1964 Triumph SPITFIRE

First registered on the 27th of August 1964, this MKI Spitfire is being sold on behalf of its orthopedic veterinary surgeon owner by a family friend and colleague. Bought back in 2008, he has rarely used it in the 12 years he’s owned it due to a busy family and professional life.

Although needing some love and attention (hell, don’t we all?) to bring it back to the condition it deserves, it is nonetheless in possession of an advisory-free MOT certificate – and if this winter doesn’t provide the time and space, when are you going to be able to carry out that restoration you keep saying you’d love to do?

It’s a lovely early example too, and while the Spitfire is currently under-valued, we can see that cars like this MKI will be the ones leading the charge. Being offered with no reserve, it’s going to sell from the very first bid, so you might even be able to pick up a bargain…

The early bodyshell has a simplicity that many feel the later cars lack. Less contentiously, the green bodywork presents quite well from a distance, and the panels themselves appear to be straight and free of significance rust, dents, and damage. Pretty neatly aligned as well, and we’ve seen far worse shutlines than these, too.

That said, unless you like your cars well patinated, you’re almost certainly going to want to treat it to either localized refurbishment or even a full respray at some point. Yes, it can be used as it is for a good while yet as it is solid and serviceable still, but we wanted to place the need for some future work on your radar.

The chromework is in a decent condition being free of damage and only lightly pitted. Most of this should polish out given a large tin of Autosol and a hefty dose of elbow grease though, and time is something we expect you’re going to have plenty of in the coming months...

The wire wheels are in good shape with only a light patina and a modicum of rust to their finish. That said, their restoration will be made much easier by the fact that they’re painted rather than chromed. They’re shod with matching – and tiny - 145/80R13 Firestone F-590 tyres too, all of which have good tread.

As we will never tire of explaining, our experience shows that matching high-quality tyres are an infallible sign of a caring and mechanically sympathetic owner who is prepared to spend the appropriate amount in maintaining their car properly. Their presence does not, of course, preclude the need for a thorough inspection - something the vendor would welcome, by the way – but it does perhaps give you a shortcut into their attitude towards maintenance.

Other work to do? Well, the folding fabric roof is shot, so that’ll need replacing sooner rather than later unless you’re strictly a fair-weather driver. Oh, and the rubber windscreen seal has perished.

The three-spoke, wood-rimmed steering wheel is suitably vast and semi-vintage in feel. Matched by a wooden gear knob on top of a cranked gear-lever, it sits ahead of simple central instrument cluster.

The carpets are good but clearly not original or even correct, even though the work was done so conscientiously that whoever did it even trimmed the corners of the door cards with it. Still, few cars are as well serviced by the aftermarket as the Spitfire, so sourcing and fitting replacements should be a cheap and easy job.

While you’re online ordering carpets, you might like to order some new webbing and stuffing for the seats because they’ve gone a little soft. The covers still look good though, so they could probably be reused, which will save a few pounds.

Other work to do includes the need to restore the rusty dashtop ashtray and steering column cover, re-varnish the steering wheel, and sort out the handbrake gaiter.

NB: The speedometer was reset when it was reconditioned a while ago and we’re told the car’s true mileage is believed to be somewhere between 50,000 and 60,000 miles.

The engine is only firing on three cylinders. We’re not sure what the problem is but it started since we’ve had it so whatever the problem is but it almost certainly isn’t a long-standing issue.

The floor on the passenger’s side will need some work – and by ‘work’ we mean cutting out the rotten metal and welding in some new. The driver’s side looks okay but you might like to take a look at it to make sure while you’ve got the angle grinder and welder out.

And before you dismiss this as too much of a project for you, we should point out that it has a valid MOT certificate, which is not only valid until July 2021 but was gained without a single advisory point; this is very much a rolling restoration rather than a basketcase.

It has a number of expired MOT certificates plus a sheaf of invoices and bills from Arley Garage to confirm the work that has been done to it over the past 12 years.

It also has an owner’s handbook, period-style manuals for the carburettors and Lucas electrical components, and a copy of the pre-purchase report from 2008.

Please visit the documents section of the gallery of this listing where you will find photos of this and other paperwork to support our claim that this car has been maintained to a very good standard.

If you’d like to inspect the car prior to placing a bid – something we would encourage – then please use the Contact Seller button to arrange an appointment.

The very early, MKI Spitfires are in constant demand by discerning enthusiasts who appreciate their simplicity. Much prettier than the later cars, their tiny 1.1-litre engines give surprisingly peppy performance, not least because the Spitfire is so small and light.

And this is a nicer example than you might think at first glance. Sure, it needs some TLC but given that we’re all going to be locked down this winter anyway, you’ve got to ask yourself whether you fancy spending it ensconced in your garage fettling this, or watching daytime TV with the family…

And the cost of maintaining your sanity? We think it’s going to fetch a paltry £4,000 to £7,000 but it’s being sold with no reserve, so will sell from the very first bid no matter how paltry that might be.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; 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’.