1967 Triumph Spitfire Mk 2 SAH

The Spitfire you see here is a 1967 Mark II or Spitfire 4 (the first 3 versions of the Spitfire were referred to by either ‘Mark _’ or Spitfire 4 due to the possibility of a six-cylinder version) and as mentioned it features extensive period modifications from iconic Triumph tuning company SAH. It has been rebuilt by one of the club’s specialists in early cars and features a genuine SAH Le Mans style bonnet with the correct scoops, badges and fly screen. The car has hardly been used since it’s rebuild and comes already mechanically tuned, with the possibility of further refinement to the mechanicals to suit the new owner’s driving style.

It has a 1296cc engine, which has the intake and exhaust system that were famed from ‘SAH’ for providing a big jump in power and flow. It also has SAH’s ‘Tite-a-Turn’ kit to solve the problem of the Swing axel in earlier cars, which resulted in an excessive amount of camber during heavy cornering causing oversteer. Alongside this and a SAH cylinder head, camshaft and Stromberg carbs it reads as a who’s who of highly desirable period parts. This car is a beautiful homage to the LeMans style racers of the period, modified in period correct style with period correct parts.

The outside of this recently rebuilt Spitfire is absolutely stunning, with a black and white paint livery that looks straight out of the 60’s especially when paired with those gorgeous white steel wheels. This really is a very photogenic car and one that holds real presence on the road, aided by that hard top, which is a genuine factory item, adds an extra appeal to this convertible sports car. The rear quarters and boot lid are fibreglass and reduce the curb weight of the little racer, which must have been part of Hurrell’s success with the SAH run Triumph team.

Having been recently restored and rebuilt, the outside really is like new, and we can imagine as close as you’d get today to a brand new SAH tuned Spitfire back in the 60’s. The fit and finish of the panels and trim is superb, and the car sits beautifully on its new suspension. The front end is accented with the LeMans style grille and rubber bumpers, whereas at the back the chrome twin exhausts stand proud ready to shout about this car’s performance capabilities.

Judging from the racy exterior of this car, you think the interior would be equally as spartan and function focused, this isn’t the case however. Upon inspection, you see black carpet and red leather trimmed seats contrasting the white and black two-tone paintwork. Everything inside looks brand new, the dash, steering wheel, instruments, carpets, seats, rubber mats, switches, gear-lever and even the tuner radio looks like they were just installed from factory. There is plenty to like inside this sports car that was, at the time of manufacture, a relatively cheap alternative. That said it was the most expensive of its competitors at £550 compared to the Sprite and the Midget at £505 and £515 respectively.

The interior trim all around is so nicely finished it really needs to be seen to be believed. The shallow sports seats look to give just enough support for a spirited drive, and the Dashboard instruments have got enough parameters covered to ensure you always know what’s going on under that LeMans style bonnet. In the boot, as you’d expect from seeing the rest of the car, is in immaculate condition, with the boot cover looking good as new and the appropriate padding for a spare wheel, which is not included.

The underside of the Triumph is as expected, brand new, all components look to be either as new or in great condition. There is a layer of protective ‘orange peel’ paint to protect from stone chips and any underside impacts from loose surfaces. In addition to protective paint, there is what looks to be residue from rust protective treatment to ensure the chassis stays in good health for as long as possible. Interestingly to note from underneath the Spitfire is the coil-over suspension set up in place of the original leaf spring and swing axel set up. This is something that was preferred as technology moved on as the leaf spring/swing axel set up had some issues on earlier cars, meaning the Spitfire was prone to oversteer, the coil-over set up should provide much more predictability and a more planted feel when chucking the Spitfire through corners. 

The Spitfire comes with two keys and the V5 as well as plenty of paperwork on the MOT/servicing side. It also comes with a variety of workshop manuals and information about the Triumph tuning house ‘SAH’. Included in the history file is the original catalogue from SAH and outlined inside it is the various parts that the owner purchased to modify this car to a period correct fast road B-road stormer. 

The Spitfire is quintessentially British and even has an underdog story to tell in the motorsport arena, the fact that SAH came to its rescue and made it truly great only adds to the appeal of this pretty, two-seater, convertible icon of past British design. Triumph is still going strong today offering mostly motorcycles and related products, but the Spitfire is one of the cars that put Triumph on the map whilst still enjoying a thriving enthusiast community to this day.

This car is a perfect example of the marque and being fully rebuilt and tuned, the hard work is done, meaning you won’t have to worry about the tin-worm these cars usually suffer from or the unreliability issues from ageing mechanicals. The livery outside gives the Spitfire the looks that are deserving of its obvious driving capability without affecting its period charm. Couple these to the fact that it has a slew of goodies from legendary Triumph tuner at its pinnacle back in the day and this car is all that more desirable, if we could, we’d definitely like to have this on our driveway.

Viewing is always encouraged and as stated this car is located at THE MARKET headquarters near Abingdon; we are open Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm and to arrange an appointment please use the ‘Contact Seller’ button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.