21st Jul, 2010 14:50
The Pavilion Gardens
1979 Triumph Spitfire 1500
Estimated at £4,500 - £5,500
Lot details
Registration No: LTU405T
Chassis No: FH130222
Mot Expiry: April 2011
The prototype Spitfire was produced by Standard Triumph in 1957. It was based on a modified Herald chassis clothed in a swooping body penned by Giovanni Michelotti. Its single-piece front end folded forward to provide complete access to the engine bay and, unlike the rival Austin-Healey Sprite, it featured wind-up windows and a proper boot. While its mechanical specification included such niceties as was rack and pinion steering and all-round independent suspension via double wishbones at the front and a transverse leaf swing axle arrangement at the rear. Although there was much support for the prototype, financial woes meant that it did not get the green light until 1962 by which time the company had been taken over by Leyland. The initial production engine was the four-cylinder 1147cc unit from the Triumph Herald, mildly tuned for the Spitfire with twin SU carburettors. This was enlarged to 1296cc in 1967, along with a restyle involving higher-mounted bumpers; in 1970 the notch-tail MkIV appeared and in 1974, the final iteration of the Spitfire arrived, called the 1500 in deference to its 1493cc engine. By then the much criticised rear suspension had been fully sorted and the car progressively developed inside and out. When production ceased in 1980, almost 96,000 examples of the popular 1500 had been built - the largest run of all the variants.
The vendor informs us that this particular example has had five former keepers. Reportedly resprayed in its original Pageant blue a few years ago and treated to "a replacement engine, plus new clutch, exhaust and brakes" at the same time, the Triumph is said to "run and drive excellently" with "superb steering" and an engine that "pulls well with good oil pressure and runs very quietly". Further benefiting from a refurbished interior complete with new sports seats and a wood-rim steering wheel, the seller believes that the Spitfire "could certainly be a strong contender in a classic car concours competition". An inexpensive entry to the world of open-topped motoring, this smart Triumph is reportedly offered for sale with hard- and soft-tops, plus MOT certificates going back to 1986 when the mileage stood at an unwarranted 49,574.
Registration No: LTU405T
Chassis No: FH130222
Mot Expiry: April 2011
The prototype Spitfire was produced by Standard Triumph in 1957. It was based on a modified Herald chassis clothed in a swooping body penned by Giovanni Michelotti. Its single-piece front end folded forward to provide complete access to the engine bay and, unlike the rival Austin-Healey Sprite, it featured wind-up windows and a proper boot. While its mechanical specification included such niceties as was rack and pinion steering and all-round independent suspension via double wishbones at the front and a transverse leaf swing axle arrangement at the rear. Although there was much support for the prototype, financial woes meant that it did not get the green light until 1962 by which time the company had been taken over by Leyland. The initial production engine was the four-cylinder 1147cc unit from the Triumph Herald, mildly tuned for the Spitfire with twin SU carburettors. This was enlarged to 1296cc in 1967, along with a restyle involving higher-mounted bumpers; in 1970 the notch-tail MkIV appeared and in 1974, the final iteration of the Spitfire arrived, called the 1500 in deference to its 1493cc engine. By then the much criticised rear suspension had been fully sorted and the car progressively developed inside and out. When production ceased in 1980, almost 96,000 examples of the popular 1500 had been built - the largest run of all the variants.
The vendor informs us that this particular example has had five former keepers. Reportedly resprayed in its original Pageant blue a few years ago and treated to "a replacement engine, plus new clutch, exhaust and brakes" at the same time, the Triumph is said to "run and drive excellently" with "superb steering" and an engine that "pulls well with good oil pressure and runs very quietly". Further benefiting from a refurbished interior complete with new sports seats and a wood-rim steering wheel, the seller believes that the Spitfire "could certainly be a strong contender in a classic car concours competition". An inexpensive entry to the world of open-topped motoring, this smart Triumph is reportedly offered for sale with hard- and soft-tops, plus MOT certificates going back to 1986 when the mileage stood at an unwarranted 49,574.
Auction: The Pavilion Gardens, 21st Jul, 2010
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