Triumph Spitfire RHD — 1966

The car came to Sweden as early as 1968 with its first English owner as personal effects. The charming story of Phillida Parfitt and her first car can be found further down under "Owner's Comments," along with a list of previous owners. When the current owner purchased the car in 2022, it had been standing since 1991. The previous owner is the one who restored the car in the eighties and who owned it the longest, for almost 36 years. The most recent and final passed inspection was carried out on 2024-06-11.

• Mechanical condition

  The engine, gearbox, clutch, and brakes feel good and work as they should. The engine is a slightly newer unit, from a Mk3. The car is in the same fine condition as after the restoration in the eighties. The current owner has only gone over all hoses, belts, brakes, and the brake master cylinder. The tachometer is not working; it is cable-driven and is not connected.

• Interior condition

  Complete, clean, and tidy. Nice carpets, seats, and door panels. The upholstered headliner on the hardtop is a nice touch. The eighties make an appearance with the radio and speakers.

• Exterior condition

  An older repaint from the eighties that has remained attractive and presentable. The hood with enclosed headlights is a kind of replica from when Triumph raced at Le Mans. The hardtop is fitted with some effort, but a complete and nice soft top with frame is packed away in the trunk.

• General condition

  A fine representative of the model, and moreover with rare, excellent, and pleasing documentation. The right-hand drive is in some way essential to this particular car's identity and history.

Fordonsstatus: Itrafik 2026-03-27
Ursprungsbesiktning: 1968-12-20 (regbes)
Datum i trafik första gången: 1968-12-20
Senast godkända besiktning: 2024-06-11
Besiktningsbefriad: Ja
Skattebefriad: Ja
Körförbud: Nej
Antal ägare: 19

In 1966, Phillida Parfitt (born 1942) stood at the car factory in Coventry, England and took delivery of her very first car—a Triumph Spitfire, factory-new and light blue. But the road there was far from a given. Just a few years earlier she had traveled to Stockholm, young and determined, without knowing anyone, without any guarantees of work, but with the resolve to build a life of her own. In Sweden she quickly found a job, and through her own hard work she saved up and bought her first car, which cost 612 British pounds. When the car was to be collected—ordered through a kind of mail-order arrangement—she arrived at the Triumph factory a few days early. The staff informed her, politely but firmly, that the car was fully built but not ready for delivery. Phillida, with a smile, then played the role of "the confused girl who didn't quite understand what they meant." Shortly thereafter, the factory staff got to work in earnest—and within an hour she had the keys in her hand. "It's good to be a girl sometimes—you get the guys to work a little faster!" she later said with a laugh. "Driving your first car of your own, bought with your own money, was a feeling of pure freedom." After some time in England, Phillida returned to Sweden in 1968, simply because she missed the country. She brought her Spitfire with her, imported as household goods, and paid 1,000 kronor to register the car in Sweden. At the same time, her husband brought along his green Jaguar E-Type, also as household goods. Phillida Parfitt worked in education, including teaching English. She was co-author of the popular textbook "Ready Steady Go," used by many Swedish schoolchildren in the 1960s and 70s. She also worked with the Swedish Educational Broadcasting Company (UR) and participated in several educational projects and programs. Håkan Larsson of Lund owned the car from 1986 to 2022 and carried out a comprehensive nut-and-bolt restoration between 1986 and 1989. The focus was on restoring the mechanicals and functionality without altering the car's appearance. After the restoration, the car was driven sparingly, approximately 2,000 km, before being taken off the road in 1991 when Håkan had children. Throughout his ownership, he stored the car with great care and contributed greatly to its preserved condition today. Ownership History Registered in Sweden: 1968-12-20 First Swedish registration number: BB 11377 (Stockholm County) Date Event Owner / Event Comment 1968-12-20 First owner in Sweden Phillida Parfitt, Ekerö (b. 1942) Owner #1 – approx. 14 months 1970-03-04 Traded in at AB Bilia, Stockholm 1970-03-13 Traded in at AB L.D.S. Bilar, Stockholm 1970-04-07 New owner Erol Baykal, Stockholm (b. 1937) Owner #2 – approx. 7 months 1970-11-04 New owner Nils Aron Eklund, Stockholm (b. 1932) Owner #3 – approx. 3 months 1971-02-07 Sold to Håkan Orrbäck, Göteborg 1971-04-23 New owner Tommy Johansson, Västra Frölunda (b. 1944) Owner #4 – approx. 3 months New registration number: OB 8917 (Göteborg and Bohus County) Date Event Owner / Event Comment 1971-07-22 Traded in at Friggeråkers Bil AB, Falköping 1971-07-26 New owner Kent Arvidsson, Falköping Owner #5 – approx. 8 months 1972-03-27 Traded in at Bilco Lars Larsson AB, Falköping 1972-06-12 New owner Hans Weberg, Karlsborg (b. 1946) Owner #6 – approx. 1 month 1972-07-21 Traded in at Bilco Lars Larsson AB, Falköping New national registration number: BBJ 847 Date Event Owner / Event Comment 1972-10-02 New owner Johan C:son von Horn, Skövde (b. 1948) Owner #7 – approx. 10 months 1973-08-27 New owner Kjell Persson, Eslöv (b. 1952) Owner #8 – approx. 3 months 1973-11-28 Traded in at Auto-Lindén i Malmö AB NOTE: The ownership history between 1974 and 1985 is partially unknown. Date Event Owner / Event Comment 1985-10-30 Paint and body service Helsingborg 1985-12-27 Traded in at Per Larssons Bil HB, Staffanstorp 1986-05-29 New owner Roland Hagen, Vellinge (b. 1965) Owner #9 – approx. 2 months 1986-08-11 New owner Håkan Larsson, Lund (b. 1962) Owner #10 – 430 months Most recent owner: Date Event Owner / Event Comment 2022-06-27 New owner David Winbro, Långås (b. 1991) Owner #11 (19th according to the Swedish Transport Agency)

BMC had shown how to easily build a small and affordable sports car, a sports car for the people, based on standard components when they transformed an ordinary Austin A35 into the perky Austin-Healey Sprite. Triumph was confident it could repeat that success and build a sports car based on its new small car, the Herald. Giovanni Michelotti had designed a handsome open body as early as 1957, and since the Herald had a separate frame, it was easy to swap the standard body for a sports car body. The engine was tuned with the help of twin carburetors, and in October 1962 production of the Spitfire began. To keep the price down, the car was simple in its execution, but that was something customers appreciated. Less popular was the tricky swing axle at the rear, also an inheritance from the Herald. In a tired family car, the rear suspension worked reasonably well, but it had the infamous characteristic known as "wheel tuck," where the rear wheels folded in under the car during hard cornering or sudden lift-off, which could cause the rear end to suddenly lose grip. The Spitfire endured much criticism for its handling during spirited driving. In November 1970, the Mark IV model arrived with a new rear end, a more attractive dashboard, and a fully synchronized gearbox. Most appreciated of all, however, was a modified rear suspension, which eliminated the worst effects of the swing axle's characteristics.

Location: Långås

For viewing the vehicle, contact the inspector/case manager:

Peter Sundfeldt
+46 705-38 80 22
peter@bilwebauctions.se

Collection must take place before: 2026-10-14.

NOTE! Payment (deposit to our account) must be made within 5 days and before collection.