1968 Triumph GT6 Race Car

Instantly dubbed "the poor man"s E-Type", the wonderful GT6 was styled by Giovanni Michelotti in response to a brief from Triumph to produce a GT version of the Spitfire.

Much more than a Spitfire with a hard top, it featured a fastback body that was so aerodynamically efficient it was later copied by the Competition Department at Triumph for the 'works' Spitfire entries at Le Mans. The GT6 shared the same powerful 2-litre six-cylinder engine with the Triumph Vitesse and with 105bhp on tap, could reach 60mph in 10 seconds and topped out at 112mph – figures that comfortably trounced the rival MGB.

Launched in 1966, the first cars had the same wayward swing-axle rear suspension as the Spitfire and the Herald but this was ditched in the MkII versions of 1968 for a more conventional reversed lower wishbones set up.

This 1968 GT6 is an 'entry level' racer and was originally purchased in Holland nine years ago by our vendor as a "rolling chassis". It was then taken to well-respected Triumph specialist, Northampton based 'Jigsaw', who offered their advice about building the car to 'Appendix K' specification and supplied a number of parts. After the work was finished and the car was ready to go, it was entered in the 2013 Porto Historic and acquitted itself well, for a maiden outing, with two fourth place finishes. However, other commitments have meant that our vendor has simply not had the time to spare and the car has not raced since. Offered with a UK V5, a fresh MoT and HTP papers (applied for at the time of consignment), this well-prepared GT6 offers amazing value for someone seeking a low-cost entry into motor sport.