TOM STRONGMAN

The Triumph Spitfire is an interesting little car, not widely known outside of enthusiast ranks. The one owned by Edward Blend, a 1978 1500, is a window into the world of classic British sports cars.

The Spitfire, launched in 1962, was Triumph’s answer to the Austin-Healey Sprite, and it was built on the chassis of a Triumph Herald sedan.

The body was designed by Italian designer Giovanni Michelotti. Codenamed “The Bomb,” the prototype Spitfire was ordered into production in 1961 and the 1962 model had a 1,147 cc engine that delivered 63 horsepower. In order to challenge the Sprite, the Spitfire was given roll-up windows, a wider cockpit and more storage space.

The Spitfire’s independent rear suspension was known for giving the car some unusual handling characteristics when pushed hard. Still, Spitfires came in first and second in their class in the 1965 24 Hours of Le Mans, and the later GT6 model, a fastback coupe, was successful on the track.

Blend’s Spitfire is but one of several enthusiast cars he has had over the years, and several have been English. The list includes a 1959 Triumph TR3, a 1972 Fiat Spider, a 1967 Jaguar XKE coupe, a 1965 Ford Mustang and a 1962 Studebaker Lark Daytona that he bought after he married his wife, Irene.

When Blend acquired his Spitfire about five years ago, the interior was pretty rough and it needed a new top. He installed new upholstery, overhauled the transmission and put in a new clutch. He gave the engine a valve job and installed a Weber carburettor. He added wheels that are reproductions of the Minilite wheels that were so popular in the 1960s and 1970s.

As the associate director of the Kansas City Triumphs sports car club, Blend

likes to take his car to a couple of club shows each year, but he gets more of a kick out of driving it. He said his annual mileage in the Spitfire is often less than 2,000.

While the Spitfire spends most of the time in the garage, Blend has a 2007 Mustang that reminds him a great deal of the 1965 he once owned.