Dutch Triumph Restored into Award Winner

Owner: Martin van der Spek

Location: Maurik, The Netherlands

Year, Make, and Model: 1971 Triumph GT6 Mk III

Photographer: Mike Raanhuis

You’re looking at the oldest Triumph GT 6 MK III, chassis number KF 417, in The Netherlands. It’s such an early Mark III that some Mark II components were used in its assembly. When built, it was normal to continue using older parts as the car moved down the line if new components weren’t available yet.

Mr. Martin van der Spek and a friend discovered the GT in a barn eleven years ago. A literal barn find that had been sitting for seventeen years, relegated to serving as a nesting place for mice! They were excited about the find and “think that the two GT 6 MK III has the best six-cylinder sound. No other car has such a nice, full sound.”

Delivered new in California and last driven in 1985, Martin and his friend purchased the car immediately but didn’t initially know what to do with it. They finally returned to pick it up and embarked on a nut-and-bolt restoration that spanned eleven months.

Now that the car, which has been voted “Most Beautiful Triumph” in The Netherlands several times, is rebuilt and running, Martin is regularly invited to show it. A bit of a perfectionist, Martin enjoys keeping the car in this pristine condition and drives it less than 500 kilometers per year. Depending on the weather, he likes taking the car out of the garage on Sunday mornings, pulling up a chair and drinking a delicious espresso to gaze at the Triumph’s beautiful lines.

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