The stunningly styled Triumph GT6 was born in 1966 and was the result of a desire from Standard-Triumph to design a GT version of the Spitfire 4. The Spitfire 4 was designed by Giovanni Michelotti, and it made sense for Triumph to commission him to work on their new GT project in 1963. Triumph approved the fastback style of the Spitfire GT4 prototype, but the engine performance was not enough for the added body weight.
The fastback design was retained for racing purposes thanks to its improved aerodynamics and lightened with a fibreglass construction which allowed the Spitfire GT4 to win its class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1965. The anecdote is that Triumph advertised its GT6 as a derived version of the Le Mans winning Spitfire, while the cars were actually very different even though they shared some similarities.
The Triumph GT6 Mk.I was finally introduced in 1966 and featured a very smooth 2.0L straight-six engine from the Vitesse developing 95hp. Values are rising for this very little coupe with timeless shapes and a unique charm factor, while remaining fairly accessible, especially for the Mk.II (1968 – 1970) and Mk.III (1970 – 1973) versions.
? Triumph GT6 Mk.I – Credit @dylankingphotography