Car of 1966 TrIUMPH GT6

Hailed by many as a ‘Mini E-type’ and ‘the poor man’s E-type,’ the Triumph GT6 ticked many boxes with its fastback version of the Spitfire’s body, plus a practical rear hatch and two-litre ‘six’ from the Triumph Vitesse.

Performance was excellent, with a top speed of around 105mph and 0-60mph of 12 seconds, leaving its MGB GT arch rival trailing behind. The car looked extremely stylish, especially with the optional wire wheels, although it was strictly a 2+2 – only small youngsters could comfortably position themselves on the optional rear seat.

Its handling was deemed to be less impressive, with period road tests criticising its heavy front end and remarking that the swing action rear suspension wasn’t really up to the job. A MkII GT6 came along in 1968 – after some 15,800 GT6 MkIs had been built – with revised rear suspension featuring double wishbones and new driveshaft couplings. These improved handly matters significantly, but hardly gave Lotus cause for concern.