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GT6 Why was the GT6 killed off?

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I hate to jump in here and trash what we love about these cars, but I sure do agree with the lack of BMC's updating these great little cars. We took a '73 MK3 put a '73 Spitefire tub on it with the GT6 doors (for the vents) and had what should have been done to start with. We did a little tweaking on the motor and up graded the shocks. Now that would keep up with the Jones's (Z car).

Wayne
 
Great topic! I've owned each generation of the GT6 and will probably have one in the garage for the rest of my life.

I think the British in general tend to like things old. For example, an old house here in the states may have been built in the 1920's, but in the UK it's not uncommon for folks to be living in homes built in the 1800's or earlier. This obviously manifested itself in their automobile designs. The TR6 is a reskinned TR4 which is a reskinned TR3. Obviously, a chronic lack of funding was a major contributor, but on the other hand, I think most Brits generally prefer the old to the new. Heck, my '01 Land Rover came off the assembly line looking antiquated! It's all part of the charm if you ask me. My wife's business partner and her husband have an NSX. Talk about whiz-bang technology! It's super fast and handles like a dream, but my '69 GT6+ gets waaaaay more attention. :wink:
 
TR3driver said:
Well, the sales figures show that most buyers felt otherwise. By 1973, the Z-car was selling well over 4000 per month, while BL couldn't sell that many GT6 in a whole year. BL was also going bankrupt for a variety of reasons, one of which was trying to make too many different models of car for way too many little niche markets.

The Z-car was about the same price as the GT6, but had something like 50% more horsepower and performance even in US trim. The new emissions laws in 73 also hit the GT6 particularly hard, with some 25% drop in advertised power (part of which was due to new laws regarding power ratings, but real power dropped as well). From what I've heard, the driveline just wasn't up to the extra torque of the 2.5 (it was just barely adequate for the 2.0), so that option was out as well.

And to my eye, there just wasn't that much difference in appearance:
Click to expand...

So no matter how bad BL was, the real answer of what killed the GT6, was the 240Z.

Guess when my cars done, Ive got so harassment to do with the local nissan Z club here. Oh, and one of my neighbors, who LOVES my car, even when it looked like crap (still does), would tell me how she used to own a 240Z of similar vintage and loved it so much. She owns a new one now.

jsfbond said:
not easy to get in and out of.......GOD; I love that car!
Click to expand...

Why do you want to get out?

Actually, on this subject, this is why its important to participate such a hobby at a young age. I see so many old "geezers" in corvettes. I wonder how difficult it is for certain people to own such a vehicle. I guess the charm of owning and driving out weigh the struggle of getting in and out.

jsfbond said:
In my younger years, When I was out and about and a 240Z was present, whomever I was with (excluding the girlfriend, now wife) would say The phrase I came to absolutely hate...Hey; thats just like your car!
Click to expand...

Pizza guy keeps calling mine one. Thats ok, when my husband owned an RX7, he used to get the same comments

billspit said:
Well I think that just about covers it. All I can add is the British car industry may have been one of the most mis-managed industries across the board. It's really sad.
Click to expand...

You all might find this documentary interesting:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAWH0EfMDfc
(part 1 of 3)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYEWjXe1XnI
About how japan killed the british car.

boeingpilot said:
I think the British in general tend to like things old. For example, an old house here in the states may have been built in the 1920's, but in the UK it's not uncommon for folks to be living in homes built in the 1800's or earlier.
Click to expand...

I just think thats creepy. I mean, its really cool in a historical sense, but to live in a centuries old house... ...how many people have died there?!? How many in your bedroom? Ive live in many many many homes. All were either brand new (first owner) or were built within the same decade as when I lived there.

I like AC, power steering, power windows, locks, navigation, etc... ...but given the choice, I like older cars more. New cars just dont thrill me. They are either really ugly, blend in, or too sterile. About old technology hurting sales, my mustang is proof of that being wrong. Its a 94, and has the same suspension as mustangs of the 60s. Its chassis is a reworked version of the same chassis theyve been using since 1979! The mustang, as popular, and great selling as it was/is, they pretty much kept things going till 2005.
 
Hard to get in and out of??? :lol:

I've had three vertebrae fused in my neck. It's hard to get in and out of my chevy station wagon! The neighbors show up with video camera when I try to get in the spitfire if the tops up.
 
I just rec'd the current issue of Classic Motorsports. In it John McComb who sold his winning race TR6 to Paul Newman says:
"I also drove the GT6, and boy, it didn't want to be a race car. It would gallop around and it understeered, with tremendous body roll oversteer, so you had to fight both."
Dan Scanlan then says:
"But it sure looked good"
 
I am not going to dig out my magazines, etc., but I remember seeing recently Kas Kastner making a big deal about how the GT6 is a perfect platform for a race car (or something to that effect), which will be part of his next book. That is, of course, a present-day discussion and may be the product of learning over time what may have not been fully realized at the time. Well, unless you consider the Group 44 GT6+...
 
So you guys that race...would the GT6 have been a better racecar if it was unibody or other than its current configuration?
 
sail said:
I just rec'd the current issue of Classic Motorsports. In it John McComb who sold his winning race TR6 to Paul Newman says:
"I also drove the GT6, and boy, it didn't want to be a race car. It would gallop around and it understeered, with tremendous body roll oversteer, so you had to fight both."
Dan Scanlan then says:
"But it sure looked good"
Click to expand...

Exactly how I felt about it at first. That is until I learned how to drive it in a corner. After that I loved it.
 
jsfbond said:
So you guys that race...would the GT6 have been a better racecar if it was unibody or other than its current configuration?
Click to expand...
I suspect it was more a matter of the car being rather nose-heavy and with a less-than-ideal rear suspension (especially in the original swing-axle configuration)!
 
So how much does the Buick 315 weigh compared to the inline six?
 
I'll know in a bit,as I'm getting one sent to me.
 
Andrew Mace said:
jsfbond said:
So you guys that race...would the GT6 have been a better racecar if it was unibody or other than its current configuration?
Click to expand...
I suspect it was more a matter of the car being rather nose-heavy and with a less-than-ideal rear suspension (especially in the original swing-axle configuration)!
Click to expand...

according to the article by Classic Motorsports on the Group 44 GT6 racer that when guys removed all of the frame flex (by roll cages etc) it actually made handling and times worse. The frame was designed to flex some in harmony with the suspension.
News to me.
 
What effect would air shocks have on this car?? Is this just a cheaper substitution for a bad leaf spring?
 
According to this chart, the Triumph six weighs 403 lb., while the Al Rover V-8 comes in around 318 lb.

As for air shocks? Yeah, I personally think they're a poor substitute for dealing with a problem transverse leaf spring (be that spring tired, broken or just missing buttons between the leaves), but lots of folk seem to think that the air shocks are some sort of miracle cure, so.... ?
 
What do you mean the GT6 was killed off?

bmw-z4-m-coupe.jpg
 
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