Which is your favorite version of Triumph’s GT6? The early cars with their upright grilles, direct from Michelotti’s pen? The second series, its suspension reformed to tame the swing-axle? Or the Mk III’s modernized sheet metal and roomier cabin? Today’s offering is a GT6+ (Mk II), listed here on eBay and bid to $1775, reserve not met. This car is located in Ventura, California, and it’s had miles of experience carving up Mulholland Drive. It still runs and drives, but needs TLC, mostly in the cosmetics department. Is this car too cheap at the current price? Let’s find out.
In the beginning, the GT6 was fitted with a 2.0-liter inline six-cylinder – an engine that, until then, had only been used to propel the Triumph 2000 and Standard Vanguard saloons. The 2.0-liter was a far better solution than the Spitfire’s four-cylinder – which was tried to no good effect in the GT6 prototype – and a notch above the Vitesse’s smaller 1596 cc six-cylinder – also available off the shelf. At first, output was about 94 hp, later creeping up to 104 thanks to a revised cylinder head, cam, and manifolds. For the US, the cars were delivered wearing Zenith-Stromberg carbs, but these can be changed out for better-breathing SUs. The seller notes that this engine feels tired, so a rebuild might be in store (you can change out the carbs then!) A four-speed manual gearbox was standard; overdrive was optional. This car has an overdrive unit, but it isn’t deployed. The suspension has been improved here, and the clutch is “nearly new.” The wheels are apparently American Racing four-spoke alloys, my absolute favorite wheel in the world – though the tires are old.
The photos don’t do the interior justice – Triumph did come up with a pretty neat arrangement. The coating on the wood dash was toned down from the first iteration of the GT6, to prevent glare. This steering wheel is an aftermarket item, and the rest of the cabin needs freshening. The seller does have a refurbished Blaupunkt radio, new carpet, and other interior parts to sell with the car.
And now we land on the negative side of the ledger – footwell rust, for one thing. The seller also notes that the car has an aftermarket sunroof missing its fittings. The GT6 series has increased in price as collectors begin to appreciate this Triumph’s decent performance and pretty appearance, but it’s still difficult to fit rust repair into a budget here. And if you want a stock roof – well, yikes.
The seller notes that this car has seen several color changes over the years, from what he believes was white with a tan interior to the current combination. No one cares much about cosmetic originality when it comes to these cars, so the new owner can rip this car apart and go with any stock color for the year without putting a ding on its value. Or: you can buy a really nice GT6+ for around $20k and skip the restoration process entirely. What would you do?
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