Triumph Spitfire y GT6: libros - historia, modelos y técnica

Un livre de Brooklands consacré aux voitures de sport Triumph GT6 des années 1966-1974. Description des modèles Triumph GT6, Mk II et Mk III.

• Les 52 articles, parus à l'époque dans la presse automobile anglo-saxonne, sont une bonne source d'information sur l'histoire, l'évolution des modèles et la technique.
• Cet ouvrage contient aussi des impressions de conduite, des tests routiers et comparatifs, des données techniques, etc.

Emblématique du paysage automobile des années 1960 et 1970, la Triumph Spitfire a connu une carrière exceptionnelle en Europe et aux États-Unis, durant près de vingt ans.
Produite jusqu'en 1980, cette petite sportive britannique a démocratisé le roadster populaire, grâce à sa simplicité d'utilisation, son coût mesuré et ses lignes particulièrement réussies dues au designer italien Giovanni Michelotti.
Souvent copiée, mais jamais égalée, la Spitfire a traversé les époques sans fléchir, devenant une véritable icône dans l'univers automobile.

For a whole generation of car enthusiasts, Triumph was the manufacturer to turn to when buying a sports car. Whether it was a Spitfire or GT6 - or the more costly TR models - this Coventry manufacturer was the sports car king during the twentieth century. Now that these machines are fully fledged classics, nothing has changed. While the Spitfire has the MGB as a formidable adversary, the GT6 is still in a class of its own. Triumph Spitfire and GT6 details the history and development of these classic cars, with specification guides for each of the five Spitfire derivatives and three GT6 models.

Topics covered include:
- Development and production of the five Spitfire derivatives from 1962 - 1980: the Spitfire 4, 4 Mk2, Mk3, MkIV and 1500
- The GT6 models from 1966-1973: the Mk1, Mk2 and Mk3
- Spitfire and GT6 in motorsport - 24 Hours in Le Mans, Alpine Rally and Tour de France, and racing in the US
- Full buying guide and tips on modifying, with colour and trim options, and details of optional extras available for each model
- An insight into what the press thought of each Spitfire and GT6 derivative, with pages also devoted to how the cars were marketed.

Wer britischer Roadster sagt, meint meistens Spitfire. Triumphs Erfolgssportwagen wurde bald nach seiner Vorstellung 1962 zu einem der beliebtesten Flitzer aller Zeiten. Triumph-Experte Richard Dredge stellt in diesem Standardwerk alle Varianten des Roadsters und natürlich das sagenhafte Sechszylinder-Coupé GT6 vor.

Reich illustriert und so daten- wie faktenreich werden Entwicklung und Herstellung der fünf Spitfire-Generationen sowie der drei GT6-Varianten vorgestellt. Dazu kommen Informationen über die rennsportliche Karriere des flotten Triumph, übers damalige Tuning, viel zeitgenössische Werbung und Zitate aus der Fachpresse. Eine Kaufberatung rundet das Werk ab.
Ein Muss für jeden Fan der britischen Roadster- und Sportwagenkultur und ein Juwel für jede gut sortierte Automobil- Bibliothek.

Un livre de Brooklands consacré aux voitures de sport Triumph Spitfire. Description des versions Spitfire 4, Mk II, Mk III, Mk IV et 1500.

• Les 77 articles, parus à l'époque dans la presse automobile anglo-saxonne, sont une bonne source d'information sur l'histoire, l'évolution des modèles et la technique.
• Aussi des impressions de conduite, essais, tests comparatifs, données techniques, etc.

The Spitfire was one of Triumph's most successful models throughout the 1960s and 70s, and its high-performance sister car, the GT6, was received with equal acclaim.
Both cars remain as popular today as when there were in production, their lasting success ensured not only by their attractive styling and performance, but also by their straightforward construction and the ease with which they can be maintained.

John Thomason's meticulously researched book charts their development, covering for each the many changes to the body and chassis, engine and engine bay, interior and transmission and suspension.

Thoroughly cross-referenced, this is an easy-to-use and quick reference guide, invaluable to owners wishing to maintain or restore their cars to be as near factory specification as possible.

Introduced at the London Motor Show in 1962, the Spitfire was designed to compete in the small sports car market against models such as the Austin-Healey Sprite. Based on an adapted Triumph Herald chassis, the Spitfire's swooping lines were designed by Italian designer Giovanni Michelotti.

With more than 300,000 built, the Spitfire is the bestselling Triumph sports car model ever produced. As the values of Spitfires have risen significantly in recent years, interest in these affordable sports cars has also increased.

In this highly readable book, John Nikas describes all the technical and design developments that took the Spitfire through five separate models, from the Spitfire 4 (Mark 1) to the Triumph Spitfire 1500, as well as the competition models.

The entire life of the Spitfire is meticulously described in this book, which is rich in technical information, curiosities and data of use to collectors; that includes all the constructional updates carried out on each single series, original equipment, optional accessories, the range of colours plus fundamental advice on how to correctly identify a Triumph Spirfire and restore it.

Text in Italian.

Benefit from the author's decades of working on and writing about Triumphs, with the real facts you need to decide whether a sports Triumph is going to suit you. The book covers all small sports Triumph models, explains how and where to buy one, how to handle auctions and whether to buy the best you can find, or to take on a restoration or a rolling restoration.
It advises on choosing the right model for your needs and your budget, and describes the flavour of the more sporty or more cruising Spitfire types, contrasted with the more expensive and more powerful GT6 coupes.

The book explains in practical language how to apply key checks to spot a bad car quickly, then gives you a comprehensive inspection guide and an in-depth analysis of the various models' strengths and weaknesses.
It provides inside technical information to save you the painful process of learning about Triumph foibles the hard way. It discusses upgrades using the author's own research, and includes comprehensive details of club backup and support organisations, and model specs.

Iain Ayre has been maintaining and repairing Triumph cars since before he was allowed in pubs, and has been writing about them for about 30 years. He continues to write for Triumph World magazine as a regular contributor from North America.