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| 1975 Triumph Spitfire 1500 |
| A real Triumph |
By ERIC
TEGLER
AutoWeek | Published
05/03/02, 12:00 am et |
|
Advertisement
| There is a tendency among some Triumph
enthusiasts to view the Spitfire as something less than a real
Triumph. Yes, it was diminutive in terms of size and horsepower, but
with more than 314,000 produced between 1962 and 1980 (on par with
the entire TR line), it was the sports car heart of the company.
Triumph started as an auto manufacturer in 1923. It failed
during the 1930s but was reborn after World War II under the
umbrella of the Standard Car Co., best known for its saloons.
Standard-Triumph premiered its first sports car, the TR2, in 1952.
The TR2 was more successful than Standard saloons and was followed
quickly by the TR3 and 3A. In 1958 Austin launched the tiny Donald
Healey-designed Sprite to great success. A smaller roadster had also
been discussed at Triumph and the Sprite’s success encouraged the
firm to produce it.
 In late 1960 a prototype, codenamed “The Bomb,”
was constructed in Turin by designer Giovanni Michelotti, using a
Triumph Herald saloon chassis as its foundation. But the project was
shelved when truck maker Leyland absorbed Standard-Triumph in 1960.
A year later, a Leyland exec spotted The Bomb in a corner and the
little sports car was given the go-ahead.
It debuted at the London motor show in October 1962 as the
“Spitfire.” Synony-mous with the Battle of Britain fighter, the name
resonated with the British public. Though more expensive, the
Spitfire outsold the Sprite, offering more content than Austin’s
petite convertible. The Spitfire 4, as it was officially called,
came with a 1147-cc derivative of the Herald engine, pushing it to
60 mph in 17 seconds and topping out at 92 mph. Sales took off in
the United States as well, climbing steadily as successive
iterations of the car, including the more powerful MkII and MkIII,
appeared.
The Spitfire’s racing potential was highlighted when Triumph
decided to use it in place of the under-performing TR4 in 1964. Four
fiberglass hardtop racers were built for Le Mans, one of which
finished third in its class. The racer bodies foreshadowed the
eventual GT6 Spitfire coupe but were campaigned with the same
1147-cc engines as their street counterparts. The cars raced
successfully at Sebring that year and returned to Le Mans in 1965,
taking first and second in class. Piloted by notables like David
Hobbs, they also performed with distinction in various European
rallies and in the SCCA where Bob Tullius took his Group 44 Spits to
a number of wins in the late ’60s.
Michelotti freshened the design in 1970 (MkIV), which
featured rear suspension improvements and a stroked 1493-cc version
of the four-banger good for 71 horsepower.
In 1973 British Leyland rebadged the model as the Spitfire
1500. Minor interior and exterior details changed but most
significantly, emission and safety regulations were met with raised
suspension, bumper and engine modifications. Lucas electrics and
traditional reliability problems were still part of the package but
more than 90,000 examples of the popular machine were sold. The 1500
continued in production until 1980 when stricter emission
requirements convinced Leyland to retire its venerable sportster.
This 1975 1500 is an American car converted to European
specifications: The front suspension was lowered, the stock,
emission-challenged Stromberg carb was replaced with twin SU HS4s,
and a new exhaust manifold was fitted. The stock Girling 8.75-inch
disc/drums remain, set inside larger Passport wheels. The car’s
four-speed has the optional overdrive feature (a 2:1 reduction
planetary gear system at the back of the tranny activated by a dash
switch), which makes highway cruising a realistic proposition.
Handling and ease of maintenance are big draws for Spitfire
devotees. Indeed, when cornered hard, the car’s
double-wishbone/trailing-link/leaf suspension hunkers down. The
driver’s bottom moves more than his shoulders. Swing the
front-hinged bonnet forward, take a seat on the tire and you have
complete access to the engine. With just 10 bolts, the wiring
harness and brake lines joining the shell to the chassis, swapping
Spitfire and GT6 bodies is a popular single-day project.
The 50th anniversary of Triumph sports cars will be
recognized at Mid-Ohio (www.midohio.com) this summer, the weekend of
June 14-16. The grounds will be filled with Spitfires—get a
trackside seat and you can watch this real Triumph dogfight with its
bigger brothers. |
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