The Plucky Spit Turns 60
It’s named after a World War II fighter plane and based on a tweaked version of a workaday passenger car. No, it’s not the Ford Mustang, it’s the Triumph Spitfire, a car so right from the start that it barely changed from its introduction until its discontinuation in 1980. When the 1963 Spitfire made its debut in the autumn of 1962 — some 60 years ago now — it was the culmination of work going back to 1957.
Crowning a shortened Triumph Herald chassis was a svelte “roadster” (actually a two-seat convertible with roll-up windows) body penned by Italian stylist Giovanni Michelotti, who had also shaped the Herald. Michelotti was a prolific designer, not just for Standard-Triumph but for coachbuilder Vignale. His efforts also adorned Alfa Romeos, Lancias,
