1971 Triumph GT6 MKIII Coupe

Based on the four-cylinder Spitfire open sports car, the Triumph GT6 with its pretty 'fastback' coupe styling, opening rear hatch and two-litre six cylinder engine was produced from 1966 through 1973. The interior was rather elegant with a wood dash and complete instrumentation. Heaters and carpets were a luxury at the time and Triumph offered it as standard equipment. The first examples were criticised for their nervous handling, with drivers reporting that the car had a tendency to break away at the rear unexpectedly. However this was corrected on Mk II models in 1968 when the transverse rear spring suspension was replaced with a swing-axle unit with Rotoflex couplings, resulting in much more predictable behaviour. As government regulations and safety concerns continued to mount, Triumph conformed to these requirements by raising the bumper. The front end required a little modification due to the bumper changes. Side vents were added to the front wings and rear pillars. To keep pace with the market, Triumph modified the engine with a new cylinder head, manifolds and camshafts, which boosted horsepower to 104. Top speed was now about 188km/h with 0-100km/h taking about 10 seconds. This was faster than its competitor, the MGB GT of the same era. Introduced in November 1970, the GT6 MK III was the final upgrade for the GT6 series. Triumph revised the body to bring it into line with the design of the Spitfire, flattening the bonnet and chopping the tail, while the rear roofline was also altered. Then, just before the vehicle was about to be discontinued in 1973, the suspension was again revised, moving back to a simple swing-spring set-up, which it shared with the new Spitfire model. Other late changes included cloth seats, replacing the previous vinyl, a new optional overdrive and servo powered brakes. A total of 13,042 Mk III models were built over the period 1970-1973.