Some cars are meant to be perfect–they’re simply born that way. Just look at some of the past winners of the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.
The chrome-plated detail dripping from the rebodied Isotta Fraschini Tipo 8A simply demands to be fussed over. Speaking of fussing, Scaglietti labored over every sweeping inch of aluminum while sculpting his one-of-a-kind Ferrari 375 MM …
Always nice to see a car that doesn't financially warrant restoration get the treatment. We had an almost perfectly restored Austin Cambridge around here - real nostalgia car.
The minute I saw that car I fell in love and decided we needed to write about it. The history of it being his dad's car and him autocrossing it in the sixties was so cool.
Boy Wonder wrote: Fresh off the showroom floor, this Spitfire won the Texas regional championships in 1964 and ’65, along with Carroll Shelby’s Terlingua Challenge in 1967.
Competitive provenance.
In reply to Tom Suddard:
My first car that I paid for myself was a 1968 Triumph Spitfire Mk3 that I purchased used for $1200. as a 19 yr old in 1971. Had to get my dad to co-sign the loan. I think my monthly payment was about $35. or so a month for three years. Quite a hefty sum for a college student back then. The car later became my first race car in F Production. Even if I won the lottery and could afford a Ferrari, there will always be a special place in my heart for Spitfires.
I love the car and the story behind it. It looks a lot like mine, but wwwwaaaayyyyyyyy better.
I see its a 100 point car, but if I am not mistaken, it has a later steering wheel. How is that a 100 point car? Not trying to be a dick, just trying to learn something.
How many points would your typical Spitfire get when it was sitting new on the showroom floor? 
<- Owner of several old British cars
That car looks gorgeous.
This car sure is a BEAUTY!!
1st Car I bought was a 1962 (1st Year) Spitfire for $600. That car enabled me to learn to drive a manual and how to work on cars (trial & error). Was a blast when running and I once drove it 40 miles on the side of interstate 65 with a broke crankshaft. Made it home and the crank just fell apart when I removed the oil pan. The only thing that had to be replaced was a thrust washer (and of course a new crank). The rebuilt engine lasted for years and I gave it away after the 74 spit I put it in rusted away. Hears a picture of the 62 (Notice the 64 1/2 Ford Falcon 13" hubcaps)...
Keith,
You would be shocked how badly any new car from back in the day, would do at a concours event!
How many points would your typical Spitfire get when it was sitting new on the showroom floor?
Keith, the local Jag club had their JCNA qualified judges take a new Jag off the show room floor and judged it as if at a concours. I recall that it got something like low 90s (a concours Jag might as well stay home if it can't apporach a 96 or so.
The show room cars have all the usual orange peel in paint, overspray on stuff in the engine bay, incorrectly located hose clamps etc. that would need to be spiffed up before they would score well at a concours.
I recall back in the old days a new member that bought brand new XJS from the dealer, had it cleaned by the dealer prep guys and delivered to the show site by trailer. He was extremely pissed off when the judges gave the car something like a 93 - guess he was expecting a 100?
Although I judged concours for MGs for years, actually preparing cars for that sort of thing was always a tad to anal retentive for me and the only reason I'd bother entering a car was so I had a place to park my car on the grass while wandering around looking at everything else!
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