・‘Ziebart’ treatment, applied when new, has preserved the car in remarkable condition.
The Background
The Triumph GT6 was a 6-cylinder sports coupé based on the company’s popular convertible, the Spitfire. Produced from July 1966 to December 1973, in total 40, 926 cars were built across three versions: the Mk I, Mk II and Mk III. The Mk III first appeared in 1970, with detail changes and suspension improvements which made for better handling, and although the performance of the car was comfortably ahead of its main rival, the MGB, it never sold in the numbers that Triumph had hoped for; production was discontinued in late 1973, although a few cars were sold the following year. With only 13,042 Mk IIIs produced, the cars are becoming increasingly rare.
This car’s registration date, 13th February 1974, marks it out as one of the last GT6s produced. It was bought new by a lady who drove it very rarely and stored the car in an industrial unit in south-west London. Some years later the car was moved to her house in Berkshire, where it has lived in a ‘Carcoon’ storage bubble, unused, for most of the rest of its life. After the original owner passed away in 2020 her family disinterred the car and had it MoT-tested. They took the decision to sell the car at auction in September 2021; the car was purchased by an American bidder who was subsequently not able to arrange shipping so VGJ 940 M comes to the market once more.
The car comes with a folder of paperwork documenting its recent history, including bills of £462.02 and £677.85 from July and September 2020 when the car was prepared for its post-interment MoT test. Although MoT-exempt, the car had an MoT in 2020 which expired in July 2021. There is also an original GT6 brochure.
This is truly an outstanding example of the model, with the original paintwork in remarkable condition, testimony to its life spent indoors in dry conditions and the effectiveness of the Ziebart rustproofing that was specified by the original owner. There is, incredibly for a car of this age, no evidence of rust whatsoever and the car looks much as it must have done when almost new.
The door gaps are all good and all the doors open and shut smoothly. All four wheels are in excellent condition, as one would expect of a car with so few miles on the clock. All four tyres are in good condition with plenty of tread left in them.
The brightwork and badges are all intact and in excellent condition. The lights are all clean and with no cracks or scratches, and all work as they should.
Underneath the extensive Ziebart treatment can be seen to have protected the car from rust, and the underside looks remarkably good given the car’s age.
Again, the interior is all original and in remarkably good condition, reflecting the car’s low mileage and the storage conditions in which it has spent its life. The cloth seats are in outstanding condition and the door panels and dashboard are all in excellent order and totally original. The carpets look very good although the areas over the rear wheel-arches have faded slightly. The pedal rubbers bear witness to the car’s low mileage, with the original British Leyland logos on the clutch and brake still standing out. Switchgear all appears to work although the knob at the end of one of the heater controls is missing.
Underneath the carpet in the rear load area is a floor panel that looks virtually as new, and below that is a spare wheel that appears never to have been used.
The car starts readily and sounds great. The vendor assures us that it drives beautifully and the overdrive works perfectly as it should.
Under the bonnet, the engine shows signs of the car’s age but is nonetheless very original. It’s here we find the car’s only real fault, however: the bonnet stay is broken. The vendor has the necessary replacement part and will supply this with the car.
The car has been fitted with a modern battery and this is just about the only non-original component in the whole car.
To say that a car is a ‘one-off’ is a bold claim – who knows what treasures may be lurking undiscovered in some obscure barn or storage unit? But it must be extremely unlikely that another Triumph GT6 in such original condition, and with such low mileage, exists anywhere, and even less likely that such a car will be appearing on the market in future.
A rarer car than the more familiar MGB, and boasting better performance, the GT6 is a sound choice of classic, with good parts availability and excellent club and specialist support. Values of the Mk III GT6 have risen in recent years, reflecting the increasing rarity of sound cars, and VGJ 940M provides an extremely rare opportunity to own a car that really is a ‘timewarp’ example of the model – a car that is in outstandingly original condition and that has remained unmolested throughout its life.
Notice to bidders
Although every care is taken to ensure this listing is as factual and transparent as possible, all details within the listing are subject to the information provided to us by the seller. Car & Classic does not take responsibility for any information missing from the listing. Please ensure you are satisfied with the vehicle description and all information provided before placing a bid.
As is normal for most auctions, this vehicle is sold as seen, and therefore the Sale of Goods Act 1979 does not apply. All bids are legally binding once placed. Any winning bidder who withdraws from a sale, is subject to our bidders fee charge. Please see our FAQs and T&C's for further information. Viewings of vehicles are encouraged, but entirely at the seller's discretion.
Car & Classic's secure payment system protects buyers and sellers. At the end of the auction, the winning bidder transfers payment into a third-party escrow account. Once the transfer of the vehicle is complete, both parties confirm they are happy with the sale and the money is released to the seller.
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RESERVE LOWERED - 1974 Triumph GT6
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