TRIUMPH SPITFIRE

Good Spitfires and projects are both in ready supply. Here’s what you need to know before taking on Triumph’s affordable sportster

Canley’s smallest sports car still offers a lot of classic fun for the money – and it helps that there are so many on the market. It’s more akin to the Midget than the MGB in terms of power, but it’s a joy to drive, and good ones are still less than £10k.

Thomas Boyd from Triumph specialist, TR Enterprises, says: ‘Fewer people are wanting to tinker with them at home these days, and we don’t sell so many parts over the counter. There’s less of that middle ground – people want a car they can get in and drive.’

That’s borne out by DVLA figures that show that Spitfires on SORN outnumber taxed examples; in other words, there are plenty of potential projects if you know where to look. Production lasted an impressive 18 years (1962-1980) during which time over 300,000 were built. About 4000 of those are still on the road in this country – less than 20 per cent of the number of MGBs.

Rarity boosts the values of the MkI and MkII, often considerably so, even though they’re not quite as rewarding to drive. Thanks in part to an excitable rear swing axle – a lethal idiosyncrasy that was tweaked in stages throughout the Spitfire’s lifetime – the later cars can be pushed much harder. They can also be modified with less risk of it harming values.

Swept volume also went up from 1147cc to 1296cc with the MkIII, and the MkIV saw an all-synchromesh gearbox. Then came the 1500, built under British Leyland and in greater numbers than its predecessors, and therefore tending to be priced a little lower.

Expect many of the Spitfires you encounter for sale to be offered by private sellers. While prices have been rising, it’s fair to speculate that the lure of the lustier Triumphs will continue to prevent Spitfire values from burgeoning too far.