Triumph Spitfire Road Test - Better Than An MG? (1972 Mk4 1300 Driven)

Comments · 165

• CH

  @christopherpardell4418 · 2 years ago

  My wife’s dream car in the early 1990s was a Spitfire. Thank god. ( she could have dreamt of a Ferrari ) And i searched for a good one for years.  Back then, you saw them for sale all over for around $1500. And a surprising number of adverts ominously stated, “comes with spare Spitfire, for parts.” Which gave the impression they had already cannibalized the parts most likely to fail.   I finally found a 1500 that the owner had done a pretty good restoration on. In near showroom condition for $3500. When i went to test drive it, it would not start because of a glitchy fuel pump.  The guy said he had a new one to put in…but hadn’t got around to it yet, so he literally suck started the engine by having me turn the key  while he pulled the fuel hose from the carb and sucked fuel then quickly shoved the hose onto the carb. It was a lot of fun to drive. Not super fast, but it sure Felt fast so close to the ground in so light a car with the wind in your hair.   Alas, the car, the wife, and the hair are all long gone, now.

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• PA

  @Pastor_Carr_Bonharra · 2 years ago

  What a pretty thing the Spit is.  I had a yellow one many years back but I never managed to get it on the road.  I've always promised myself another.

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• RE

  @retrospecgarage · 2 years ago

  Nice to see a review on a Spit as most focus on MGs and other British brands. I've had my 1500 Spit for as good as 8 years and completed a full nut and bolt rebuild. Awesome to drive and super easy to work on. I actually had Joe follow me out of the nec classic motor show last month haha

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• DE

  @dennisking1555 · 2 years ago (edited)

  I have the wheeler dealer spitfire and the engine has been rebuilt, I can’t wait till the spring and it’s back in Coventry where it was borne

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• OT

  @OtonasSimpukas · 11 months ago

  My dad got a 1980 spitfire 1500 when he was younger put less than 2,000 miles on it before he was deployed and had to leave it. It sat in my grandpa's old shop for 30 years until I pulled it out and started working on it I've almost got it running and I gotta say Ive never been so excited to fix something and drive it.

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• MA

  @markonmotoring · 2 years ago

  Back in the 90's I was in the Air Training Corps and one of the officers drove, yes you've guessed it. He had a MK4 Spitfire. I've liked the look of the Spitfire and the the Herald and Vitesse fir a while.

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• SI

  @sitarnut · 1 year ago

  Joe.. Love your enthusiasm regarding the Spitfire. I've got a 1979 and it's the cats. Always wanted a proper sports car. Dad had a Austin Healy in the 50's and I never got over it. Now, at 80 I still love straightening out curves and just the visceral feel of driving the Spitfire.

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• 19

  @19valleydan · 7 months ago

  So wonderful in concept, so horrific in execution.  Kudos to those with the passion and pockets to keep these things running.

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• SP

  @spaceweasel · 1 year ago

  I had two of these. They were wonderful. Economical and a lot of fun. I still remember synchronizing those Strombergs.

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• CE

  @CEWUSN · 1 year ago

  I bought a 1974 Spitfire 1500 made to US specs when I was in the US Navy at RAF Edzell in the UK. I drove it all over the UK and the across the US to San Francisco where I was stationed.  She was Carmine color with tan interior and a black convertible top.

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• VI

  @VirtualGuth · 2 years ago

  The MKIV Spitfire is such a gorgeous car — the best looking of the bunch in my opinion. Truly a timeless design.

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• AN

  @andrewfyakim525 · 10 months ago

  My brother-in-law owned three Spitfires. He kept two as a 'parts cars' and kept one in perfect condition. He regularly drove the car from North Carolina to Texas and back in the 1970's. They were not known as great long distance touring cars, but it is what he used his for. The two 'parts' cars were kept under tarps at his fathers farm and over the decades they  turned into a pile of rust. One surprising aspect was the chrome fenders. Even after sitting under the tarps for decades, with the rest of the car completely rusted away, the chrome fenders looked perfect; like brand-new! Triumph used some great chrome back then.

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