Highlights
- Tax & MOT exempt
- Characterful British classic
- A new top comes with the car
The Appeal
Following the evolution, not revolution design ethos the Mk.4 Triumph Spitfire built on the success and looks of the three previous marks. With a revised front end and wooden full width dash, it was a much needed breath of fresh air for the sports car.
This example has been in the same family ownership for some time now and has always been looked after properly. With some recommissioning work, it will be a great example of a British classic,
The History and Paperwork
- First registered for the road on the 4th of July 1974 this Spitfire has had a lovely life
- It has spent its time split between its loving owners
- It is difficult to pinpoint exactly where it has spent its time, or what it has done during its life
- In its most recent history, it has been kept within the same family ownership
- It was acquired by the current owner’s mother where it was used and loved
- In 2019 ownership was transferred to the current owner and they have used it weekly to keep it going
- Recently it has received nearly £2,000 worth of work
- This includes some of the following jobs, a service, electronic ignition, new distributor cap & rotor arm, new coil & leads, a new fuel tank with new lines, a carburettor service, and an adjustment to the timing
- It then carried out its weekly use without issues
- Unfortunately, when it was taken out of storage a couple of weeks ago, its head gasket went which means it’ll be sold as a non-runner
- With all of the work recently carried out it would be a shame to waste this lovely little classic
- This could be the perfect candidate for your next restoration project indeed
- During your recommissioning, you can also replace the hood with the new replacement that can be found in the boot
- Within the paperwork, you will find the large invoices from February of this year, the all important V5, and a Haynes manual within the boot
- There are also some spare parts in the boot, along with a car jack
The Interior
- The seats are in lovely condition
- Well-presented dash
- Experience classic top-down motoring
There is nothing quite like sinking into the interior of a British classic sports car, the black vinyl seats and wooden full width dashboard all make for an unforgettable experience. The interior of this Spitfire is presented rather well indeed.
Starting with the two seats fitted to this Spitfire, we can see that they are presented in very good condition. The black vinyl seats with contrasting red piping look the part indeed, there are little to no signs of wear at all on either of these seats which is excellent to see indeed. There is one tiny white mark on the passenger seat, but this may come out with some detailing products.
To match the black seats, the combination of black carpets and rubber mats are both presented well with no nasty sun bleaching marks. A small time spent with a vacuum and carpet cleaner should bring these back to like new condition. Carrying on with the black theme the door cards are also presented in the same sort of colour pallet, the adorning shiny silver trim also is present in good condition.
The Mk.4 introduced a newer, more modern, wrap around the wood dash. As you can see, today this is presented well. As you might expect some areas show signs of use but there don’t appear to be any obvious cracks or delamination to the wood.
As this is the Spitfire the interior is transformed when you take the roof down, the cabin becomes filled with light, air, and smells of classic motoring. Even with the roof up, the cabin is still a wonderful place to sit.
As soon as you get into this interior you will fall in love with its charm. You get to look at the classic Smiths dials and out over the long clamshell bonnet. It is a lovely place to be as you go on vintage road trips throughout the summer.
The Exterior
- Lovely Michelotti design
- Excellent with the top up or down
- It will look stunning with some light recommissioning
With the introduction of the Mk.4 Spitfire, Triumph had introduced a new bonnet pressing that would eliminate the visible weld lines of the previous mark. The exterior of this example is presented in good condition and with some detailing it should come back to amazing exterior condition, at that point, it will look amazing sitting within your collection.
Looking at the striking red paint, we can see that it is presented in overall good condition, there are some small areas of isolated age related marks but on a quick walk around there only appeared to be a small area of paint bubbling on the boot lid. The chrome work also matches the paint condition, overall, in good condition, but it could do with a little bit of metal polish to banish some of the pitting.
With the car being nearly 50 years old there are a few marks, but who doesn’t get to that age without having some scuffs here and there? These include a crack in one of the plastic bumper covers, and a few small areas of paint loss around the door handles, you may also wish to re-spray the silver wheels. A quick coat of paint on these wheels will bring them back to life, you may also be able to see that a set of four matching tyres surround these silver wheels, another sign that it has been looked after properly.
You may be looking at the black roof and thinking that it needs a bit of work, but luckily the current owner has a new hood in the boot. All you need to do is have it fitted and then you will have a wonderful new vinyl top that should help keep all of the English weather out.
When you get your hands on this Spitfire you can spend many happy evenings getting it into the best possible condition. You should have a very solid base to start with, and after some elbow grease, you may even have a show winner within your collection.
The Mechanics
- Great for the B-Roads
- Lots of work carried out recently
- Some slight work needed
This classic B-road blaster is all about simple motoring thrills, the 1.3l four cylinder provides enough power to slingshot you out of the tight and twisty corners without having to worry about the speed limit.
In February this year, it had a lot of work carried out to rectify rough running, install electronic ignition which provides a more reliable spark, and the installation of a new fuel tank including new lines as well. It then worked perfectly fine weekly until a few weeks ago when the head gasket unfortunately went. Because of this is it sadly being sold as a non-runner.
The head gasket itself is not that expensive and should be easily sourced online through one of the many big classic car parts companies. Unlike modern cars, classics are easy to work on yourself, so if you feel like you are confident enough you may even have this car up and running in the space of a weekend.
When the head gasket is sorted out you will have a wonderful little car. The Spitfire is a lovely piece of British sports car history so why not bond with this example as you get it going again. Every trip out with this classic should provide a new and happy memory for you.
Summary
If you are searching for your next light restoration project, then look no further than this Triumph Spitfire. The interior is presented well and shouldn’t need too much work, the exterior could benefit from slight work, and the mechanical aspects shouldn’t provide too many headaches.
After the work is completed on this car you will have a lovely little example of a notorious British classic car that will unlock lots of new and happy memories for you.
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