THIS CAR'S LAST TITLED OWNER WAS ACTOR NICOLAS CAGE! WE HAVE A COPY OF THE ASSIGNED TITLE PROVING THE CELEBRITY PROVENANCE!
In October 1962 (1963 model year) Triumph introduced the world to the Spitfire, a sporty two seat convertible roadster that would over the course of almost two decades evolve into a legendary British sports car. By the time production ended in 1980 approximately 314,000 Spitfires had been sold around the globe which says a lot about the vehicle’s popularity.
Design on the car began about five years before introduction, when Triumph commissioned Italian designer Michelotti to create a vehicle to compete with the Austin Healey Sprite and the MG Midget. Michelotti had designed Triumph’s Herald, a saloon car that was a proven dependable vehicle. The Herald frame was widened and lowered to accept the sporty two-seat body but in order to keep costs low the car relied heavily on the mechanicals of the Herald. Despite the economy of scale achieved by using existing componentry, the dire financial issues of the company kept the Spitfire out of production until the early 1960’s when Leyland assumed control of Triumph and executives discovered the prototype in storage while touring the factory in Canley, Coventry, England.
The Spitfire’s advantage to competing vehicles of the day came in superior handling. Where other vehicles in the class had unitized construction, the Triumph utilized a separate frame that allowed a stiffer structure. The Spitfire also offered amenities such as roll-up windows where the Sprite and Midget still offered side curtains as protection from the elements.
The engine was initially a four-cylinder displacing 1,200 cc which in 1967 models was increased to 1,300 cc. In 1974, the stroke of the four-cylinder powerplant was increased creating 1,500 cc. A four-speed manual transmission was used throughout the production run, with modifications and refinements along the way to help driveability. The increase in displacement did little to increase performance as higher emissions standards, especially in the United States where unleaded gas was mandated, affected all auto makers.
This 1975 Triumph Spitfire 1500 in an excellent example of a mid-70’s British sports car. The Inca Yellow paint with black graphics, interior and convertible top make this a real eye-catcher. What sets this car apart from the rest of the pack is that the most recent titled owner is actor Nicolas Cage! (NOTE: As a registered auto dealer in the State of Missouri we can legally assign original titles to a buyer with no concerns.) Cage is a known car collector who has owned many significant cars and is particularly fond of British vehicles.
This car was purchased in 1999 by the actor to recreate the memory of his first car, a 1973 yellow Spitfire. Cage was not old enough to drive at that time, and the car was in such poor shape it could not legally be registered so Cage says he spent countless hours in the driveway and garage “pretending” to drive to the beach. When he got his license and fixed the car to meet registration requirements, the car proved to be very unreliable and broke down on a regular basis. Cage eventually gave up on the car and sold it.
Cage never really got the car out of his system and over the years kept his eyes open for another Spitfire. With a successful acting career established, he was in a financial position to acquire a much better car than his initial vehicle. When he spotted this extremely nice low-mileage 1975 Spitfire 1500 in a similar color as his first car, he purchased the vehicle to replace the car he had given up on years earlier.
The present owner of the car purchased it in 2009 in excellent original condition with just over 33,000 miles showing on the odometer, which is believed to be original. It has been stored in a humidity-controlled environment since that time and has been driven only a few hundred miles in the past 10-plus years with the odometer still showing under 34,000 miles. This car presents very closely to the condition it was in coming out of the Canley factory, with only minimal signs of the vehicle having been driven. The car sits on Pirelli tires mounted to stock Triumph steel wheels with proper hub centers. The Mimosa Yellow paint (code 64) and black interior creates a great, eye-catching contrast. As previously stated, we are in possession of the original assigned California title to this vehicle so there is absolutely no question as to the celebrity provenance of the car!
Evergreen Digital Showroom offers this 1975 Triumph Spitfire 1500 with established celebrity ownership at a price of $24,900 USD. We will gladly assist with transportation and shipping at the buyer’s expense. For additional questions or to make an offer on this investment-quality vehicle, contact sales manager Steve Russell at 417-532-8000. We welcome offers on every vehicle we represent.
NOTICE
Because of the number of vehicles we represent we cannot drive every vehicle for long distances. These vehicles have been part of static display for long periods of time, in some cases for decades, and are subject to the flaws and imperfections consistent with that. While we do our best to disclose all issues we known about a vehicle in our advertising, these are old cars and something that has always worked in the past might not function properly today. Please check the requirements of your state regarding the licensing and registration of classic vehicles and make sure the vehicle you are looking at meets those if applicable. Unless otherwise noted, all vehicles represented by Evergreen Digital Showroom possess a clean (non-branded) title which will be provided the new buyer when purchase funds clear our financial institution. Virtually all of our vehicles are sold as mileage exempt due to their age. We do not warranty any vehicle, nor any part of the vehicle including air conditioning systems, brake systems, electrical systems and gauges, fuel systems, accessories or powertrain components.
These are old vehicles and it is very common for them to require certain maintenance and upkeep for them to be operational. In many cases issues with leaks may develop when being driven after a long period of not being used. This is common, as classic cars at some point will leak fluids. For this reason, we do not encourage buyers to attempt driving their purchase home as we cannot guarantee functional reliability of these vehicles. We strongly encourage prospective buyers to be sure they are comfortable with these issues before purchasing a classic car.
Descriptions of vehicles represented by Evergreen Digital Showroom are intended to be informational in nature and do not in any way constitute any sort of warranty, expressed or implied. Again, these vehicles are presented “as-is, where-is” without guarantee or warranty. Vehicles manufactured prior to 1981 will likely not be included in the databases of companies such as CarFax and AutoCheck that provide vehicle history information to consumers. If you have specific questions regarding a vehicle we urge you to contact us at 417-532-8000.
