Triumph Spitfire/ Not for Sale

Model: Triumph Spitfire

Price:

Engine: 1300 early 1500 later

HP: 63 bhp 1300 models 71 bhp 1500 models

Gears: 4 + overdrive

0-60mph: 12.5 seconds 1300 models

Top speed: 97 mph 1300 models 100 mph 1500 models

The launch of the 'Austin-Healey Sprite' in 1958 proved to be an instant success. This led to Triumph designing a small sports car of their own.

A full-size wooden model, called a 'buck' was used to shape body panels on. Construction of a prototype called 'Bomb' was started in September 1960 on the basis of a 948cc Triumph Herald chassis in the Turin studio of Triumph's new Italian designer Giovanni Michelotti.

By the spring of 1960, car sales in the British market had fell so dramatically the Triumph company was running at a loss. This led to the Leyland Motors company, manufacturer of trucks and buses, making a successful take-over bid on Standard-Triumph in December 1960, they took full control of the company in April 1961. Three months later, 13 July 1961, Leyland bosses ordered the Spitfire project to go into production.

The first true prototypes meant for testing were not finished until the spring of 1962. Most of the road testing was hurriedly completed by August of that year so the car could be launched at the 1962 London Motor Show in October.

The name 'Spitfire' was first used by Supermarine for the famous WW2 fighter aircraft, designed in the 1930's. It is not known if Standard-Triumph obtained prior permission to use the name, or, if the makers of the plane ever objected to its name being used on a car.

The Spitfire4 was first presented to an enthusiastic audience at the 1962 London Earls Court motor show. After a purchase tax reduction, the price in 1962 for the Spitfire4 was 641 Pounds Sterling, which made it more expensive than the 587 Pounds Austin-Healey Sprite. But then the Triumph offering was much more of a sports car than the Austin. The price difference remained throughout the life of the cars - but it didn't stop the Spitfire from always outselling the Sprite/Midget range (except for one year, due to workforce strikes).

The first Spitfire model, called the 'Spitfire 4' (4 stood for the number of cylinders in the engine) was well-equipped for the time, even though it came with a tent-like roof, which you more or less had to build yourself, and the heater was an option. It took some time before overdrive and wire wheels were available. Still the car took off in America, selling 6,224 in 1963, 8,761 in 1964 and 9,097 in 1965. Total production ran to more than 45,000. It was a welcome addition to the already popular but much more powerful and expensive TR4 model.

Top speed was 92mph (147km/h) and 0-60mph (0-96km/h) took about 17.3 seconds. This may not be something to write home about today, but in 1962, this was quite something for a small, inexpensive sports car.

The Spitfire Mk2 was launched in March 1965 with a slightly more powerful engine (67 bhp instead of 63), thanks to revised manifolds and valve gear. Inside there were proper carpets instead of rubber covering on the cabin floor and the previously exposed metal on the inner door tops was now covered with trim. Hardtop, wire wheels, overdrive and even the heater were still optional. More than 37,000 Mk2's were built.

The Spitfire Mk3 from 1967 was instantly recognizable by its raised, 'bone in the teeth' front bumper, introduced to comply with American safety legislation. Apart from improved power, minor changes in theMk3 were larger front brake calipers, a larger 15" steering wheel as used in the TR4, a wood-veneer dashboard, different seats, much improved folding soft top and the fact that the electrics of the car were now negative earth.

In January 1968, Leyland Motors, the company that had been the owner of Standard-Triumph since 1961, took over British Motor Holdings, which included Jaguar, Daimler and the whole of the BMC company, including Austin, Morris and MG. The merged company was re christened British Leyland.
One of the results of this merger was that competing sports cars (Triumph Spitfire and the Midget/Sprite range from MG and Austin-Healey) were now built by the same company.

The Spitfire MkIV from 1970 had a fresh new look, with a distinctly restyled front and rear and a smart new hardtop. The front was cleaned up, losing the trim strips on top of the bonnet and the chrome headlamp surrounds. A black plastic grille and black plastic bumper underrider covers were added. The doors were fitted with more modern, flush-fitting handles and the wheel arches were flared slightly.

The proposed popup headlights by Designer Michelotti on a MkIV didn't happen because of high production costs and the fear that these would soon be outlawed in the US.

The early MkIV's had the 1,296cc engine from the Mk3, which made them slower than the Mk3 as they were heavier. In December 1974, the 1,493cc engine producing 71 bhp, originally designed for the American market, was installed in all Spitfire's making them genuine 100 mph cars. The late MkIV's also had improved rear suspension.

BL originally planned to keep the Spitfire in production until 1982, but in 1980, it was discovered the old Triumph 1,500cc engine could not possibly meet new Californian emissions regulations. Since around half of Spitfire sales at that time took place in California, this meant production halved and became uneconomical. Also, being an old design after 18 years in production, the Spitfire could no longer compete with more modern offerings like Fiat's X-1/9 and BL's own TR7.

The last Spitfire 1500, an Inca Yellow specimen with hardtop and overdrive, rolled off the assembly line at Canley in August 1980, bearing commission number TFADW5AT009898. It was never sold and is still in the British Motor Heritage museum at Gaydon today.

The end of the Triumph story is not a happy one. In the eighties, British Leyland was troubled by bad products, bad management and a less than motivated workforce. New products like the Triumph TR7 suffered from underdevelopment and mediocre quality. Production of the TR7/8, the last true Triumph sports car, ended in 1981. The Triumph name appeared for the last time on a saloon car named Acclaim. This was little more than a rebadged Honda Ballade, which was in itself based on the Honda Civic platform of the second generation. The Triumph brand name is today owned by BMW.

For more information, visit the website www.triumphspitfire.nl/spithistory.html