Vehicle Description
1975 Triumph spitfire, new top, color matched interior, inline 4
cylinder engine mated to a 4 speed manual gear box. While the rest
of the world saw 1500s with a compression ratio of 8.0:1, the
American market model was fitted with a single Zenith-Stromberg
carburettor and a compression ratio reduced to 7.5:1 to allow it to
run on lower octane unleaded fuel. Popular in street and rally
racing, Spitfires won numerous SCCA National Sports Car
Championships in F and G Production classes; won its class at the
1964 Tour de France rally, coming in second overall, and won the
1964 Geneva Rally. In 1965, a Spitfire won its class in the Alpine
Rally. There is a tendency among some Triumph enthusiasts to view
the Spitfire as something less than a real Triumph. Yes, it was
diminutive in terms of size and horsepower, but with more than
314,000 produced between 1962 and 1980 (on par with the entire TR
line), it was the sports car heart of the company. Triumph started
as an auto manufacturer in 1923. It failed during the 1930s but was
reborn after World War II under the umbrella of the Standard Car
Co., best known for its saloons. Standard-Triumph premiered its
first sports car, the TR2, in 1952. The TR2 was more successful
than Standard saloons and was followed quickly by the TR3 and 3A.
In 1958 Austin launched the tiny Donald Healey-designed Sprite to
great success. A smaller roadster had also been discussed at
Triumph and the Sprite's success encouraged the firm to produce it.
In late 1960 a prototype, codenamed The Bomb, was constructed in
Turin by designer Giovanni Michelotti, using a Triumph Herald
saloon chassis as its foundation. But the project was shelved when
truck maker Leyland absorbed Standard-Triumph in 1960. A year
later, a Leyland exec spotted The Bomb in a corner and the little
sports car was given the go-ahead. It debuted at the London motor
show in October 1962 as the Spitfire. Synony-mous with the Battle
of Britain fighter, the name resonated with the British public.
Though more expensive, the Spitfire outsold the Sprite, offering
more content than Austin's petite convertible. The Spitfire 4, as
it was officially called, came with a 1147-cc derivative of the
Herald engine, pushing it to 60 mph in 17 seconds and topping out
at 92 mph. Sales took off in the United States as well, climbing
steadily as successive iterations of the car, including the more
powerful MkII and MkIII, appeared. The Spitfire's racing potential
was highlighted when Triumph decided to use it in place of the
under-performing TR4 in 1964. Four fiberglass hardtop racers were
built for Le Mans, one of which finished third in its class. The
racer bodies foreshadowed the eventual GT6 Spitfire coupe but were
campaigned with the same 1147-cc engines as their street
counterparts. The cars raced successfully at Sebring that year and
returned to Le Mans in 1965, taking first and second in class.
Piloted by notables like David Hobbs, they also performed with
distinction in various European rallies and in the SCCA where Bob
Tullius took his Group 44 Spits to a number of wins in the late
'60s. Michelotti freshened the design in 1970 (MkIV), which
featured rear suspension improvements and a stroked 1493-cc version
of the four-banger good for 71 horsepower. In 1973 British Leyland
rebadged the model as the Spitfire 1500. Minor interior and
exterior details changed but most significantly, emission and
safety regulations were met with raised suspension, bumper and
engine modifications. Lucas electrics and traditional reliability
problems were still part of the package but more than 90,000
examples of the popular machine were sold. The 1500 continued in
production until 1980 when stricter emission requirements convinced
Leyland to retire its venerable sportster.