After my recent trip to the Washington and Oregon coasts, I remain amazed at the number of vintage cars hiding out there that remain in surprisingly solid condition. This 1977 Triumph Spitfire is another example of such a vehicle, still wearing its old-school Oregon plates and hiding out on the same property of the Alfa Romeo Spider we just featured. This car also looks surprisingly straight for its many years of outdoor storage, and is listed here on craigslist for $2,500 or best offer.
The Spitfire looks to have straight sheetmetal, and the convertible top is in the trunk. The covered interior seen in the photo above isn’t ideal but it does seem to have kept the cockpit somewhat protected. Trunk photos reveal a different color from the currently black exterior, and the blue racing stripe certainly isn’t standard fare. Bulky rubber overriders sat on top of the aluminum bumpers, a U.S. requirement in the name of safety and crash protection. But that wasn’t the end of requirements engineered into the Spitfire for the U.S. market.
Despite the rest of the world seeing improved performance in what would become the fifth generation of the model, U.S. Spitfires were smacked with lower compression motors and catalytic converters. The resulting power deficit made the run to 60 a lethargic 16 seconds, while the overseas markets saw marked improvements over previous iterations. Fortunately for this Spitfire, its classic interior adorned with woodgrain trim has remained in very good condition, as have the carpets and door panels.
Despite the performance limitations, improvements to the car’s suspension and wider rear track made it a sound handler, regardless of the actual power output. Certainly, plenty of U.S. enthusiasts have found workarounds for the standard Spitfire’s engine woes, so I wouldn’t be put off by the disappointing stock performance. This example presents nicely enough, and the straight bodywork and clean interior are both positive indications of a Spitfire that was cared for before beginning its long slumber.
On the plus side, there’s plenty you could do during restoration very easily to goose up the performance. They made a lot of these, and motors/performance parts are easily found.
On the minus side, doing so will make it impossible to register in emission inspection states, due to the fact that it’s a ’77. Born three years too late.
I have a 76. Fun car to drive. It took a lot of work to get it to a driving and show condition and a lot of $$$. This may be ok for $2500 but I think it will cost well over $10 k to do it up to drivable standard and then it will be worth. $5-7 K. So it’s a labor of love with only limited future value. I suspect rust in the frame will be an issue.
Randy I suspect you might be wrong about the rust as it looks to be from the dry central and easter portion of Oregon and for some reason cars there do not rust at all. Conditions similar to that of the high country in Nevada. This could be a real buy and as per the values they seem to be going up recently.
They still are amazingly beautiful on the road and fun to drive. One of the better smiles per miles cars you can get at any price.
I’ve lived in Oregon since 1974 and have owned lots of old cars bought from old men who were first or second owners. The cars were rust-free, tired but still capable of lots of fun. My last one was a 1964 Buick Wildcat Convertible bought for $2,500. I put about $2,500 into it over 16 years and sold it for $5,000. Of course this was many years ago and these deals are insanely hard to find.
Oh but those horrible bumpers 🤣
You may be able to get around the emissions regulations by registering it as classic/ antique/ historic, whatever you can. In De, you do it 1 time ,then just pay for a new tag sticker when needed. Never have to pass the sniffer again!! Have it clean 1 time, then make it run right! Good luck to the new owner.