Road Test Portfolio Spitfire

All models are reported on including the Spitfire 4, Mks. II, III, IV and the 1500. Included are road and comparison tests, long term reports, touring and racing feature plus full specifications and performance data. Professional advice is offered on acquiring a good used Triumph Spitfire. When Triumph introduced its new Herald saloon in 1959 to replace the smaller Standards, many people wondered at its bold use of a separate chassis at a time when most volume manufacturers had already turned to unit-construction bodies. However, the method in Triumph's madness soon became apparent, for over the next few years that chassis design became the basis of several other models. The first and best-loved of these was the Spitfire, of which nearly 280,000 were made in 18 years.

In fact, the Spitfire had a unique short-wheelbase chassis which was simply based on that of the Herald, but it did incorporate most of the Herald's running gear under a body drawn up by Triumph's regular styling consultant, Giovanni Michelotti. The Mark I, introduced in 1962, had a tuned version of the Herald's 1147cc OHV four-cylinder engine, and represented an attractive and better-equipped alternative to the Sprite and Midget models from BMC. A hotter camshaft improved the performance of the Mark II versions built between 1965 and 1967, and the Mark IIIs introduced that year had even more power from a larger, 1296cc, engine. These cars also had revised styling, with a raised bumper at the front.

It was the Mark IV which most enthusiasts now see as the low-point of the Spitfire's evolution. In spite of crisper styling, which incorporated the squared-off tail typical of Triumphs at this time, and in spite of an improved rear suspension which gave better handling characteristics, the Mark IV was a disappointment. The real problem was its taller rear axle ratio, which made it slower than its predecessors. But the Mark IV was notable for being the first Spitfire which, though only in the USA and from 1973, took on the 1493cc engine.

Outside the USA, this larger engine did not appear until 1974 in the Spitfire 1500, the fifth and final variant of the range which survived until 1980. As the quickest and most civilised of the Spitfires, this is much sought-after today, though many enthusiasts prefer the more curvaceous lines of the Mark I-III cars. The Spitfire range has something for everyone, and this book has something for every Spitfire enthusiast. It is a mine of information about these charismatic British sports cars and as such deserves a place on the bookshelf of every motoring enthusiast and historian. A total of 200 fully illustrated pages.