1972 Triumph Spitfire MkIV

Our Mk IV car rolled down the production line in 1972 and little did anyone know that it was destined to have a charmed and gentle life. At 49 years young, it has covered a mere 26,904 miles, all confirmed by the extensive MOT history.

Five lovely people have enjoyed the pleasure of owning the Spitfire, the last gentleman for nine years or so. During his ownership, the car covered around 600 miles and we believe spent much of that time in careful storage.

We choose our words carefully when we say that this is a true time-warp car. Original, unmolested, well maintained and with just a gentle patina of age. Quite perfect.

Carpets, hood, spare wheel cover, tool kit, all as the car left the factory. Yes, some signs of use and yes, you could choose to replace them with off the shelf new items, but that would be a shame. A car can only be original once and the world is tiring of show queens. You know the ones, trailered to car shows, entered into the concours, another rosette and then locked away until the next one.

No, this car is quite unique, an amazing find and we say leave well alone and enjoy. You may choose to differ, but first you need to read on and if you like what you see, then get bidding.

There is every chance that the Wedgewood Blue paintwork is all original. If it is not, then whosoever applied some paint, did an excellent job. There is little to fault.

The chrome too is in excellent order and there is plenty of it.

There is an invoice from 1999 showing that the wheels were repainted, but the job was clearly done to a high standard.

The hood looks to be the original one the Spitfire left the factory with and it does show its age in places. However, it’s undoubtedly now a car for those bright and sunny summer days, when the roof will doubtless be folded away. It does operate as it should. There is also a tonneau cover to keep things looking tidy.

The seats appear to be like new, with very little signs of wear and tear. Carpeting throughout is most presentable too, with just a little wear near the clutch pedal.

The paintwork on the inside of the doors and on the sills is almost unmarked and the door cards have stood the test of time well.

There is a wonderful Motorola push button radio with speakers fitted nicely in the rear.

The boot houses and immaculate spare wheel and there’s the correct tool kit should you have occasion to do a kerbside wheel change. There is also a first aid kit and fire extinguisher.

The exposed areas of paint do bear the scars of luggage carried, but it is all very solid and intact.

We always take plenty of photographs of a car’s underside and this is quite often where problems lie. Well, not in this case. The car was obviously undersealed early in its life and it is that original coating that is still visible.

It has clearly done its job too, helping to preserve this fine car. The perfectionist might be tempted to do a little gentle cleaning but left to us we would leave well alone.

The forward hinged bonnet opens to reveal that peppy engine. Leads, wires and hoses all look to be in good order and everything about the compartment’s condition points to careful ownership and maintenance.

Yes, there are some minor marks to the painted areas, but we call it character and once again it screams originality.

The premium battery looks quite new, and once you remember to pull out the choke, the engine fires up with ease.

The Spitfire’s first MOT shows that a little over 10,000 miles had been covered. From then on, the mileage climbs very slowly and there were some extended periods when the car probably did little more than make an annual trip to the MOT station. That’s a bit a shame as this lovely car deserves to be used (carefully) and enjoyed.

The last owner managed only 600 jolly miles during his nine-year custodianship, but clearly ensured that the car was properly stored and cared for.

There is a lovely collection of invoices in our picture section for your delectation, but they show nothing major of any consequence has been carried out. We therefore suspect that the engine, gearbox and other major components have never needed any attention.

A recent HPI report confirms that the car has had an uneventful life, with no black marks to blot its copybook!

UPDATE: The owner has located the Spitfire Owners Manual & the original Passport to Service book for this remarkably original Spitfire. 

It would take very little to turn this Triumph Spitfire into a concours, show-winning vehicle and we wouldn’t blame anyone for wanting to head down that route. There cannot be another Spitfire this original and unmolested.

But therein lies its charm. It does show some signs of gentle use but has been so well cared for that not to carry on the same vein would be a shame.

The Spitfire is a rare beast now, most having gone to that great scrapheap in the sky.

That scarcity value and its impeccable condition leads us to the conclusion that we think the car is likely to sell for between £12,500 and £18,000. Find another one, we dare you!

So, if you have fallen for this Spitfire’s considerable charms, there is only one thing left to do and that is to put in a generous bid.

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’.