A satisfied British Leyland customer

Sir,
As a reader of Motor Sport for over 15 years, I now feel compelled to write to you over Mr. D. J. Anderson’s letter in your current issue regarding the faults he has experienced with his Triumph GT6 Mk. 3, together with his comments regarding BLMC.

I have owned over the last few years three Mini Coopers, covering respectively 48,000, 5,000 and 84,000 miles. They required only one new exhaust system, nothing, and two new exhaust systems respectively besides regular normal servicing, and none of them let me down.

After the three Coopers I owned one of the first MG 1300 Mk. 3s, which covered 26,000 miles, requiring only one new exhaust system.

At the same time I bought a Spitfire Mk. 3 which covered 11,000 trouble-free miles, which was then changed for a GT6 Mk. 2. After running this in progressively for 3,000 miles, which I normally do for all my new cars, I took this car on holiday to Italy, and upon returning I reported to my dealer that I thought the gearbox was a little noisy. This was exchanged in two days for a cost of eleven shillings. The fault was due to poor hardening of the layshaft. After 27,000 miles of exciting and trouble-free motoring I exchanged this for a GT6 Mk. 3 in July of last year, which I find better-finished and much smoother than the Mk. 2. The paintwork on my car is flawless, with very little orange peel, and the car is very quiet running, with excellent performance. Both my GT6s have averaged 1,000 m.p.p, of oil and the servicing by my dealer has been excellent.

If Mr. Anderson is not satisfied with BLMC perhaps he should try our American Friend’s Chrysler. The aforementioned MG was changed for a Sunbeam Stiletto. This was collected from the main agents in Manchester and upon delivery the seat runners were covered in rust. Questioned, the salesman said: “Take it up at the first service”. The following morning it had to be returned due to a severe water leak. Again the following day it was returned for a chronic misfire. An Imp was lent for the day, after complaints to the Service Manager. A week or so later, when it rained for the first time, I discovered the carpets saturated in water due to a windscreen leak, and as this agent had a 24-hr. service it was returned to them, only to be told by a salesman that I would have to book it in for service. Asked what about the carpets?, I was told “dry them on a clothes line”. A few days later it went for its first service and upon collection nothing had been done about the windscreen leak, as there was insufficient time, but a telephone call to Chrysler, Coventry, soon put this right. I have also waited two weeks for a windscreen wiper motor, and now the gearbox is faulty and the reclining mechanism has broken.

This brings me to the point that a car is as good as its servicing, and I now look forward to taking delivery of my Stag next week and would thank BLMC and Triumph for many miles of trouble-free and exciting motoring.

R. B. Gething.
Millington.