Triumph Spitfire
The Triumph Spitfire is a British sports car and manufactured over five production iterations between 1962 and 1980. Styled for Standard-Triumph in 1957 by Italian designer Giovanni Michelotti, the Spitfire was introduced at the London Motor Show in 1962. It was manufactured at the Standard-Triumph Canley works, with approximately 315,000 produced over 18 years.
| Triumph Spitfire | |
|---|---|
Triumph Spitfire 1500 (European market) | |
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Standard Motor Company Triumph Motor Company (Leyland Motors) |
| Production | 1962–1980 |
| Assembly | |
| Designer | Giovanni Michelotti |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Sports car |
| Body style | 2-seat sports convertible / roadster |
| Layout | FR layout |
| Related | Triumph Herald, Triumph Vitesse, Triumph GT6 |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 83 in (2,108 mm) |
| Length | 145 in (3,683 mm) |
| Width | 57 in (1,448 mm) |
| Height | 48 in (1,219 mm) hood up. |
| Kerb weight | 1,568 lb (711 kg) to 1,750 lb (790 kg) (unladen U.K.spec) |
Developed on a shortened variant of the Triumph Herald saloon/sedan's chassis, the Spitfire shared the Herald's running gear and Standard SC engine. The design used body-on-frame construction, augmented by structural components within the bodywork and rear trailing arms attached to the body rather than the chassis. A manually deployable convertible top, substantially improved on later models, provided weather protection and a bespoke hard-top was available as a factory option.
Popular in street and rally racing, Spitfires won numerous SCCA National Sports Car Championships in F and G Production classes; won its class at the 1964 Tour de France rally, coming in second overall, and won the 1964 Geneva Rally. In 1965, a Spitfire won its class in the Alpine Rally. The model was named after the famed Supermarine Spitfire fighter plane of World War II.