Triumph Spitfire

In short

• Built from October 1962 to August 1980 at Canley, with assembly also in Belgium, Ireland, South Africa and Australia.
• About 315,000 made; the five versions add up to 314,332.
• Four-cylinder engines of 1,147 cc, 1,296 cc and 1,493 cc, from 47 kW (63 bhp) to 53 kW (71 hp).
• Swing-axle rear suspension, tamed by the "swing spring" of 1970 and the wider track of the 1500.

Triumph Spitfire at a glance

Triumph before the Spitfire

Triumph bought the assets of the Dawson Car Company in 1921, which gave it a start in car making, and the 10/20 of 1923 was the first Triumph car. The Super 7 of 1927 sold in large numbers until 1934. The firm took the name Triumph Motor Company in 1930 and sold its bicycle and motorcycle businesses in 1936; the motorcycles carried on separately as Triumph Engineering.

Project Bomb: how the Spitfire was born

Standard-Triumph developed the car to take on the Austin-Healey Sprite, under the internal code name "Project Bomb". It used a shortened version of the Herald saloon chassis with the Herald's running gear and the Standard SC engine. Giovanni Michelotti, who had also styled the Herald, drew the body. The body had wind-down windows.

Standard-Triumph's money troubles delayed the launch. Leyland Motors bought the company in December 1960 and approved the prototype for production, and the car was announced in 1962. It took its name from the Supermarine Spitfire fighter of the Second World War. The factory reached its 100,000th Spitfire on 8 February 1968, driven off the line by general manager George Turnbull.

Five versions, from Spitfire 4 to 1500

Spitfire 4 (Mk I). The first car had front disc brakes and a rear suspension with a single transverse leaf spring working as a swing axle. Under hard cornering the rear camber could change sharply and cause oversteer.

Mk II. A new camshaft and a tubular exhaust manifold gave 50 kW (67 bhp), and a diaphragm-spring clutch replaced the coil-spring type.

Mk III. The front bumper was raised to meet new crash rules, and the 1,296 cc engine with twin SU carburettors replaced the 1,147 cc unit. Tandem brakes arrived in 1968. US cars had 51 kW (68 bhp) and needed about 14 seconds to reach 60 mph.

Mk IV. The tail was redesigned in the style of the Triumph Stag and 2000, and the UK engine was rated at 47 kW (63 hp).

1500. The stroke grew to 87.5 mm, which raised torque, and longer swing axles, a lower spring mounting and a wider rear track improved the handling. In US form, the engine gave only 40 kW (53 bhp), and the 0–60 mph time grew to 16.3 seconds.

The swing axle and the swing spring

The Herald-derived rear end was the weak point of the early cars. Triumph's answer came in 1970, when the rear suspension was "decambered" with a "swing spring". One leaf was removed and the others were left free to pivot, which reduced the swing-axle effects. The six-cylinder GT6 Mk II and Vitesse Mk 2 got a different fix, with new lower wishbones and Rotoflex couplings in the half-shafts. The 1500 went further with its longer axles and wider track. With 53 kW and no more than 798 kg, a UK 1500 has at least 66 kW per tonne; the power-to-weight calculator compares that with modern small sports cars.

Prices and rivals

The Spitfire competed with two rivals from BMC, British Motor Corporation:

The MG side of that rivalry is covered in the history of MG cars. More than 75 % of all Spitfires were exported, and US-market cars had their own, lower engine ratings.

Competition record

Spitfires won many Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) national championships in the F and G Production classes. In 1964 a Spitfire won its class in the Tour de France rally and finished second overall, and it also won the 1964 Geneva Rally. In 1965 a Spitfire won its class in the Alpine Rally.

The end at Canley and the Spitfire today

The last Spitfire was assembled at Canley in August 1980, shortly before the factory closed. It is an Inca Yellow UK car that was never sold and is now shown at the British Motor Museum. The Triumph name lasted only four more years on cars. The Spitfire's chassis family lives on in the six-cylinder GT6 and the Vitesse, which share its Herald roots.

Photo gallery