Father in law bought it on eBay drunk a couple of years ago and then realised that classic car ownership was more than putting the roof down and going to the beach on a nice sunny day.
Knew I was into cars and confidently proclaimed that it was now as much mine as his. Which is a really lovely gesture.
Except I wish I could have had had a say in it, because I would have rather the Stag for the childhood nostalgia of my uncle's.
There was once a time when Spitfires were quite common, plenty showing up at car shows and such, but they seem to be quite a rarity now. In fact I'm not sure the last time I saw one of any Mk in the flesh other than my own.
Anyway,, here she is. The Spitty.
Thanks for the write-up! He's been leaning towards the 124 and that last paragraph really cemented his decision lol.
Funny that cars produced in the same years can have one considered modern and the other old!
My bad, I was thinking you were talking about the new 124!
I think both are probably comparable in their mechanical and electrical simplicity. The 124 is more lusted after, it's Italian after all. Personally, it it were my money I think the 124 would be the one I'd go for. It's a bit more exotic. Looks a little bit Ferarri-ish with the PinaFarina name.
They are pretty dang rare though, depending on your market. I'm UK and I don't think there's any for sale here at the moment, at least not on the mainstream classifieds.
If you can afford the 124, go for it. A Spitfire is interesting, it's playful, but it's just another British 60s/70s little sports car in a market of Sprites, MGBs, Midgets and TR2//3/4/5/6s.
By all accounts, the 124 was far more pioneering and ahead of it's time. It's a much more drivable car according to what people seem to say. But the Spitfire can be a bit more nimble and go-karty.