MG Beater

Add two cylinders and a fixed roof to a Spitfire and is the resultant GT6 as much a baby E-type as it is an MGB GT rival? We find out.

- Murray Scullion

It’s not often that a car has two contradictory sound bites chalked up against it; two personality traits at opposite ends of the spectrum living cohesively in one shell.

We’re not talking about that tired Jekyll and Hyde cliché where a car can be both sporty and comfortable either. No, we’re talking about the two beliefs most associated with the Triumph GT6. First, that it’s a handful to drive. And second, that it’s a baby Jaguar E-type. Let’s take care of number one first.

The GT6 gained notoriety with period roadtesters for its wayward handling, and in 2017 the general consensus remains. The reason for this unruly reputation stems from previous iterations of the car. The MkI used a version of the Spitfire’s swing-axle system. MkIIs had a new layout which kept the transverse leaf spring, but with a reversed lower wishbone. But the MkIII we’re driving today has a swing-spring type of rear suspension.