This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. The Triumph Spitfire has been a card-carrying classic for decades, and values are finally out of banger territory across the range. Named after the famed Battle of Britain fighter plane, the early Spitfires beauty was, however, largely skin deep. With a focus on the economy, the Spitfire's trim options were not extravagant. Suspension: the rear suspension can also give problems, but its generally easy to overhaul, with one key exception; the wheel bearings. The Spitfire was first conceived to answer the Austin-Healey "Bugeye" Sprite, an affordable, small sportscar that the average Englishman could take out for a fun weekend drive. Rust: corrosion is the Spitfires main enemy; it can strike in the bodyshell as well as the chassis, and the sills are essential to the cars strength. Rot: there are plenty more rot spots to inspect too: the rear quarter panels, door bottoms, boot floor and the windscreen frame can all corrode badly. CLASSIC.COM is a trademark of CLASSIC.COM LLC. The Mk IV and 1500, due mainly to the steps backward in performance from earlier Spitfires, sell for slightly less. Yet more rust: floorpans also corrode, sometimes because rot spreads from the sills and sometimes because the footwells have been allowed to fill up with water. These have been temporarily saved. During the restoration, it received a full body repaint and a suspension rebuild that includednew shocks, springs, control arms, pivots, and a new steering rack. Rot is the main problem with these cars, but the body is largely single-skin and the chassis is easy to inspect on a ramp. The overdrive sliding switch, which had been located on the steering column, could now be found on the gear knob. TRIUMPH TOLEDO 2-door: 1,080 4-door: 1,115 There's a problem with connection to server. 1965 saw the introduction of the Spitfire Mk II. Fuel injected. Water in the sills: also take a look at the leading edge of each sill; theres a good chance of holes here. Triumph Spitfire (1962 to 1981) The Triumph Spitfire is a small British two-seat sports car, introduced at the London Motor Show in 1962. The Mark IV went on sale in the UK at the end of 1970 with a base price of 735. Many know the company either for its popular TR series, which was built throughout the 1950s, '60s, and '70s, or for its early days as a motorcycle manufacturer, which led to the establishment of the separate Triumph Engineering Co. Ltd. (since revived as Triumph Motorcycles). Thinking of buying a future classic? 1978 Triumph Spitfire Conv, good older restoration, nice body, good original int, newer top, 4 cyl, 1979 Triumph Spitfire 1500 For SaleGet ready to take a step back in time with this stunning 1979 Tri, 1977 Triumph Spitfire 1500 Original 1500cc Engine in Excellent Running Condition. Research, compare, and save listings, or contact sellers directly from 28 Triumph models in Dover-Foxcroft, ME. While the rest of the world saw 1500s with a compression ratio of 8.0:1, th Country Classic Cars Click for Phone Staunton, IL 62088 (1,604 miles away) 27 1975 Triumph Spitfire Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for PAIR HEADLAMP WIRING LOOMS TRIUMPH SPITFIRE & GT6 1962 - 1973 at the best online prices at eBay! Absolutely zero rust. Assess sills, bulkhead and rear radius-arm mounts with care. [citation needed] Options included wire wheels, factory hard top and a Laycock de Normanville overdrive. The Mark III, introduced in March 1967, was the first major facelift to the Spitfire. Thrills dont come much cheaper than with one of these; even less costly than an equivalent MG Midget or B, the Spitfire is perhaps the cheapest way of enjoying topless motoring. Good luck! The two small bumpers found on the previous Spitfires were replaced with a single-piece unit. First sold in 1962 and staying in production for a whopping 18 years, the Spitfire embodied the essence of the mid-century British convertible. GRP is a good remedy but it is hard to fit the top lip seals that help to support bonnet; theyre often omitted, as here. With the overall weight also increasing to 1,717lb (779kg) performance dropped, with 0 to 60mph (0 to 97km/h) now in 15.8 seconds and top speed reduced to 90mph (140km/h). Stylish, reliable, simple and cheap to maintain, the Spitfire has a lot to offer if no-frills classic sports car motoring is what you seek and youre happy to live with its separate-chassis character. It was nonetheless considered fairly comfortable at the time, as it had wind-down windows and exterior door locks, as well as relatively full instrumentation. The Spitfire evolved over five iterations: The Spitfire was conceived by Standard-Triumph to compete in the small sports car market against the Austin-Healey Sprite. *Please note: All prices shown here are based on various data sources, as detailed in, Membership by Hagerty Drivers Club (HDC), a non-insurance subsidiary of The Hagerty Group, LLC. Where the Austin A30 used monocoque construction, the Herald used body-on-frame a chassis Triumph was able to downsize, saving the cost of developing a completely new chassis-body unit. The steering wheel was inexpensive plastic, and floor mats were simple rubber designs. These cars were essentially MkIV's with 1500 badges and engine. MkI and MkII Spitfires were fitted with an 1147cc engine, but because these early cars are rare, youre unlikely to find a car with one of these rather gutless powerplants. IV engine displaced 1,296cc (79.1cuin) throughout the production run, and in 1973 received larger big-end bearings to rationalise production with the TR6 2.5-litre engines. Average cars sell for 3000-5000, with projects starting from around 1000. The car was largely based upon the chassis of the Triumph Herald saloon, but shortened and . Most cars have been restored by now and originality is hard to find; suspension systems, exhausts, engines and wheels are often upgraded so dont expect to find a time-warp car. , had already created a prototype of the Spitfire, it was delayed and eventually shelved indefinitely. It was possible to buy a Spitfire as a Hardtop, with bolt-on roof and no soft-top. The result on all these cars was improved handling. Spitfire & GT 6 Models and Options - Triumph Spitfire Chassis damage: its the small knocks that are likely to cause you the most problems, as they may be harder to spot. 3rd owner. CLASSIC CARS. Even with twin SU carbs, the Heralds tiny 1.1 liter engine made little power and the swing axle rear suspension made for potentially hazardous handling near the limit. Your bid has been posted in the comment flow on the listing, and you can see other bids there as they happen. 1967:The MkIII arrives, with a 1296cc engine, a hood thats much easier to use and revised styling. Full wheel covers of two styles were used including the 1969 introduced model with "SPITFIRE" circumscribing the hub and a unique derivative without the branding. [1], On 8 February 1968, Standard-Triumph general manager George Turnbull drove the 100,000th Triumph Spitfire off the Canley production line. The steering and front suspension from the Herald remained unchanged on the new sportscar. Flower Mound, TX, USA. The vehicle was based on a design produced for Standard-Triumph in 1957 by Italian designer Giovanni Michelotti. The Stevie Awards, the world's premier business awards recognized The instrument panel was moved in front of the driver, and new seats were introduced with integrated headrests to help against whiplash. Attempting to connect. Later Mk4 and 1500 models are still the bargain models, maxxing out at around 5500, with decent runners on the market for 2000-3750. US specification models up to 1978 featured chrome bumpers, and on the 1979 and 1980 models these were replaced by black rubber bumpers with built-in over-riders, using chassis extensions to support the bumpers. Popular Cars for Sale. Please Visit Our Sponsors : Home Developed on a shortened variant of the Triumph Herald saloon/sedan's chassis, the Spitfire shared the Herald's running gear and Standard SC engine. The Triumph GT6 is a 6-cylinder fastback version of the Spitfire, styled by the Italian designer Giovanni Michelotti, and produced over 7 years from 1966 to 1973. This variant was dubbed the Mk IV. While British cars of the '60s (and other periods) have a reputation for failing to hold up, the Spitfire's success went unhampered by such issues. The Mk II sold for GBP 550 when new in 1965, the equivalent today of almost GBP 11,000 or a hair under $15,000. Needing a low-priced sports car of its own to compete, Triumph turned to the rather lackluster small Herald sedan as potential small sports car underpinnings. In 1970, the rear suspension was decambered, by incorporating what Triumph called a "swing spring". 1980 Triumph Spitfire Convertible Always kept in climate controlled environment since new, in a hous. This variant was dubbed the Mk IV. Find out how much a 1973 Triumph Spitfire is worth and Triumph Spitfire used car prices. The rear end was redesigned, resulting in improved cargo space. RELATED:This Is How Much A Ferrari F40 Is Worth Today. Are you looking to buy your dream classic car? ClassicCars.com's first-class Customer Support team with a Stevie Bronze Award in 2019, celebrating the team's skills as exemplary customer support specialists. If the top of the wheel has disappeared above the wheelarch, the spring needs to be renewed. The Triumph Spitfire was launched in 1962, and aimed to compete with the Austin-Healey Sprite, but in the same year another rival also surfaced the MGB. Also listen for whining, indicating that the gears have worn, or rumbling, which signifies the bearings are on their way out. Classic Triumph Spitfire for Sale on ClassicCars.com It remained unchanged until 1979 when it gained large, rubber bumpers before bowing out entirely in 1980. Starting in 1969, US-bound models were "federalised" to comply with safety and emissions regulations. 82% Relevance. If not, the oil level has probably fallen below the minimum. 1977 Triumph Spitfire 1500 Original 1500cc Engine in Excellent Running Condition. The 1980 model was the last and the heaviest Spitfire, weighing 1,875lb (850.5kg). An all-monocoque construction derivative of the Spitfire with pop-up headlamps, named the Triumph Fury, was proposed with a single prototype being built. Theres a good chance that youll pay over the odds for a car that needs plenty of work. Imperfections are said to be limited to a dent in the passenger side front fender and a scratch on the rear fender. You are not connected to real-time updates. A super little machine that fits like a glove and feels remarkably sporting for its limited pace. The production design changed little from the prototype: the full-width rear bumper was replaced by two part-bumpers curving around each corner, with overriders. Entering production in 1962, the Triumph Spitfire featured a few improvements mechanically when compared to the Herald on which it was based. Values Reference Profiles Exotics Order MENU 1973 TRIUMPH SPITFIRE 4cyl 1493cc (57hp SAE) 4M #4 #3 #2 #1: 1500 Roadster : 3700: 7800: 13200: 20000: Add: Overdrive: 5%: Wire wheels : 5%: Profile Condition Truck Table. A reduced compression ratio of 8.5:1 resulted in a slight decrease in power (68bhp) and 73ft-lbs of torque. III The interior was revised to include a full-width dashboard, with instruments ahead of the driver rather than over the centre console, initially finished in black plastic and then from 1973 finished in wood. The car was a popular option for drivers seeking an affordable but fun roadster, and the model stayed on the market for the better part of two decades. The car was given a partial restoration by a previous owner around 2007, and had been driven about 3000 miles since. If it needs replacing, consider upgrading to a higher ratio. 1965:MkII edition goes on sale, with more power and a stronger clutch. Assess the box for worn synchros and a noisy layshaft, heard at tickover in neutral; dip the clutch to see if the noise stops. Triumph designed the car to be small and sporty but not at the sacrifice of comfort or convenience. All Spitfires are attractive, inexpensive to maintain, easy to find parts for and offer a great deal of fun for the money. Although Giovanni Michelotti, the Italian designer who had also worked on everything from the Herald to Ferraris to BMWs to Fiats, had already created a prototype of the Spitfire, it was delayed and eventually shelved indefinitely. For not a lot of cash, you can buy a Spitfire thatll keep going; if youre handy with a socket set you could even pick up a project for just 1000. I hope you enjoy these videos of me working on and playing with or driving my Triumph Spitfire . Its been repainted with new upholstery, new. Then take a look at thesepotential future classics Not every car manufacturer will survive the Chinese revolution, BYD overtaking VW in China signals a tectonic shift in the global car industry. 1970:The MkIV bring another facelift, plus an all-synchromesh gearbox and more predictable handling thanks to revised rear suspension. 1973 TRIUMPH SPITFIRE Value & Price Guide - antiquetrip.com Restored-Original. . 1973 Triumph Spitfire Classic Cars for Sale - Autotrader Classics The Triumph Spitfire Mk II, launched in 1965, was very similar to its predecessor but with a more highly tuned engine. The doors were given recessed handles, the front end was changed now featuring a plastic grille and plastic bumper underrider covers.

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