1969 Triumph VITESSE MK 2 CONVERTIBLE

This car is for sale by the same chap who’s selling the Porsche 911 Targa Supersport on The Market, so his reasons for disposing of his toys remain identical – namely, relocating to Spain with his missus. That brace of cars certainly must have made strange bedfellows in his double garage, but the sheer quality of his Porsche surely stands his later purchase of this Vitesse in good stead too.

Our chap Richard has owned it for two and a half years and bought it from only its third owner, a hobbyist restorer in Liverpool. He says that 'while it’s not quite a concours example, it is in very good condition’ and the body off/bare metal restoration was carried out to a very good standard. The previous owner carried out all of the work, including paint, and there’s a comprehensive DVD of the various processes (see history section, and photo gallery).

Again for our vendor it’s been a Sunday afternoon pootler, with just a sparse 300-400 miles per year added to a clock that now reads 28,342 (whether that’s been round once already is unknown, but this example is one you buy on condition rather than mileage). Similar to his Porker, since its arrival storage has been heated garage.

Originally brown it’s definitely benefitted from a colour change to red – even if when combined with that trademark front-end scowl it’s left it with a touch of an Angry Birds aesthetic. The paint is vibrant and of a remarkably high standard with no evidence of any orange peel. Every panel was either replaced or repaired and they are generally also of a nice fit and finish; the only minor area we can pick up on is that the o/s chrome swage line trim between the door and front wing is a couple of millimetres out – small beer, indeed.

Again owner Richard is honest in his appraisal: ‘the exterior does have one or two blemishes, but it’s in very good condition.` We think he is being rather picky, as we have looked at the photos, and can't find anything significant to note.

The original Triumph badge on the rear end is a little pitted and could be on your target list if you're looking for concours. We’d ditch the later number plates and source some pressed metal units to give the car more of a period look.

The hood mechanism works perfectly and it sports a good quality hood (brand new at the time of restoration), while all door and window rubbers are nice and supple – suggesting that if you go through the parts receipts you’ll find new ones in there somewhere. The original Rostyle wheels complete a very decent exterior picture.

Thankfully the inside is generally just as good as good as the outside.

The vinyl seats, both front and rear, have been smartly re-finished and there are all new carpets and Vitesse embossed over mats. New chrome sill covers have also been fitted, and the wiring under the dashboard looks new and is tidily secured, with protective covers in place.

If you're looking for areas for improvement, the wooden dashboard panels have some minor chips and lacquer peel here and there, and the nearside door capping has a crack in it at the end where it meets the B-pillar. If we’re honest both are more in keeping with the car’s year of manufacture rather than a relatively freshly restored example.

Other interior parts, such as the door pulls, catches, brackets and the chrome instrument surrounds are the originals, and come with their expected patina. None of this is shock, horror, must walk away, but rather what we’d look to do next in order to bring it up to concours standard.

This is another area where this car scores very highly indeed. Restoration photographs show that the chassis was removed, sandblasted, repaired and then received a body colour finish, as did the rest of the undercarriage. The result is a car that we’re confident in saying hides no surface rust, rot or grot – there’s no comparison with other examples (of all classic cars) that may or may not hide all manner of sins under the usual layer, or layers, of thick black underseal.

The rest of it still presents in immaculate condition. Suspension looks good as new, while the gearbox, differential and engine were all rebuilt and remain in similarly top condition. A new clutch and exhaust system were fitted on reassembly, and the braking and cooling systems rebuilt.  

The Vitesse remains absolutely standard except for a gas-flowed cylinderhead and braided metal hoses fitted on the braking system.

Richard says: ‘it drives really well. The 2-litre unit is nice and nippy, and the brakes a touch sharper than standard. The gearbox has overdrive on 2nd, 3rd and 4th gears. There’s no work necessary mechanically, although interior touches could be smartened up. And the Mk2 convertible is the one to have.’

The car comes with a number of MOT certificates including the most recent one, which expires in on May 5, 2020. There are a couple of advisories that highlight slight play on both front wheel bearings, so the new owner will need to tackle these at some point in the near future.

There’s also a DVD of the car’s restoration and owner Richard has included some stills from it in the car’s photo gallery. They’re comprehensive in nature and appear to show a very thorough and methodical approach from strip down, through body and chassis restoration, to engine and gearbox, suspension, paint and then final re-assembly. In all there are 10 on the DVD, so you can be rest assured that every nook and cranny has been attacked.

Also included are numerous receipts for parts used, including quite a few from Chester-based marque specialist James Paddock Ltd. Finally, of lesser interest, but nice to have nonetheless, there are also several handwritten service receipts from the late Seventies.

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 restored to a very high standard.

While the top end of the market and premium marques have suffered something of a market reset (and even in some cases taken a bit of a nosedive), many cars at the more affordable end have continued to accrue value. This is mostly because they’ve been undervalued, and only now are beginning to achieve their true worth.

The Vitesse is a case in point. Long in the shadow of sportier Triumph brethren, it’s always provided an affordable entry to the world of classic cars. Those in the know understand just how much pleasure can be derived from their ownership, and with an estimate of between £9,500 and £14,000 it still offers tremendous value for money.

Yes you can buy cheaper examples, but you certainly won’t have the peace of mind that comes with a recently carried out comprehensive restoration. We reckon it’s now good for another half century of sterling service, and with a bit of interior jiggery-pokery can be further improved.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located at the owner’s Durham home; 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’.

If needed, please remember we have a network of trusted suppliers we work with regularly and can recommend: Classic & Sportscar Finance for purchase-financing, Thames Valley Car Storage for storing your car, AnyVan for transporting it, and Footman James for classic car insurance.

BORING, but IMPORTANT: Please note that whilst we at The Market always aim to offer the most descriptive and transparent auction listings available, we cannot claim they are perfect analyses of any of the vehicles for sale. We offer far greater opportunity for bidders to view, or arrange inspections for each vehicle thoroughly prior to bidding than traditional auctions, and we never stop encouraging bidders to take advantage of this. We do take a good look at the vehicles delivered to our premises for sale, but this only results in our unbiased personal observations, not those of a qualified inspector or other professional, or the result of a long test drive.

Additionally, please note that most of the videos on our site have been recorded using simple cameras which often result in 'average' sound quality; in particular, engines and exhausts notes can sound a little different to how they are in reality.