I always wanted a Triumph Spitfire but never got around to buying one. A shame because the Spitfire was a little cracker of a sports car that made a big impression before the end of British mass-produced two seaters.
Design genius Giovanni Michelotti was asked to design a small, two-seater sports car based on the Triumph Herald.
The result was shelved due to costs but when the Standard Triumph company merged with BMC, the Spitfire was ready for take-off.
The new car was eventually named the Spitfire 4 and was launched in 1962 with a 1,147cc engine.
The Triumph Spitfire 4 (MK 1) was based on the Triumph Herald chassis and running gear. The engine included several subtle modifications, including fitting twin SU carburettors and a modified cylinder head, which pushed the power output from 39 BHP to 63 BHP.
Then came the Mk2 in 1964 with a detachable hardtop and styling revisions to the front and the interior.
The Spitfire MK3 was launched in 1967 with a restyled front end and a larger engine capacity of 1,296cc.
The hood was also improved to allow easier fitting. In 1970 the wraps came off the Spitfire MK4 with a restyled body, although the engine had to be detuned to comply with US emissions regulations. A mild revamp took place in 1974 when the Spitfire received a veneer dashboard, chin spoiler and the D-type overdrive was switched for the J-type overdrive, still an optional extra.
The Spitfire 1500 was launched in 1974 with a 1,493cc engine, single rail gearbox, wider rear track, and later, an improved interior specification. From then on, the Spitfire was largely unaltered, getting only minor interior changes, such as extra warning lights and black door mirrors and handles. Production finally ceased in late 1980, when almost 360,000 cars had been made.
Spitfire's similarity to the Herald was very close - old-fashioned separate chassis and bolt-on body panels. Like the Herald, the whole bonnet and wings lifted on front hinges for access to the engine and suspension.
The Spitfire could outrun its arch-rival the Austin Healey Sprite, being good for 90mph with 0-60mph in 16.5sec. Its front disc brakes brought the Spitfire to a rapid halt.
But it was no easy ride in the handling department. Spitfire inherited the Herald's serious flaw - swing axles incorporated into its independent rear suspension. With rear-wheels tucking in on corners it made driving eventful to say the least.
It also had one of the Herald's more dubious plus-points, a tight, 25ft turning circle, made possible by the separate chassis frame. All this helped to make Spitfires twitchy cars in corners taken too fast.
A decent soft-top, roomy boot and 38mpg made it a practical proposition too, and cost £729.
Later, Triumph engineers revamped the rear suspension and pretty much cured previously wayward tendencies.
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