The earlier triumph Spitfires are only recently being properly recognised as more than a “poor man’s E Type”. With simple and highly tuneable engines and superb access to the oily bits they are great fun to own and entertaining to drive.  

Perhaps more of a leftfield choice than the more common MGB, they have equally good parts availability.  The later MkIV for cars are a relatively common sight at shows, but try to find a well preserved and properly sorted MkIII like this one and you’ll be looking for some time! Plus looking at the condition of the Spitfire it’s quite likely that the 48,000 miles showing on the odometer is genuine!

 

The interior of the Spitfire has been refreshed at some stage with new seat covers in black vinyl with white piping, and matching black carpets.  There are Triumph logo rubber mats in the foot wells and the black carpets are clean and tidy.  It should be noted that the driver’s seat has a small tear in the vinyl at the rear of the seat base where it appears the stitching has pulled through.

Up on the dash the wood veneer is in excellent condition, and all the switches are standard Triumph and look to be original.  The Motorola MW/LW radio, if not original to the car, is very much of the period. The gauges are clear and have no damage.  The steering wheel is a nice Moto Lita item with alloy spokes and a wood rim.

Overall the interior is in really good condition with very little that requires improvement.

In the boot there is a brand new and unused spoked wheel with a new Adamas tyre.  The boot itself is clean with no evidence of damp or oxidisation.

The exterior of the Spitfire was given a good quality repaint in its original green in 2018 and the finish remains excellent.  There are no areas that we could see that were showing any deterioration, and it has a good shine from all angles. The boot seal could do with a little adjustment to allow the boot to close more easily, and we note that the bonnet has rubbed on both sides when closed, but this is only visible when it’s open. The glass and light lenses font and rear are all fine with no cracks.

The wheels are brand new MWS 13 inch spoked items that together with new tyres would have cost in excess of £1200.  They are complete with knock-off centres, and all have Maxxis thin white stripe tyres that have plenty of life remaining. The chrome parts are excellent with no pitting, and badges are all correct Triumph items.

There is a cover for the hood when folded which obviously hadn’t been used for some time and will need a few poppers added.  Likewise, when we attempted to raise the roof it had not been fully fitted and again will require a few poppers and some attention.  We didn’t want to force it as it will need a little adjustment, but it is however in excellent condition. Both the cover and the roof appear to be new and will look great once properly fitted.

Tilting the bonnet up reveals a very smart engine bay with nothing that looks out of place.  There are plenty of new parts including a new aluminium radiator, and what appear to be either new or reconditioned SU carburettors with new linkages.  

The oil and fuel filters look new, as do the leads, coil and distributor cap. Looking underneath the Spitfire reveals there has been recent work completed on the suspension with new bushes and bolts, and possibly new springs and shock absorbers.  The underside looks as you would expect, but with very little oxidisation and no obvious damage.  

There is a smart new stainless exhaust fitted that has larger than standard pipes exiting the silencers to the rear. The Spitfire was running beautifully when we visited and is reported to drive very nicely with no rattles and plenty of power. 

This is an attractive and desirable Spitfire MkIII with all the expensive work completed and lots of new parts. With just some minor details to be finished, it can be enjoyed straight away.