Discovery Channel

Wheeler Dealers - Triumph Spitfire at DiscoveryChannel.co.uk

Triumph Spitfire

SOLD FOR £4,600

The Triumph Spitfire is a great British sports car from the same stable as much loved classic car: the MG. It offers lively performance and entertaining handling, all wrapped up in a stylish two-seater body designed by Michelotti. If you want affordable fun in an easy to work on package then this vintage car tops the shortlist for Brit car fans.

In production from 1962 until 1980, the Spitfire went through five model incarnations and even spawned a fastback sports coupe: the GT6. The best of the bunch is the 1500, with overdrive on the gearbox (effectively giving you a power boost when you flick the switch atop the gear knob). The Triumph Spitfire was the last model the company produced, so early problems have been ironed out and there is less chance of buying a rust bucket.

Our classic car is a 1980s 1500, so it’s one of the last to roll off the production line and has the all-important overdrive. The Triumph Spitfire is finished in deep British racing green, and even though it’s a second hand car, the bodywork is in excellent condition. The original and classic car parts include a tin top and convertible hood, both in good order.

At some point both sills have been replaced. This is a major plus point for our car as they’re notorious for rusting here and this is often terminal. The interior is also in excellent condition and trimmed in black.

LINKS



TRIUMPH SPITFIRE FACTS

  • The first ever Spitfire was codenamed 'Bomb'
  • The Triumph Spitfire 4 was launched at the London Motor Show in October 1962
  • The '4' in Triumph Spitfire 4 was due to the 4-cylinder engine
  • At the dawn of the 1960s, Standard-Triumph was in deep financial trouble, and unable to put the car into production. After the company was taken over by the Leyland organisation, Leyland officials taking stock of their new acquisition found Michelotti's prototype hiding under a dust sheet in a corner of the factory and rapidly approved it for production.
  • Total production of the Triumph Spitfire was over 45,000 cars
  • In March 1965, Triumph launched the Spitfire Mark II, priced at around £550
  • Between 1964 and 1967 nearly 40,000 Spitfire Mark IIs were built
  • The Mark III was introduced in March 1967, with the first major facelift for the Spitfire. The front end looked totally different, with the bumper raised due to new crash regulations
  • The Mark IV went on sale in the UK at the end of 1970 priced at around £735
  • After becoming too uneconomical to produce any longer, the last Triumph Spitfire 1500, painted yellow, rolled off the assembly line in August 1980 shortly before the production factory closed
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