Triumph Spitfire and GT6
This is the car I wanted 30+ years ago, so much that I still have this
brochure I got from the dealer when it was new. I was 19, full of
vinegar, and needed an "image" car. The Mustang II I had was fun, but I wanted something more sophistimacated and sexy. Still crazy after all these years, I finally got a 2001 Miata
a while back, the closest thing to a Spitfire I could find that might
run a while before needing any major service or ruining my bank
account. Somehow, both of my dream roadsters turned out to be British Racing Green with tan interiors and real wood steering wheels. Brooklands Green is shown in the 1977 brochure here.
Why a Spitfire? What made it different from, say, an MGB, Triumph TR6, MG Midget, or a Fiat X-19? Well, for me, three things: 1) It had a full independent suspension, the only Brit car of this class to do so. Also, a perfect 50/50 front/rear weight ratio for great balance. 2) The bonnet and wings rose together, giving full access for engine, chassis, and electrical service, which was usually a bit too often. 3) The car also had real wood on the dash, quite unique in a car like this. I live in a rural area with small, twisty roads, and a muscle car would be as out of place here as a stretched Escalade limousine in downtown Tokyo.
The car was designed by Giovanni Michelotti and introduced in 1962 to compete with the Austin-Healey Sprite. The $2,199 Triumph Spitfire 4 Mark I
(1962-1965) had an 1147cc engine, cranking out 63 horsepower. All
Spitfires were 4-speeds, overdrive was first offered in 1964, and the
car had front disc brakes from day one. The Spitfire Mark II (1965-1967) had the same engine, but was upped to 67 ponies with a new camshaft.
The Spitfire Mark III (1967-1970) brought the 1296cc powerplant from the Triumph Herald and 1300 saloons, and the Spitfire Mark IV (1970-1974) kept this engine. Horsepower figures vary (48 to 75) from year to year and country to country. The Mark IV received all-new body panels, also designed by Mr. Michelotti.
The Spitfire 1500 (1974-1980) had a 1493cc mill with a desperate 57 horses. It sold, base price, for $5,995 in its last year (a 1980 Pontiac Firebird was $5,992). These were the heaviest Spitfires--1,875 pounds, including federally-mandated 5 MPH crash bumpers and reinforcements.
All of these cars had the 83-inch wheelbase, and initially had
center-mounted gauges to easily facilitate either left- or right-hand-drive.
Thankfully, the dash evolved into the pleasant "Federal" (USA) form
shown here in 1969. Interior options and comforts were few. Radios, map
lights, removable hardtop, tonneau cover, even wire wheels were offered
for a while. Air conditioning? No way.
What amazes me about the Miata is that it has things unheard of on these now-vintage Triumphs--cruise control, power windows, power door locks, remote this-and-that, just to name a few, not to mention the respected Japanese reliability. The 2001 and later Miatas also have almost twice the power of any stock Spitfire.
There were three generations of "hardtop" Spitfires (Top to bottom): the GT6, GT6 MK2, and GT6 MK3. Introduced in 1966, the cars had the 2.0-liter 95-hp 6-cylinder from the Triumph Vitesse to power the extra weight of the hardtop.
It was called "The poor man's E-Type" since the GT6
also had a hatch. A small rear seat was optional, it had a longer and
taller hood for the larger engine, and the doors had vent windows and square
glass corners. Inside, the cars had a real wood dash, instruments, and
a heater, all standard.
In 1969, the GT6 MK2 (Called the GT6 Plus in America) had 104 horsepower, a raised front bumper, new dash, a 2-speed heater fan, and a black headliner. Engine cooling vents appeared in the sides of the hood. I have to wonder why this engine wasn't in the lighter, topless Spitfire... it would have been a screamer!
A year later, the GT6 MK3 produced an all-new body shell with a new front face, flush door handles, and a new taillight treatment. This model was also designed by Mr. Michelotti, and similar to the Triumph Stag, which he also designed. Slippery vinyl seat covers were replaced with a classy cloth, and wire wheels were no longer offered. In 1973 the car received power brakes; this was the last year for the GT6 series. 0-60 took 10.1 seconds. In all, 41,253 GT6s were made.
The last Spitfire 1500 was built in Aug. 1980. The 1500
series was the best seller in the line--95,829 were made, compared to 45,763 for
the original Mark I. Sadly, like the MGB and others, efforts to meet
bumper and emissions requirements hurt both handling and power.
The car was raised by using taller springs to lift the body to bumper height standards. Buh-bye, low center of gravity. The engine was detuned for cleaner emissions with a lower 7.5:1 compression ratio, a single-barrel carburetor, EGR, and a catalytic converter. Only 53 horses stayed, and the car went from 0-60 in 14.3 seconds. Hang on now! The '79 and '80 models had full black bumpers that increased the car's length by 8.5 inches.
But these changes are not what killed the 1500. After the GT6 was cancelled in 1973, the Spitfire continued, but didn't share any pieces with any other car. This was not cost-effective. British Leyland became cash-strapped, so they decided to save money by dropping the car altogether. 314,342 Spitfires had been made from 1962 to 1980.
So how close does a Miata come to a Spitfire? Well, according to "How Things Work", Mazda used a Spitfire body over the Miata's chassis during development.
I guess, even after 30+ years, you can still come home.
The Spitfire brochure is a survivor from the 1970s. The second image is from stormbear+flickr.com. The interior photo is from TriumphSpitfire.com, and the Triumph GT6 photo is from 2000GT.net. Wikipedia provided some of the Spitfire and GT6 history here. "How Stuff Works" gave other Spitfire info.
--That Car Guy (Chuck)
SullyAg on October 15, 2009 at 12:13 PM
Not to mention the most evocative name of any British sports car. In the early 1970s, there was a Triumph commercial that actually featured a restored Spitfire fighter. I could always imagine a couple of Brownings mounted in the bonnet. And that magazine ad with the endangered wildlife? I used to have it pinned to the wall in my room back in high school. :-)
Ronnie Schreiber on October 15, 2009 at 04:59 PM
There's another six degrees of separation relationship between the Spitfire and the Miata. The styling of the Miata is based on the original Lotus Elan. Back in the 1960s, Lotus used parts from a variety of manufacturers, primarily Ford. The steering rack in the Elan is a modified Triumph unit, and the front suspension uses some other Triumph parts.
Mochi Mochi on October 16, 2009 at 11:55 AM
The Spitfire has a special place in my heart. I almost-almost bought a very old used one when I was in high school but was warned off by rust, reliability issues, and the crazy rear end jacking issues with early model's rear swing arm suspension design. All that said the lines of the Spitfire are really sweet and the GT6 is a great looking car. It's a really pretty little car.
Upset Old Guy on October 16, 2009 at 04:29 PM
Had a Mk II and a MkII when they were new. About 14 years ago I "went home". Mk IV body, GT6 engine, trans, brakes. 4.10 axle ratio. No overdrive. Uses lots of revs at highway speed.
It's a sweet ride, and the sound of the straight 6 is wonderful. It's a bit nose heavy (that's why the four was the only choice in the Spit), but nothing drastic. It just doesn't "dance" the way a Spit can. On the other hand, it's pretty quick.
Charlie on October 16, 2009 at 04:32 PM
The E-Type ($5800.00) was the car of the day, and the AH-3000 ($3800.00) was almost as cool. I would have been pleased with a GT-6, TR-6 or a B-GT (all around $3500.00), but I never considered the Spitfire.
The Spitfire had a limber frame and an anemic four banger. The OD trans was never offered because the mill couldn't put out enough torque. They were frightening at speeds above 80 mph. In its original incarnation the Spitfire had a swing axle rear that had a nasty habit of lifting the inside rear wheel when under power in a turn. If they fixed that I don't remember; the die had been cast.
No serious sports car fanatic would have been caught dead in one.
Charlie
Concerned Citizen on October 16, 2009 at 04:35 PM
You're lucky you didn't get the Spitfire. Yes, it's British and when it runs, yes, it's awesome.
@#$% Lucas electronic parts
@#$% British engineering
Buy a spare to tow along for parts and bring your toolbox.
I spent a lot of time with my roommate at junkyards buying parts and helping him repair his TR-6.
tom swift on October 16, 2009 at 04:45 PM
Ha ha, I have that Spitfire brochure too. And the last MGB and Midget brochures.
But the TR6 had an independent rear.
TR lineup -
TR2,3,3a, 3b - Weird-looking old stuff.
TR4 - new, fairly modern bodywork with roll-up windows.
TR4a - confused transition period, with gradual shift to new frame and IRS; some had optional solid rears.
TR5 - IRS finally here to stay. Also new 6-cyl. fuel-injected engine. TR5 never made it to US.
TR250 - carb version of 6-cyl. engine for US market.
TR6 - revised bodywork. FI, non-us; carbs, US. All markets had IRS.
TR7 - ugh.
TR8 - still ugh.
I still have my MGA roadster - none of this roll-up window, IRS, fuel-injected nonsense.
JIMV on October 16, 2009 at 04:54 PM
I bought a used 74 spitfire in 1978 in Newport RI, my first car. I remember the best bit about the car was the illusion of speed and power while zipping around at 60MPH. The down side...The electric system was hit or miss, it leaked around the primitive top, whenever it rained the inside widows became opaque, and gas mileage was a joke. I had a great time with it for two years until I was driving it to the dealer for yet another repair of the electrics when the transmission simply stopped working (permanent neutral)...I coasted into the dealer and traded the beast for a new TR6...
The lesson...electrics on any British Leland car will not work, period, all their cars lack window vents that work and all are slow and have rotten gas mileage...22mph in the TR6.
My next car was a 911 (used)
seguin on October 16, 2009 at 05:29 PM
Hark the Herald axles swing!
Scott on October 16, 2009 at 06:06 PM
Boy, does this bring back memories. In 1971, when I was a junior in high school, I bought a used '67 Spitfire. I figured out at one point that I worked on it three hours for every hour I drove it. But, man, was that car fun.
Richard on October 16, 2009 at 06:20 PM
Several owners have fitted the 6-cylinder engine from the GT6 into Spitfires. They are known as Gitfires, and apparently quite fun.
Nola Nimrod on October 16, 2009 at 06:57 PM
I had a '60 bug-eyed Sprite. It was great! I think a Singer Sewing Machine had a bigger engine (I think top speed on a straightaway was around 75)but MY GAWD it was fun! It could drive in circles on one side of a divided city boulevard. And sitting in it was just like standing behind a woman, peering over her shoulder, and looking down her dress. It was even more fun than Maxwell Smart's signature car: a Sunbeam Tiger. And it made driving a real adventure. I showed up at my high school senior prom with grease to the elbows.
Dan Palmer on October 16, 2009 at 07:38 PM
My dad had a '63 Spitfire he restored, serial #1007. It was a fun little car.
Mochi Mochi on October 16, 2009 at 08:11 PM
Later models fixed the problems of the original swing arm rear suspension. The early versions were plagued with this affliction. I think they went to a semi trailing arm... not much better but definitely better. The swing arms were an excellent reason to avoid the early spitfires. As noted, the frames lacked stiffness.
They were never amazing as "drivers cars" but they were really light and very pretty.
Bob B on October 16, 2009 at 09:23 PM
I'm one of those mentioned above that put a GT6 engine into a 65 Mk II. Big improvement!
But still not satisfied, I added a Judson supercharger. Once the SC wound up, it went like a scalded cat.
But I quickly found a weak point...the rear end couldn't take the extra power. Went thru about 4, 2 in one week!
Thought about trying to find a stronger rear end, but by this time my pregnant wife couldn't fit into it any longer, so I traded in for a VW Beetle.
SMSgt Mac on October 16, 2009 at 09:27 PM
At Last! One of MY cars makes Car Lust.
I've owned 4 Spits: 2 MkIIs, a MkIII, and a MkIV.
My favorites: The '66 Mk IIs. Always wanted a GT6. They were very easy to work on, which is, as I was constantly reminded, a lucky thing.
My first MkII had wire wheels and a roll bar. Wish I'd never sold it.
Great memories until I think about the last ones. 'Sold' the very last one for free to a guy in Oklahoma who was going to turn it into an electric car.
Thanks for the 'trip'. Now looking forward to your Festiva and Crossfire SRT posts....
virgil xenophon on October 17, 2009 at 07:28 AM
My Father had owned a used white 57 Ford Thunderbird w. red leather seats & det. hard-top as a second car. I LOVED that car, and drove it around when I was home from college for the summer, as I did not own a car of my own my 1st two yrs of college. Imagine my dismay when I returned home at the end of my soph year to find he had traded it for a spanking new fire-red Spitfire Mk I convert! True enough, it was a great little boulevard car to scoot around town in (all it ever was used for) but a 57 T-Bird?!! One of the worst decisions my Father ever made--car-wise or any other kind.
river on October 17, 2009 at 08:52 AM
The most beautiful 1970s car: Alfa Romeo Giulia, whose provocative backside will look good in tight fitting jeans.
Spit 78 on October 17, 2009 at 04:32 PM
I had a 1980 Spit which I purchased right before getting out of the military. It ran very well, dispite the lucas parts problems. All types of cars had issues back then, the spitfire was the type of car that needed be driven by a shade tree mechanic. The 1978 I have now was stripped down to the frame and put together in a two and a half year project. It runs very well and most of the old problems, electrical and carb have been pretty much fixed. New technology have been a refreshing asset. There are many resources on line that will help an individual get over the hurdles of putting the car together. Cheers!!
Anthony Cagle on October 18, 2009 at 11:09 AM
I think the Spitfire and the TR-6 are my ultimate British roadsters. They both have that certain styling that just screams get-up-and-go. The MG never did anything for me for whatever reason. These seem to me to just ooze pure, uninhibited f-u-n.
People maybe forget how much the Miata changed the game for convertible roadsters. It was everything we think those old British roadsters were (except stylish). Kind of too bad it's (the Miata) gotten something of a bad rap lately as a "gay car" or for middle-aged women or something. Really a spectacular car.
Joe from Flint on October 19, 2009 at 06:06 AM
This is the car I think of whenever I hear Starbuck's "Moonlight Feels Right"
James on October 19, 2009 at 08:25 AM
I am one of those guys that lusted for a Spitfire back in the 70s as a teenager. I finally bought one 4 years ago, a 1968 Mark 3. I love it, lots of fun to drive and almost as much fun to work on!
Great blog post, one correction for you however. Fourth paragraph up from the bottom mentions the Spitfire not sharing components with any other cars, not true. The Spitfire and the MG Midget both had the 1500 engine from 1974 onwards, as MG and Triumph both became part of British Leyland.
That Car Guy on October 19, 2009 at 08:36 AM
Ah, great eye, James! The piece was meant to read that no body panels were shared with any other vehicle since the GT-6's demise, making the build less than profitable. Many roadster owners thought using that engine was 'heresy', since Triumph and MG were once true rivals.
I hope you enjoy your Spitfire!
SullyAg on October 19, 2009 at 09:30 AM
One thing on which every Britcar survivor can agree: Lucas Electrics dims the world! :-)
JJD241 on October 28, 2009 at 03:23 AM
While I don't name my own cars I do have two interesting ones from friends. One was an early 60's 1 ton chevy pickup with a large flat bed and a medium amount of lift. It was aptly named "Grunt Snort" which is what it did much of the time. The other is a bit obtuse but it still makes me laugh. He had an early 80's chevy Beauville van. He called it "Ward". The actor who played The Beaver's dad was Hugh Beaumont. Beaumont/Beauville...a bit of a stretch but there you are!