Highlights
- MOT and Tax exempt
- Fantastic condition chassis after manufacturer commissioned rust prevention
- All original
- Stored for 10 years
- Enthusiast owned
The appeal
The Spitfire is a body on frame, front engine, rear wheel drive British sports car that was designed by Giovanni Michelotti and had an impressive run over five product iterations with over 300,000 models produced.
The Spitfire wasn’t just a pretty face though, having numerous successes in motorsport winning and placing on podiums in National Sports Car Championships as well as some rally events too.
This car is completely original having been owned by an enthusiast who drove it every day previous to this owner. It has been stored for 10 years prior to this owner but has had a sympathetic recommission and has been driven many miles by the current custodian of the car.
This last generation of the Spitfire built upon the positive aspects of the previous generations and was considered to be the most rounded model. This example has also been treated with Ziebart rust prevention from new and is one of the main reasons this car remains in such good condition.
The history and paperwork
- Ziebart guarantee certificate
- Huge stack of invoices
- Sports Six club manuals
- V5C
The Spitfire has a very well documented history with plenty of paperwork tracking its life and any work completed. It has had an MOT, despite being exempt, in 2021 which has expired in May of this year. The seller is also happy to provide a new MOT before the handover.
The current owner used to work in the motor trade and has fixed and recommissioned anything this car needed when it came out of storage with any invoices of parts retained.
The current owner used to work in the motor trade and has fixed and recommissioned anything this car needed when it came out of storage with any invoices of parts retained.
The Interior
- Recovered seats to black leather
- Speakers in the rear updated
- Original radio, clocks, dash etc
- Metal work underneath carpet in good condition
The interior is all original with the exception of the seats which have changed from half leather to full leather. It also includes the factory map reading light and the rear hood cover which fits lovely, tight and well-shaped. The car comes without overdrive but the owner states that it isn’t missed too much.
Everything in the cabin whilst being original remains in good condition, the luggage space behind the seats is tidy and intact with little wear and houses the updated speakers which don’t look out of place in the 1970’s interior.
The wooden dash with original radio is intact and in good condition, everything is reported to be working electrics wise and the Montney steering wheel completes the look nicely.
The Exterior
- Inca yellow looks fantastic in the sunshine
- Recent paintwork as the owner is a painter by trade
- Original hood
- Chrome and trim in good condition
The exterior of the body is in great condition mostly due to the factory commissioned Ziebart rust prevention treatment. Ziebart, which unfortunately as a company doesn’t exist now, drilled open the main cavities of the Spitfire to spray rust treatment inside all the chassis rails and to protect the metal work wherever water might congregate and sit for any period of time. It’s very telling that this car is still standing in such good condition after being a daily driver for so long and having this many miles on the clock.
There is a slight paintwork discrepancy on the front clamshell by the lights as shown in the pictures, however, re-spraying the front bonnet will be much easier than a whole body respray.
The wheels are in great condition and the tyres have plenty of tread left. There is also a full-size spare in the rear with a brand-new tyre last year. Back to the outside and the trim is in good condition with little pitting on the chrome and the plastics remaining a deep black.
The Mechanics
- Electronic ignition
- New clutch and slave cylinders
- 1493cc, twin carburettor, inline 4 mated to a 4-speed manual
The mechanicals of the Spitfire are all reported to be in good working order and the owner has refreshed some of the parts of the bay and some visuals of the engine. After being in storage for around a decade it needed some simple maintenance and parts to get it working back at its best, such as the clutch and brake slave cylinders which have both been replaced with new items.
The engine is reported to be healthy and indeed the current owner has used the car for many miles in the sunshine without issue. The cooling system and oil systems all reportedly work as intended. All the pipework and electricals look to be in good condition too with no obvious rips, tears or exposed wires. The exhaust system is also in good condition from what was visible when on the photoshoot, the rear box being presented in its silver paint and just poking out from under the rear bumper.
Summary
This Spitfire is a very good condition car that represents a quintessential British convertible two-seater, front engine, rear drive sports car in a fantastic colour.
It has been well cared for and loved by its owners and is in a remarkably original state. If this beautiful warm weather continues this would be an excellent car in which to enjoy it.
It has been well cared for and loved by its owners and is in a remarkably original state. If this beautiful warm weather continues this would be an excellent car in which to enjoy it.
Notice to bidders
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