the heads of pedestrians turn at the fruity note of that long stroke six. Funny that I don't recall any discomfort with the pedals on the Vitesse. Thanks, Steph, as always for an enjoyable and informative video.

[@bombakdik]

Owning a family owned GT6 MK2 LHD myself, this is one of my favorite cars. I don't like the rear end styling as to be found on the later Spitfires as well as the MK3 GT6. Very nice review! I loved it. This made me catch up with your channel again since a very long time, which I am sorry for. Cheers from Belgium!

[@slowhoon]

Hi Steph, I bought my GT6 back in 1987 so got it with a lot less of the original bits missing than most people experience today - plus I have read a lot on Triumphs and driven several GT6s over the years, so: The switch to the left of the temperature gauge is for the interior lights (both the dome light in the roof and the under dash light in the driver's footwell. The direction slider for the heater doesn't need to be pulled out before you move it side to side. As others have stated you pull it out for the two speed booster fan. The hazard warning switch is a standard factory fitment and not only is it odd that id doesn't match the other switches but I've yet to see the same switch in any other Triumph (the Dolomite 1850/Sprint switch is similar but not the same). There should be a clutch foot rest to the left of the clutch pedal (attached to the gearbox cover). And yes, the pedals are positioned to the right but you get used to it very quickly and it's not as bad as air cooled Porsche 911s that have them positioned massively to the left! Non-overdrive GT6s have a diff ratio of 3.27:1 and overdrive GT6s had a diff ratio of 3.89:1 - ultimately giving the same final drive ratio. Yes they are buzzy at speed but it is a reflection of the age of the design. You might even find that the car you tested has had the original diff replaced (not uncommon as the 3.27:1 has a weaker carrier than the other ratios) with a 3.63:1 (Spitfire 1500) or 3.89:1 (GT6/Spitfire Mk4). The heat inside the cabin is likely due to the gearbox cover being damaged and/or missing in the insulating cover that goes between it and the gearbox. My GT6 was similarly hot but a friend's was always quite cold. A sunroof (more likely Weathershields than Webasto) isn't the easiest solution!

[@paulbennell3313]

Yes, it's flawed in some ways but I love anything with a Triumph straight 6. They sound amazing! I've heard before that heat permeates the transmission tunnel quite badly. And why anyone buying one new would specify no overdrive is beyond me but yes, it should've been standard (no pun intended).

[@heikkiremes5661]

Pretty car, especially the rear.

[@andrewthompsonuk1]

A friend had a Spitfire mkiii, after he rebuilt the rear suspension we came to the conclusion that all the concerns about the rear end were unfounded. It was quite easy to make a tired Hearld dance all over the place but the stiffer Spitfire with new everything in the rear was very stable.

[@cambridgemart2075]

It depends how hard you push it, I've certainly managed to break the back end away at reasonable speeds in the lanes; however, I was always able to recover it without finding myself the wrong side of a hedge.

[@jrgboy]

I recall when I worked for the MOD around 1968 a guy had one the same colour, he seemed very popular with our female colleagues ...

[@brianwhittington5086]

Many years ago, I had a 10 year old 1968 Triumph Vitesse 2.0 saloon. They are basically the same as a GT6 under the skin. It had a vague rubbery gear selection, feeling more like you were following a K than H gate pattern looking for the gears. The gear selector lever has bushings that fail, due to exhaust heat and oil leaks, they're a cheap and easy repair to fix the problem. You do it from inside the car, by simply removing the gearbox tunnel cover. It's a moulded fibre cover, and if damaged, or not fixed properly, it can let in noise, heat, fumes and water.

[@grayfool]

A bit of a junior hot rod really. The early omes were a handfull, rather like the Vitesse. Very pretty though.

[@nathanhobson1142]

Mk2 my fave, love the louvres on the bonnet.

[@brianwhittington5086]

The first car I owned myself was a 10 year old 1967/8 Mk1 2.0 Vitesse saloon. Fond memories of the independent rear suspension on them. Suddenly deciding to tuck under and completely change the rear camber angles mid corner, certainly made it interesting to drive !

[@stevensarson482]

I remember driving one in the 70s and as a young drives it was exactly that - a handful. I got to try a Vitesse a little later and loved it , despite it being quite a handful too. I owe a lot to Triumphs including my driving test!

[@seancooke4127]

Love the shape of the Mk3, love that 2 litre six, my dad had a 1973 Triumph 2000 in nearly the same colour. You are correct about the overdrive but I'm sure there were aftermarket systems available at the time because people did personalise their cars more aftermarket at the time. It is very low and challenging for entry and exit, especially at my 53 creaky years of age. My son used to have a 2001 Audi TT, great craic getting in and out. Glad you found the seating good and the gearbox is always an important factor in enjoying the drive. Go Sporty Steph!!

[@stephenricketts7764]

I saw an old film on KZbin the other day advertising Laycock overdrive for MG's. I don't know if they did one for these. Perhaps someone might know?

[@seancooke4127]

@@stephenricketts7764 sounds like the thing. There was a Fairey one for the Series 3 Land Rover. My Dad had a Series 3 Land Rover diesel. She could have done with the overdrive for a different reason because her maximum speed was about 42 mph in 4th.

[@mescko]

@@stephenricketts7764 They did indeed, it was optional. The early cars used the 'D' type OD, the Mk. 3 cars used the improved 'J' type.

[@donaldtucker4914]

I bought restored and ran a GT6 MK 3 and an MGBGT mk 1 together for about 15 years. The MG was sturdier with more reliable handling and ride, but the GT6 far prettier, lovely smooth engine and this, together with the driving position and smoothness made it more enjoyable on a long trip. Heat soak into the GT6 cabin was definitely a problem and the ventilation not particularly good, but the early MGBGT had a one speed blower and no dash level vents at all! I like the Triumph dash. It was quite classy for the time. Much nicer than the crackle finish metal dash of he MG, and in fact there are two glove trays and it's surprising what you can fit in them. I agree both cars are much improved by overdrive but not fitting it as standard I not really a missed trick by Triumph. Remember 5 speed boxes were rare in those days and overdrive usually featured only on more expensive cars. No, the trick they missed was to make the GT6 only in coupe form. It was daft. The Vitesse had been a saloon and a convertible and making a convertible GT6 would have been straightforward, just fitting a spitfire body and the GT6 bonnet to clear the straight six engine. In fact many have done it since and made really great cars. Thanks for giving the GT6 a bit of publicity though.

[@jamesm90]

I really like the GT 6. So much more style than an MGB. The Spitfire was more fun with its drop top , shame they didn’t put the straight 6 in it.

[@isthereanybodyoutthere9397]

They did put a V8 in it later though.

[@MarkWilliams-hj6hn]

@@peterh4761 I think he actually meant the MGB, not the GT6.

[@MarkWilliams-hj6hn]

@@peterh4761 Triumph didn't want to lose any TR sales. That is the main reason we didn't get a 6-cylinder Spitfire.

[@martinhaines6439]

my one had a overdrive on 3rd and 4th. Non overdrive 4th gear was not to different to overdrive 3rd. Absolutely fabulous for overtaking

[@danieleregoli812]

I absolutely LOVE the GT6!!!!! Lat year we went to check one out, but it was an utter undrivable coffin, and needed a lot of work! pity, it's such a classy car!

[@calumbaxter9946]

Undriveable coffin 🤣🤣🤣 - have to use that myself in future!

[@johnjtm1097]

I always thought of these as Spitfirs with a roof. As the MGB GT was to the MGB Roadster, the GT6 was to the Spitfire. Great looking car and great video Steph.

[@frostyone1967]

You are my favorite car revewer, so laid back and chilled.

[@rickshaw2779]

Lovely looking cars on the outside at least. If I remember correctly a firm called SAH from Leighton Buzzard used to do a special negative camber rear spring and mods for these early GT6's back in the day. Enjoyed the video especially the test drive as I always fancied one but couldn't afford it.

[@MarkWilliams-hj6hn]

Yes. Once you get it negatively cambered at the back, you'll never have any handling issues with these. Even with the GT6 Mk1, you'd have to be driving like a lunatic to get the back end out. The trick was to go into a bend then power out of it. Putting the anchors on mid-bend was not a good idea!

[@mescko]

@@MarkWilliams-hj6hn The 'camber compensator' was first offered when the Spifire's axle tuck became well-known.

[@iancull77]

I love a GT6. Sat in one a few years ago and was disappointed by how claustrophobic it felt. It’s good to have an honest review!

[@mescko]

I'm 5'10" and never found the int. claustrophobic in the least. I prefer 'snug'.

[@nta.16]

You gave a fair review, I can confirm this as I had a Mk3 15 years ago, after wanting one for many years, lovely exterior shape but a cramped oven in the winter and very cramped sauna in the summer, and I'm used to small cramped cars and other issues.

[@colinnuttall9579]

Forgive me if I sound petty, but I believe you’ll find the designer of this car is pronounced Mick-el-otti, not Mich-el-otti. Otherwise, great sho as always. Fantastic hair by the way !

[@rogerdonaldsullivan1424]

My Dad had one of those he called it the Hooker puller mini skirts and boots 👢 😳

[@vw183iltis]

Nice video I had a Mk 2 and got a genuine GT6 engine from Triumph for £120 when they stopped production. Thanks for the heads up on the change of speed limit in Rushton from 40 to 30.

[@brianmcelvogue3370]

I like to hear people’s honest opinions , thanks Steph 👍

[@vanpastel]

I should have snatched one of these 20 years ago when the were selling for 6000-8000€

[@brianwhittington5086]

Back in the 70s,80s and 90s you could pick up really excellent examples for well under £1500. If only I'd kept all my old classic 🙃😐

[@johnmoruzzi7236]

They will have been rebuilt twice by now...

[@Shane_Marsh]

I remember throwing up in the back of my dads GT6 on every long trip during the 70s 🤮 Great video steph 👍

[@ohshitnotanotherknob]

Gawd, not surprised, it's not really even a 2+2

[@fatboysgarage7984]

I'd love to add that (or any) GT6 to my collection. I've always loved Spitfire's since they've always been in my family, but the second I found out about the GT6, I knew I have to have one, some day.

[@chilternman]

I love the styling and the engine and I agree with your comments. However I can't help think that a webasto and overdrive as standard would have transformed this car. Perhaps that is the key when looking for one

[@tonykan5576]

A really good video.I owned a Mk1 in the seventies and they were far hotter in the cockpit than the mK3.We used to joke that a GT6 driver was always soaked in sweat and stank of engine oil.

[@evo5dave]

When I was a kid in the 70s and 80s we saw these, and Spitfires, as really uncool. But, wow, have they aged well. Looks awesome.

[@martinda7446]

The early cars look incredible to me, much nicer than the MK3. They would leave an MGB way behind both with performance and looks..Even if corners presented occasional issues for the unwary..They stuck to the road like a leach if you kept the camber right with power.

[@robinmerrington2298]

Nah mgb GT v8 all the way

[@martinda7446]

@@robinmerrington2298 Yeah, I like that, except if you put the 2.5 pi engine in the GT6 it will still beat the V8. Edit Standard engines as factory. (the 3.5 can be tuned to blow away the 2.5, except from factory the power and torque were about identical). Plus the GT6 mk1 ad 2 still look better with beautiful Italian styling.

[@___Steinn___]

One of the prettiest cars with fastback design! Thanks for showing it in detail! ✌🖤

[@gibo9739]

My dad owns a yellow one, They’re absolutely gorgeous cars

[@craigmclean8260]

Nice, honest review, Steph! Saw relatively few of these in the States, although I did see more of the Mk. IV versions, which got the ugly bumpers, and were 1500cc 4-cylinders, IIRC. Nice-looking car; the overall shape, the twin-carbureted six, and the hatchback bring to mind the Datsun 240-Z, albeit the latter had the 2.4 liter L-24 engine w/ 150BHP originally. Like you, I would've preferred an overdrive as standard (the Z-cars were only 4-speeds, until 5-speeds were offered on the 1975 280-Z), and I would've like to see an ammeter and oil pressure gauge. Thanks for another entertaining Sunday car review!

[@seanmcgivney7631]

Another delightful video, thank you Steph!

[@Phiyedough]

I ran an MGBGT as my everyday car in the late '90s but that was before prices went silly. I think I would rather go for the Vitesse than the GT6. That probably had the same dash but it would be possible to modify that. No mention of MPG but I dare say they are quite thirsty, especially without the overdrive.

[@graemew7001]

I drove both the GT6 and a multitude of (chrome bumper) MGB GT's while working in a classic car garage and IMO the GT6 had the far better styling but the MG was the better car to drive unless it was the black bumper one's then they were on a par.

[@futch2121]

I had a MkII in racing green. It had O/D on 3rd & 4th. Great car.

[@gzk6nk]

I had a Mk4 Spitfire (in fact I had 2 - the first was French Blue like this car and I bought it new in 1972, the second was white and second hand). The rear suspension was 'sorted' on the Mk4 with a transverse leaf spring which prevented the dreaded 'tuck under' of a rear wheel.

[@danielrussell446]

Always loved the GT6 and that one is in fantastic condition especially in french blue my best friends dad had a dolomite sprint in the same colour Can see what you mean about the overdrive it was standard I think in the 2000 with the same transmission

[@Vince_uk]

Cool motor and another great video Steph

[@CARacterReviews]

Thank you so much for your review Steph! It looks gorgeous. The rear profile reminds me of a MkI Mustang Fastback.

[@dougfurniss734]

Wow lovely car, even with all the faults you pointed out I've still always fancied one, unfortunately my budget will never stretch that far 😕

[@nervo6321]

Another great vid...i know Adrian Flux from the speedway at Kings Lynn...as in the Adrian Flux arena !

[@timothysimpkins6229]

A PE teacher in my junior school days, had a Triumph GT6 in white. Same year an L registration.

[@mr-wx3lv]

Now that is lovely...I miss those little pocket dynamites...

[@jeremytoms5163]

I remember trying a GT6 and a Spitfire in the 80s. Nice cars but just too low to get in and out of. Ended up buying a cracking little sportscar instead, a TR7. I'd worked on the TR7 for years as my sister had a JPS special TR7 for about four years before trading it in for a convertable TR7. Wish now that I'd kept mine but after a couple of years had to sell for a family car (SDI 3.5 V8). Hey, the wife said I needed a car for our expanding familiy, she didn't say I had to be sensible about it :D

[@StupStups]

Brutally honest review! But fair enough. For what it's worth, I don't find the pedal offset to be an issue at all - you can rest your right foot against the side of the footwell while cruising around, toe on the pedal. Earlier cars had nicer dashboards in my opinion - everything went a bit tacky in the 70's.

[@ryanbird5419]

My favourite car,i regret not buying one 10 years ago when i had the chance.

[@AlbertMeza]

Lovely car, honest opinion, what else can we ask for? Thanks, girl!

[@MrEdJWilliams]

I had an L reg mk3 GT6 just like this one in the late 80s. The best thing about the GT6 is the 2 litre straight six engine. The problem is that the rest of the drive train is under-developed. The gearbox is a development of the Herald unit, which itself was inherited from the Standard 10, and is just not strong enough. The lay shaft bearings always wear prematurely and the gearbox fails. The differential is only marginally able to cope with the torque and these too often fail, but mine was OK. Mine wore out its big end and main bearings at 70k miles, not an uncommon experience. The only good thing about this is that because the design is so simple they are eminently diy-able, and in fact I had the crank ground and fitted new shells myself for less than the cost of a major service on a modern car. It was a fast car in its day, but today it would be out-classed by almost everything. It’s a shame they are now worth so much - classic cars are fun when they’re cheap but you would really have to want one to pay today’s prices. You are right about the heat soak in the cabin. In fact there are two more (invisible) air vents below the dash; it’s just a shame that they were next to useless. The slider control you showed pulls out to work a 2 speed fan - I always thought this was a reasonable arrangement. If only Triumph had spent some time fixing the obvious faults they would have had a great car.

[@roverchap]

A Triumph Spitfire with a roof and a straight six. Always wanted one of these when I was a teenager. Got the brochure from the local BL dealer - it was so un-PC - the text saying how the car responded better to the authoritive inputs of a male driver after his female companion had driven it to meet him!

[@andydeacon5292]

My first car was a 13 year old Herald and I worked my way through the Spitfire, Vitesse And GT6 Mk 2 and 3 models. The overdrive models had a different final drive ratio so overdrive 4th was more or less the same as 4th in a non-overdrive car. It's the characteristic sound of the straight six that makes you think you've run out of gears but if you check the revs the engine won't be revving particularly high. I was obviously biased towards the Triumph cars but have to agree that the MGBGT was more spacious and felt more refined, despite its black crackle-finish dashboard.

[@roddymac1370]

Totally agree, the overdrive argument is out of proportion. I have it on my GT6 and it doesn't actually drop the revs that much. As you say it really is the noise that makes you reach for another ratio. The o/d is also a pain in the neck for electrical gremlins!

[@chrisg6086]

Spot on about the overdrive and axle ratios: for the Mk.2 only, you could specify the 3.27:1 final drive with the overdrive, and that does make for a lovely cruiser. I chose that set-up for the rebuild of my Bond Equipe 2 Litre as a daily driver in 1984, and loved it. 46 mph in 1st!

[@angusnz7910]

Brought back memories….your third gear sounded as evil as mine did

[@racketman2u]

Quite a few of these got upgraded to the 2.5 litre version of the sweet Triumph six, but if you do that, you really need to put something like a 240Z diff in to avoid snapping axles like carrots, they weren't much stronger than the puny Herald/Spitfire items.

[@richardcalon3724]

You state car has a swing axle, not so. It is in fact a double wishbone with the leaf spring forming the upper link. In order to accomplish this there is an inner u-Joint and a flexible rubber coupling at the wheel upright. Even at that the car to my recollection did have snap oversteer tendencies.

[@titchness8487]

I've not seen a classic that doesn't have a bad angle. It's gorgeous

[@geoffburrill9850]

Lovely car. Overdrive standard in the late sixties and early seventies, dream on.

[@allanmollison6971]

It looks like a cross between a porshe 911 and an e-type jaguar.

[@bobwebb1348]

The swing axle rear wasn't a problem unless you backed off the power in a bend: you have to know how to drive!

[@brianparker663]

That discounts the bloke in the Merc I followed yesterday - every bend his flippin' brake lights came on! Arghhh! ;-)

[@StupStups]

True, and the corners are more thrilling with that twitchy rear end. Converted my Spitfire from swing axle to swing spring and it feels more stable but slightly less exhilarating now.

[@MyJon64]

You don't need a radio when you have that sweet straight 6 to listen to. Overdrive wasn't considered to be important for the American Market, Gas was less than a dollar a gallon back in the 60's and early 70's. The yanks loved these fast high revving British sports cars. The rear suspension sorted out the men from the boys!

[@chaddamp2894]

Gorgeous looking car....these days all marks look to similar to differentiate from one maker to the next?

[@brianwhittington5086]

If you haven't worked in the motor industry, you would be shocked how many vehicles share the same basic base platforms. Manufacturers collaborate to cut development and production line costs. They just tweak the shared platform to suit their own individual outer skin panels, add their own engines, trim and badge identity. It means major parts and spares are able to fit many different vehicles.

[@chaddamp2894]

@@brianwhittington5086 Thanks Brian.As I thought here,looks like the manufacturing sector will supply to assembly plants as in Sunderland plant?

[@stephenandjeanette3095]

Had 3....1 Mk1 & 2Mk3s. I st Mk 3 sold to be deposit on first house. Great fun loved them all. Ps. 2nd Mk3 had overdrive which helped with the gearing.

[@Ratty_Rex]

A great and honest (as always) review of a car I'd one day love to own..... or at least drive for a weekend.

[@demon1954]

Lumpier tickover than standard. Cam? Carbs? Exhaust? Headwork?

[@stuartdavies5191]

Another great (and honest) review Steph. Many Thanks!

[@timhancock6626]

The overdrive was expensive, though desirable. We had overdrive on my father's Triumph 2000 Mk1 facelift which had the same engine as this GT6 and the overdrive did make a big difference. I took my test in the 2000......fifty years ago...eeek!

[@davidconnolly292]

Great review Steph. Lovely looking car, but you're not the first I've heard of to be underwhelmed by the gt6

[@hankpb1]

used to walk past one in brg daily on way to school in the 70s

[@ajpdaniels]

The one I went in - the ride was incredibly poor and this compromised the handling on anything but the smoothest roads. The MG that replaced it - even with its leaf springs - felt far more able and safe. We also had a Renault 16 at the time... Similar era design and not a sports car. I'm afraid to say in ground covering ability and cornering speeds (straight line too as it was a TS model), the soft Renault was vastly superior

[@Mortimer50145]

There is an episode (Money Money Money) of The Sweeney from the 1970s where the Sweeney's Consul (Granada) chases someone in a Renault 16. The R16 corners very badly and lifts the inside back wheel about a foot when turning 90 degrees into a side road (it's possible the stunt driver may have overcooked things a little!), but the tables are turned later on when they get onto loose ground on a field. The R16 is very sure-footed whereas the Consul is tail-sliding all over the place, which looks impressive but makes it fall behind in the chase. RWD versus FWD - a clear demonstration ;-)

[@ajpdaniels]

@@Mortimer50145 I remember it - the camber was pretty bad but it looks terrible - mind you Golfs used to do this - but not a foot!

[@MarkWilliams-hj6hn]

The one you tried probably had knackered bushes/shocks. A well set-up GT6 is great fun.

[@jsnowdendavies]

The GT6 is just pure awesonomic gorgeosity.

[@BenjaminZephaniah]

This was my first car. I always say, and I'll say it again, if I could ever find that car again, I would sell my soul for it.

[@idriveaclassic]

I cannot believe you’ve watched one of my videos! I’m a lifelong fan of your work and read your poetry at school. I’m absolutely starstruck!

[@BenjaminZephaniah]

@@idriveaclassic I've watched many of your videos. Think of me as a fan. I love old cars, and I hope to see you at show at some point. I hope the new job is going well.

[@idriveaclassic]

Aww no way! You’ve made my week, thank you! New job is fantastic, you’re always welcome to pop in 😊 xxx

[@MarkWilliams-hj6hn]

Wow! Benjamin Zephaniah! I always thought you were cool, but knowing your first car was a GT6 makes you the coolest!

[@andygreen1a]

Great review as always. I hope you’re enjoying your new job.

[@Dan-hq2js]

After an e type where the accelerator pedal requires anyone with average size feet to almost have to turn your foot and press it with the outer edge , or have tiny feet or very, very slim shoes... I can't complain about cramped or offset wheels or pedal boxes on anything else. I thought my cinquecento was bad when I used to accelerate and accidentally slam on the brake at the same time!

[@stephenricketts7764]

I like the shape of these I see where the poor man's E type comes from I also like spitfire and stag. Yes Triumph do have there quirky bits but hey this is 70s disgn. Like the video Steph. 👍

[@briannickerson6858]

People did transplant GT6 engine and suspension into a Spitfire. Speed and top down. Regardless, the GT6 is really a better looking car. I had unmodified Spitfire, except for Miata seats. Twenty plus years. When parked, a few teenagers came over and asked what it was. “What do you think?” “Ferrari?” I was pleased and gave them the info about the Triumph and differences to a Ferrari. Still --Ferrari? Yay!

[@sniff6058]

it's one of the most underrated channels ever.