As the Spitfire hits 60, we’re reminded of its colourful past, even when we’re looking at black and white pictures
Pathé news footage of the 1962 Earls Court Motor Show picks out the Triumph Spitfire as one of the glittering new highlights awaiting the eager motorist, ‘Faster and altogether more luxurious than any sports car of the same price’, enthused the voiceover in typically clipped, received pronunciation. The £730 (at launch) sports car delivered 90mph from its twin-carburettor engine, and with independent rear suspension, comfortably eclipsed its slightly cheaper Austin-healey Sprite/mg Midget rivals.
With the Tornados’ Telstar topping America’s Billboard 100 and slashed car purchase tax kickstarting record UK car sales, these were exciting and groovy times, perfect for a car that offered much of the glamour of a Jaguar E-type for a third of the price. Unless you’d already started a family, why buy an Austin A40 or Ford Anglia when for a few pounds, shillings and pence extra each month on your hire purchase agreement you could have a sports car named after the fighter aircraft that won the Battle of Britain?
No wonder that Triumph ended up selling more than 300,000 of them. And no surprise than the Spitfire ended up being such a popular choice as a classic, one that’s as accessible to own now as it was 60 years ago. Our special anniversary celebration explores the many levels on which this beguiling little car, cleverly re-imagined from a saloon car basis, punched above its weight.
While other cars dominate as go-to shorthand for the Swinging Sixties, the Spitfire had its own role in bringing carefree, affordable Italianate glamour to the youthfully fun-loving masses. But it wasn’t just about style and frugality, Canley’s gem made its mark in the gladiatorial arena of endurance racing, where good looks count for nothing. On page 54, Sam Dawson takes us into a Warwickshire barn to explore the story of two Le Mans survivors, and picks out a set of black and white pictures that tells their colourful stories.
Enjoy the celebration.