1968 Triumph Spitfire Mk3 |

Sold

1968 Triumph Spitfire Mk3

Sold Price

£7,316

Mileage~31,062 on clock
TransmissionManual
Engine1.3-litre
LocationRotherham

SOLD

1968 Triumph Spitfire Mk3

I WANT ONE

Introduction

Tom Valle

Professional Consigner

The Triumph Spitfire had an 18 year production run from 1962 until 1980 - a firm British favourite.

First seen at the London Motorshow in 1962, it used a shortened version of the Herald's chassis to create the convertible sports car. This car is a Mk3 from 1968, it has a 1.3L four-cylinder engine under the bonnet. Producing ~75hp resulted in a 0-60mph sprint of ~13.4 seconds - not bad in the '60s!

A great little British sports car for a sunny summer's evening, Mark has done a lot of work and has a great amount of paperwork with the car. This car comes to market after ~12 years with Mark.

Sadly, the car was involved in an accident in 2008 where it was written off in a Category C, and details of the repair can be found in the documents section - so with a low reserve and everything here laid out for you to make a decision from the comfort of your own sofa, could make it a great and affordable summer purchase.

This auction listing was written from information supplied by Tom after meeting Mark the owner, and having visited and photographed the vehicle.

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Vehicle Delivery

We're there every step of your buying journey and will even arrange pick-up and delivery of your new vehicle.

Secure Auctions

We verify all our sellers and buyers to keep our community safe whilst also providing the highest levels of website security.

Full Transparency

8 out of 10 people that buy cars via our service don’t feel the need to visit due to the transparency and thoroughness of our listings.

Vehicle Delivery

We're there every step of your buying journey and will even arrange pick-up and delivery of your new vehicle.

Meet the owner

Over the years Mark has spent lots of money and time getting this Spitfire up to a great standard.

Mark has owned the car since 2010 and has enjoyed restoring and driving it in those years. Keeping all the documents for the parts he has changed on the car, it really has been a labour of love for Mark.

Mark will be happy to answer any questions in the comments below.

Mark

Vehicle Owner

Mark saved £1,260* when they
sold their Triumph with us.

SELLING MADE EASY

We'll take the photos & create the listing.
We'll market it to our 62K buyers & online.
You'll keep your car until it's paid for.

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EXTERIOR VIDEO

Exterior

A beautifully sculpted British sports car, stunning lines - it has character.

Wheels and Tyres

The white painted steel wheels with chrome centre hub caps looked to be in decent condition, we did notice some chips in the paint around the edge of all the wheels with a slight amount of corrosion coming through the paint too - but nothing serious. The centre caps looked to be in good condition.

A complete set of Toyo tyres was fitted to the car too, Mark told us he had replaced all the tyres recently, they looked in great condition with plenty of life left in them.

Please take a look at photos and video below to check the wheels and tyres for yourself.

Bodywork

The swooping lines really shout out that this car was styled a long time ago.

All panels looked to line up well throughout the car. We didn't notice ant dents or dings in the bodywork.

Please take a look at the high resolution photos video below to check the a bodywork yourself.

We've highlighted in more detail our observations through our hi-resolution images and videos, so please take time to look through all the media files for a detailed view at what’s on offer, and for you to assess the condition of the car for yourselves.

Paint

The lovely red paint, looked to be in good condition, we did notice some swirl marks, most likely from washing. These swirls should be easily dealt with by a a good machine polish.

A small thing, but we did notice the paint being rubbed away on the inside of the doors too.

Again, we have taken hi-resolution images and videos of the car for you to assess the condition of the paint for yourselves.

Glass and Trim

Glass on the car looked to be in good condition, we didn't notice any chips or cracks in the windscreen, the car received a new windscreen in July 2016.

The chrome trim around the car looked in good condition, we did notice some markings on the upright parts of the front bumper though.

The roof looked to be in good condition too, we didn't notice any tears in the fabric, it also didn't look to have any fading - plenty of life left in it.

Please take a look at the photos and video for a detailed view of the glass and trim.

VIEW ALL

INTERIOR VIDEO

Interior

The Spitfire has a functional interior, giving the driver all the information they need - '60s style!

Seats and Carpets

The seats are covered in houndstooth cloth with vinyl on the bolsters, they looked to be in good condition, with some light wear considering the age of the car. Mark had the seat backs professionally re-foamed in 2021.

Carpets look okay, just a little faded, possible after a shampoo they may become rejuvenated.

Please view the photos and video below to look at the condition of the seats and carpets.

Dashboard

Everything in the dashboard is period, with original dials and switches, they looked to be in good condition.

We noticed a bit of sway in the rev counter occasionally when our on the road.

Please take a look at the photos and video below for more details.

Steering Wheel / Gear Stick

The leather trimmed steering wheel was showing some wear around the edge but was over-all good condition - a nice little job to improve, and Maybe Royal Steering Wheels can help with a recover.

The wooden topped gear stick looked to be in good condition too, we didn't notice any rips or holes in the leather gator either.

To judge for yourself take a look at the photos and video below.

VIEW ALL

'ON THE ROAD' VIDEO

Mechanics

A perky 1.3L four-cylinder engine sits under the bonnet powering the lightweight Spitfire.

Engine and Gearbox

The engine started first time, it idled smoothly. Mark has done all the various work on the engine over a period of years - the head gasket, water pump and timing chain have all been done. The engine ran well when we went for a drive with Mark.

Out on the road with Mark the gearbox slid into gears smoothly, we didn't notice any clunks or other unwanted noises, Mark demonstrated the overdrive function working as expected too.

Please take a look at the on the road video to see the engine and gearbox in action.

Suspension and Brakes

Suspension felt firm but behaved well on the road, we didn't notice any knocking coming from the suspension during our drive with Mark.

Mark told us the brakes have been given an overhaul last year with a new master cylinder and servo. The front discs and pads had even been replaced recently too.

The brakes gripped well, as demonstrated by Mark on the drive.

Please take a look at the on the road video to see how well the suspension and brakes perform.

The Drive

The Spitfire performed well on the road, the engine picked up quickly with smooth gear shifting. The ride was firm as you would expect for a sports car. Braking power was good, stopping the car swiftly.

Please view the on the road video to see how the Spitfire performed.

Electrics and Other

With only a small amount of electrical parts, the Spitfire seemed to be working as expected, Mark assured us that the electrics were in good working order. Mark mentions that the temperature gauge goes high but never overheats. After investigating the problem, Mark was told it may need a new voltage regulator fitted which would be only a small cost.

From the documents with the car we noticed some looms have been changed.

VIEW ALL

History and Paperwork

This car comes with a huge amount of receipts, from windscreen replacement to brake and suspension rebuilds.

Mark has a folder full of MOTs, parts and paint receipts, including all the work he has done himself, as well as work done by previous owners.

Confirmation of the car being allowed back on the road after being written off is also among the documents.

Please take a look through the document photos to see everything that the car has had done over its life.

We’ve done all our usual seller checks including photo ID, V5 and also actioned a HPi check on the vehicle - this returned a Cat C insurance loss in 2008. This was before Mark's ownership.

We've summarised our own view on the car based on information gained from the seller in the listing above, however, and as you can see, we go to great lengths to photograph and video the car in hi-resolution detail - this has been done for you to make your own assessment from the comfort of your sofa. So please sit back, have a cuppa and take your time to review everything on this listing in order to make your own assessment on the vehicle's condition. Viewings are also welcomed with all our listings, so please get in touch with us to arrange a suitable time - we just need to speak to you first and receive a valid photo ID before confirming.

If there's anything you're unsure about, no matter how small, then please first ask the owner in the comments area below before placing your bid/s, as bids can't be retracted and form a binding contract if you win the car - just like a traditional auction house.

Service History

Date	Type	Mileage
18.06.2022	MOT	31,026 on clock (circa 57k)
27.06.2018	MOT	29,657
01.07.2017	MOT	29,121
05.05.2016	MOT	28,496
22.04.2015	MOT	28,187
26.04.2014	MOT	27,620
27.04.2013	MOT	27,221
14.07.2010	MOT	29,291 Clock Change
21.04.2009	MOT	55,452
12.06.2008	MOT	53,859
28.06.2006	MOT	53,841
18.07.2002	MOT	52,726
01.04.1999	MOT	52,671
26.08.1997	MOT	52,463
23.08.1996	MOT	49,141
04.08.1995	MOT	38,683
30.07.1994	MOT	28,758