1975 Triumph Spitfire Base Convertible 2-door 1.5l on 2040-cars

This auction is for a 1975 Triumph Spitfire Mark V 1500 - the odometer shows about 54,500 miles, but it has only approx. 3500 miles since being TOTALLY NUT & BOLT RESTORED.   

The buyer will receive itemized receipts for approximately $34,000  along with a CD with more than a hundred pictures documenting the entire process taken during restoration. 

This car is a 1975 Mark V so it has the 1500 engine, which made more torque  than the earlier cars and is much nicer to drive.  It is today the essence of  what a vintage British roadster of that era was all about.  It’s a very sharp car that should be driven and enjoyed for the fun of it.  It has some significant performance upgrades, a new interior and top and an It also am/fm/cd that you can enjoy - when you are not on the gas.  

As I’m getting a little old for this kind of thing (76) I’m looking for someone to buy this beautiful piece at a bargain price  - it will sell for less than half the cost of the restoration and the winner will  be able to immediately enjoy the fruit of so much time, labor and money.   Somebody is going to get a hell of a nice car here and save a bundle of time, effort, aggravation and money.   (If you want to know what restoring a Spitfire like this has cost others there’s a link on the website Triumph Experience.

Every classic car has a good story. This one is about a kid in Indiana who used to ride in this car with his dad back in the day.  The kid goes away to Med school and becomes a Doc while the the car go into a 15 year plus storage in an old barn. After practicing medicine for awhile the Doc goes back home, hauls the car out of the barn, gives it to an expert British car restorer and tells him to restore it to better than new, cost no object shape.  

The result?  An exceptional example of the marque.  I bought it from the Doctor who after restoring it  took it to Hawaii  where he and his wife drove it sparingly.  Now he is resident in rural Minnesota where he practoces emergency medicine and where the Spitfire season is not like it was in Hawaii, so it mainly sat covered in his garage.  After a lot of soul searching he decided to part with it. 

The time and money he spent was never a question.  He did this because it was his father’s car and he wanted it right. The car was completely nut-and-bolt disassembled, taken to bare metal and whatever was needed was done - and done correctly.  This is not mystery meat - it’s all documented.  The result -  a very sharp and well-sorted example of what is a vanishing breed.  

The paint, chrome, top, interior etc. are so good that I had it brought down to Chicago in an enclosed trailer, but make no mistake, this car is not a trailer-queen.  What it is is a helluva nice vintage Brit roadster with some unobtrusive performance upgrades that make it move.  It is also a very sharp babe-magnet you will want to drive often.  To my mind  it is the biggest bang for a buck you can find in a sports car from that era.  I know because I am driving it locally every day.

The restoration was very complete.  Full disassembly, rust removal and body and frame repair as required,  body stripped to bare metal and then rustproofing, primer and beautiful new paint (the correct red).  All documented.  It has a new complete black interior including new wood for the dash,  pad, top, carpets, seats, panels, wooden steering wheel, dash plaque, etc. Even a new ash tray - all itemized.  (The restorer’s detailed invoice is five pages long plus a folder full of supplemental invoices for additional parts purchases so I didn’t post it here, but I can send a digest to serious bidders via email.)  The car was completely rewired with new looms, had a trans and differntial overhaul, driveline, shocks, complete A-Z brakes and suspension - all new electrics - you name it - it’s all been done.  

The engine has had  a complete teardown and rebuild, plus upgrades. It also has an electronic ignition, a single Mekuni trouble-free carb with K&N air filter,, a very costly Performance Racing exhaust and headers.  It makes about 90 hp - one per cubic inch.  We just put new plugs in it and adjusted the carb, brakes, and corrected a small oil leak at the dipstick. - a typical design fault with Britmobiles of that era.  While we were at it we also put on a new pan gasket, new rear brake wheel cylinders, resurfaced the drums and bled and adjusted the brakes.  We also freed up, cleaned and lubricated the emergency brake cable.  The car starts right off, drives beautifully tracks straight and stops as it should.  

It has a trunk rack,  roll bar and everything works.  It comes with a custom car cover.  I had planned on driving it this summer while restoring my Citroen and doing a few small things over the winter if I was to keep it, like replate the lock strikers, etc.  But since I downsized from a house to a 1920s flat  with a single stall garage I simply don’t have the space to keep it indoors and now my Citroen is back home early from the hospital.

The car is being sold “as is, where is.”  That’s the way I’ve bought and sold 6 vehicles over eBay the last ten years,  sight unseen - from a ‘72 seat school bus I used as a moving vehicle from CA to IL, to two daily driver Sebrings,  an Avanti, a Thunderbird , and my Citroen DS.  I’ve been pleased with each transaction and so have the buyers that bought from me.  This 1975 Triumph Spitfire 1500 is 39 years old on paper, but essentially is an all new car. It’s a great little vintage roadster, a really fun “old school sports car.”  It’s red and it’s ready, so beware - this car is not for the timid.  It really announces itself and draws attention.  

You bid what it’s worth to you.  I won’t give it away but somebody can certainly make a great deal on a very nice car that has had a ton of love, effort and money invested in it.  

Payment is to be by wire transfer or cashier’s check, or cash in person, within seven days. The winning bid is NOT a right of first refusal, but a commitment to purchase the vehicle, period.  No warranty expressed or implied. I require a non-refundable deposit of $1000. via PayPal within 24 hours of the end of the auction, and I will gladly assist with shipping to see it is properly loaded, etc., but it is your responsibility to arrange and pay for pickup of the car. The car is probably going to be listed "for sale" elsewhere so I reserve the right to terminate the listing at any time.  Good luck bidding.