Car Lust

Triumph's Spitfire & GT6

by That Car Guy

This is the car I wanted 30+ years ago, so much that I still have this brochure I got from the dealer when it was new. I was 19, full of vinegar (And other things), and needed an "image" car. The Mustang II I had was fun, but I wanted something more sophistimacated and sexy. Still crazy after all these years, I finally got a 2001 Miata a while back, the closest thing to a Spitfire I could find that might run a while before needing any major service or ruining my bank account. Somehow, both of my dream roadsters turned out to be British Racing Green with tan interiors and real wood steering wheels. Brooklands Green is shown in the 1977 brochure here.

Why a Spitfire? What made it different from, say, an MGB, Triumph TR6, MG Midget, or a Fiat X-19? Well, for me, three things: 1) It had a full independent suspension, the only Brit car of this class to do so. Also, a perfect 50/50 front/rear weight ratio for great balance. 2) The bonnet and wings rose together, giving full access for engine, chassis, and electrical service, which was usually a bit too often. 3) The car also had real wood on the dash, quite unique in a car like this. I live in a rural area with small, twisty roads, and a muscle car would be as out of place here as a stretched Escalade limousine in downtown Tokyo.

The car was designed by Giovanni Michelotti and introduced in 1962 to compete with the Austin-Healey Sprite. The $2,199 Triumph Spitfire 4 Mark I (1962-1965) had an 1147cc engine, cranking out 63 horsepower. All Spitfires were 4-speeds, overdrive was first offered in 1964, and the car had front disc brakes from Day One! The Spitfire Mark II (1965-1967) had the same engine, but was upped to 67 ponies with a new camshaft.

The Spitfire Mark III (1967-1970) brought the 1296cc powerplant from the Triumph Herald and 1300 saloons, and the Spitfire Mark IV (1970-1974) kept this engine. Horsepower figures vary (48 to 75) from year to year and country to country. The Mark IV received all-new body panels, also designed by Mr. Michelotti.

The Spitfire 1500 (1974-1980) had a 1493cc mill with a desperate 57 horses. It sold, base price, for $5,995 in its last year (A 1980 Pontiac Firebird was $5,992). These were the heaviest Spitfires... 1,875 pounds, including federally-mandated 5 MPH crash bumpers and reinforcements.

All these cars had the 83-inch wheelbase, and initially had center-mounted gauges to easily facilitate either left- or right-hand-drive. Thankfully, the dash evolved into the pleasant "Federal" (USA) form shown here in 1969. Interior options and comforts were few. Radios, map lights, removable hardtop, tonneau cover, even wire wheels were offered for a while. Air conditioning? No way.

What amazes me about the Miata is that it has things unheard of on these now-vintage Triumphs... cruise control, power windows, power door locks, remote this-and-that, just to name a few, not to mention the respected Japanese reliability. The 2001 and later Miatas also have almost twice the power of any stock Spitfire.

There were three generations of "hardtop" Spitfires (Top to bottom): the GT6, GT6 MK2, and GT6 MK3. Introduced in 1966, the cars had the 2.0-litre 95-hp 6-cylinder from the Triumph Vitesse to power the extra weight of the hardtop.

It was called "The poor man's E-Type" since the GT6 also had a hatch. A small rear seat was optional, it had a longer and taller hood for the larger engine, and the doors had vent windows and square glass corners. Inside, the cars had a real wood dash, instruments, and a heater, all standard.

In 1969, the GT6 MK2 (Called the GT6 Plus in America) had 104 horsepower, a raised front bumper, new dash, a 2-speed heater fan, and a black headliner. Engine cooling vents appeared in the sides of the hood. I have to wonder why this engine wasn't in the lighter, topless Spitfire... it would have been a screamer!

A year later, the GT6 MK3 produced an all-new body shell with a new front face, flush door handles, and a new taillight treatment. This model was also designed by Mr. Michelotti, and similar to the Triumph Stag, which he also designed. Slippery vinyl seat covers were replaced with a classy cloth, and wire wheels were no longer offered. In 1973 the car received power brakes; this was the last year for the GT6 series. 0-60 took 10.1 seconds. In all, 41,253 GT6s were made.

The last Spitfire 1500 was built in August, 1980, even though the 1500 series was their best seller - 95,829 were made, compared to 45,763 for the original Mark I. Sadly, like the MGB and others, efforts to meet bumper and emissions requirements hurt both handling and power.

The car was raised by using taller springs to lift the body to bumper height standards. Buh-bye, low center of gravity. The engine was detuned for cleaner emissions with a lower 7.5:1 compression ratio, a single-barrel carburetor, EGR, and a catalytic converter. Only 53 horses stayed, and the car went from 0-60 in 14.3 seconds. Hang on now! The '79 and '80 models had full black bumpers that increased the car's length by 8.5 inches.

But these changes are not what killed the 1500. After the GT6 was cancelled in 1973, the Spitfire continued, but didn't share any pieces with any other car. This was not cost-effective. British Leyland became cash-strapped, so they decided to save money by dropping the car altogether. 314,342 Spitfires had been made from 1962 to 1980.

So how close does a Miata come to a Spitfire? Well, according to "How Things Work", Mazda used a Spitfire body over the Miata's chassis during development.

I guess, even after 30+ years, you can still come home.

--That Car Guy (Chuck)

P.S. If you click these images, they become larger. Details are a lot easier to see, especially in the brochure photos.

The Spitfire brochure is a survivor from the 1970s. The second image is from stormbear+flickr.com. The interior photo is from TriumphSpitfire.com, and the Triumph GT6 photo is from 2000GT.net. Wikipedia provided some of the Spitfire and GT6 history here. "How Stuff Works" gave other Spitfire info.

Mazda Miata

Submitted by Chuck Lynch

I didn't find this car, it found me. I could never have located one like it, they are too rare. But about three years ago a little cash came my way, and with the big 5-0 right on the horizon it was time to find something sporty, small, and red. The final three choices came down to a new Mustang, Acura RSX, or MX-5 Miata. All red.

Time to go a-lookin'. Our local Blue Oval Ford dealer told me that unless I was ready to buy their car that day, they did not have time to talk to me. The last red RSX our Acura dealer would ever have had 400 miles on it, which I consider to be a demo, and they would not deal. And the Mazda dealer also thought highly of their cars; I simply would not pay $30,000 for a Miata.

Off to the classifieds and other used car sources. I was rethinking the red theme, too. Did I really want to attract that much attention? Then I saw one on the road ... a dark metallic green Miata, a few years old. Classy, I thought. When I picked up a local events paper and scanned the used-car listings, there it was--a green Miata with a six-speed. It had low miles (33,000) and was in good shape. The price was good, too.

The next day, I gave the owners a call. Trekking into Nashville is never fun--the town has grown, but the roads haven't. I finally found their house, right in the flight path of the airport, and the guy was more than honest about the car. He showed me every minute scratch he knew of, said his girlfriend needed a larger car for traffic (I agreed totally), and we came to a quick agreement over the price. The next day, he even personally delivered the car to my house, nearly 45 minutes away. I didn't know exactly what the car was when I bought it, and he obviously didn't know what he had either.

It is a 2001 Miata MX-5 SE (Special Edition), Number 1,610 of 3,000 made. As far as Miatas go, this thing is loaded! British Racing Green, fender badges, tan leather seats, tan floor mats with BRG 'Miata Special Edition' embroidery, 6-speed transmission, air conditioning, power steering, power brakes, power windows, cruise control, Bose AM/FM/Single CD, power antenna, power mirrors, remote entry and trunk release, fog lights, wind blocker, cargo net, rear defroster, 16' polished aluminum wheels, NARDI wood steering wheel, shifter knob, and hand brake lever, plastic wood dash trim, 2 cup holders (can't get along without cupholders!), and a larger polished exhaust tip. As far as I know, it's only lacking two options: ABS and a cassette player; I prefer the dash storage bin over a cassette player.

To date, 26 months later, I've put 9,000 miles on the SE. I've done a few cosmetic repairs, as it would have been in better shape had I bought it new. A new lower driver's seat cover ($250) from Mazda looks much better than what came with the car; I'm not a fan of the longevity of leather seats. There are some nice aftermarket parts available, so I added console/interior lights, a trunk light, and side marker lights in the red quarter panel reflectors. I hope the top lasts another couple of years, there's a tiny ping in the hood, and the windshield is showing some small chips. Other than that, the car is in pretty good shape going on eight years old.

After having the car for nearly a year, I turned a corner at a red light one night, and all of a sudden, the interior of the car was filled with an eerie green glow. Seems one of the previous owners had decided green neon lighting looked cool with the tan trim (It does not), and the system, once broken, had fixed itself for no apparent reason. Needless to say, all remnants of the lighting were removed the next day, restoring the car to its deserved level of dignity.

I get tempted to sell from time to time to trade, but I know I would always regret turning this car loose. It's special, it found me, and it has a good home. Like a good pet, it doesn't eat much, is always faithful, never leaves a mess, and is, ahem, rather cute. Oh, by the way, I looked up the value of the car recently--it's worth $25 more than I gave for it.

--Chuck Lynch

Posted in Car Lust, Our Cars, Sports Cars 4 blog reactions | Email this post |

The next day, I gave the owners a call. Trekking into Nashville is never fun--the town has grown, but the roads haven't. I finally found their house, right in the flight path of the airport, and the guy was more than honest about the car. He showed me every minute scratch he knew of, said his girlfriend needed a larger car for traffic (I agreed totally), and we came to a quick agreement over the price. The next day, he even personally delivered the car to my house, nearly 45 minutes away. I didn't know exactly what the car was when I bought it, and he obviously didn't know what he had either.

It is a 2001 Miata MX-5 SE (Special Edition), Number 1,610 of 3,000 made. As far as Miatas go, this thing is loaded! British Racing Green, fender badges, tan leather seats, tan floor mats with BRG 'Miata Special Edition' embroidery, 6-speed transmission, air conditioning, power steering, power brakes, power windows, cruise control, Bose AM/FM/Single CD, power antenna, power mirrors, remote entry and trunk release, fog lights, wind blocker, cargo net, rear defroster, 16' polished aluminum wheels, NARDI wood steering wheel, shifter knob, and hand brake lever, plastic wood dash trim, 2 cup holders (can't get along without cupholders!), and a larger polished exhaust tip. As far as I know, it's only lacking two options: ABS and a cassette player; I prefer the dash storage bin over a cassette player.

To date, 26 months later, I've put 9,000 miles on the SE. I've done a few cosmetic repairs, as it would have been in better shape had I bought it new. A new lower driver's seat cover ($250) from Mazda looks much better than what came with the car; I'm not a fan of the longevity of leather seats. There are some nice aftermarket parts available, so I added console/interior lights, a trunk light, and side marker lights in the red quarter panel reflectors. I hope the top lasts another couple of years, there's a tiny ping in the hood, and the windshield is showing some small chips. Other than that, the car is in pretty good shape going on eight years old.

After having the car for nearly a year, I turned a corner at a red light one night, and all of a sudden, the interior of the car was filled with an eerie green glow. Seems one of the previous owners had decided green neon lighting looked cool with the tan trim (It does not), and the system, once broken, had fixed itself for no apparent reason. Needless to say, all remnants of the lighting were removed the next day, restoring the car to its deserved level of dignity.

I get tempted to sell from time to time to trade, but I know I would always regret turning this car loose. It's special, it found me, and it has a good home. Like a good pet, it doesn't eat much, is always faithful, never leaves a mess, and is, ahem, rather cute. Oh, by the way, I looked up the value of the car recently--it's worth $25 more than I gave for it.

--Chuck Lynch

The Munster Koach and the Drag-u-la

by That Car Guy

Two hilarious monster-themed TV shows, "The Addams Family" and "The Munsters", premiered and expired the same two weeks of the same two years (1964-1966). Both were in black & white. Each had their audience, and you were either a "Munsters" fan or an "Addams Family" fan, or both. I liked them both, but I guess I was more of a "Munsters" fan, primarily because they had The Munster Koach.

George Barris is a genius. By creating custom cars like the Batmobile, Monkeemobile, and The Beverly Hillbillies' truck, if somebody wanted a cool custom vehicle for a TV show or movie, Barris Kustom Cars was the place to call. Mr. Barris was also wise enough to retain ownership rights to some of his vehicles and just rent them to the studios, guaranteeing him rights for displays, models, and other rewards.

Built in less than 30 days from three fiberglass Model T Fords, the Koach has the driver's seat up front for Herman and Lilly, a center laboratory for Grandpa, and a rear overhanging couch for Eddie and poor Marilyn, the only "abnormal" one of the bunch. Total seating is eight, though Herman in costume was seven feet tall, and could not enter or exit the car on camera. He had to drive it in regular shoes instead of his costume.

The Koach also has a brass tombstone-shaped radiator, carriage lamps, landau bars, a 300-hp 289 Ford Cobra V-8, Anson Astro wheels with Mickey Thompson rear slicks, and a 133-inch wheelbase, nearly identical to the Maybach 57.

Casket handles on the front, step bars, parlor curtains, and the family crest on the second of the three doors complete the comically-creepy car's character.

Here's a couple of stories from the archives: One time during filming, Fred Gwynne (Herman) hijacked the Munster Koach with the whole cast, everybody in full costume, of course. They drove down the freeway and onto Lankersheim, into the heart of Hollywood, and got many looks from the public. I can't help but wonder if that happened today, if anybody would notice.

Another time, they were in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade with George Barris driving the Koach. Fred and Al Lewis (Grandpa) were riding in back, and it was so cold that Fred had a bottle. After a while in the parade they rounded a corner, and his comment to that live camera is not printable on this page.

"Car 54, Where Are You?", teamed Fred Gwynne and Al Lewis as Officers Francis Muldoon and Leo Schnauser from 1961-1963. It was based in a fictional NYPD 53rd Precinct in The Bronx. Lilly Munster was played by Yvonne DeCarlo, TV's Marilyn Munster was played by Beverly Owen (First thirteen shows) and Pat Priest. The two have never met. Eddie was Butch Patrick. Spot played Spot, their pet dinosaur who lived under the staircase.

In an episode titled "Hot Rod Herman", Herman lost the Koach in a bet with a faster drag-racer. To win the family car back, Grandpa built a dragster out of a coffin. In the end, they wound up with both cars, and the Drag-u-la is seen in the closing credits of the second season.

The Drag-u-la has a Dragmaster chassis, a 289 cid 350-hp Mustang V-8, 4-speed stick, and dragster slicks mounted on polished Rader 5-spoke wheels. On the front, English Speedsport wire wheels have mounted Italian motorcycle tires. With the upturned organ pipe exhaust, Grandpa says it's the only dragster in America that can play "Oh, Promise Me" in second gear.

Getting the casket for the car was, well, another story. Seems they went to buy a damaged casket, but the undertaker would not sell one to him since he wasn't dead. As soon as the funeral director left, they "appropriated" a casket, leaving the cash behind for payment.

CBS thought that after only two years and 70 episodes, "Monster Humor" had ran its course. Judging by over 40 years of "Munster" sequels and countless reruns, they may have been mistaken. The Munsters made a 1966 movie, "Munster Go Home" in color. It flopped. Somehow the green skin makeup just was not believable.

A TV movie was made featuring most of the original cast and, of course, the Koach. "The Munsters' Revenge" premiered on February 27 1981, and was, well, not received. That attempt to bring the show back to the small screen was not successful.

Other "Munsters" productions have been made with new stories and new actors. In 1988, "The Munsters Today" (aka "The New Munsters") premiered, and ran for three years and 66 episodes, almost as many as the original! 1995 brought us a Halloween TV movie "Here Come The Munsters", and a year later, "The Munsters' Scary Little Christmas".

Somehow, I don't think we've heard the last of the residents of 1313 Mockingbird Lane.

As usual with popular Barris Cars, several copies (Four total) of the Koach were made. In 1984, one of them sold for $36,000. The latest one was made for in 1995 for "Here Come The Munsters".

Here's a rare color photo of The Munsters and their Koach. Please enjoy!

--That Car Guy (Chuck)

All photos and most technical information for this post are from Stephen Cox's "The Munsters - A Trip Down Mockingbird Lane", and a few bits I remember from the show. Wikipedia was a source as well.

MG Midget & Spridget

by That Car Guy

Everybody knows that MG stands for "Morris Garages". But what's the difference between an 1961 Austin Healey Sprite Mark III and a 1961 MG Midget? Well, I was surprised recently when I read that they are basically one and the same - so much so that they are often called "Spridgets". A slightly nicer interior, vertical grille bars, and MG badges were all that separated them. The Sprite is shown here.

These cars were made for nearly 20 years without any real significant body changes except for wheel arches, windshield curving, and better-operating convertible tops. Engines and chassis bits were upgraded, and the improvements seemed to leap frog the Midget's main competitor, the Triumph Spitfire, back and forth.

But the MG Midget has been with us for quite a while! This 1949 MG TC Midget Roadster (Made from 1945-1949) is the first British car to make significant inroads into the United States. American servicemen returning from Europe after WWII liked the light, nimble, and sporty MG. It has a 1250cc 4-cylinder, a 4-speed manual, and tops out at 78 mph. They were made from 1945-1949, 10,000 were made, and they cost 528 Sterling Pounds when new.

Though relatively small, this car made a trip up Pike's Peak with four people on board!

I remember MG Midgets from high school days. Please accept these as approximate used sports car prices in the mid 1970s: MG Midgets sold for around $1,400, an MGB at that time would go for about $3,000; a TR6 around $3,000. A good Spitfire would fetch $1,500, and a Porsche 914 was about $4,000. This was fairly big money back then, as a brand new base 1974 Mustang II was $2895.

The MG Midget MkI (1961-1964) was introduced with a 948cc engine, twin SU carburetors, 46 horsepower, with drum brakes all around. In October, 1962, the engine became 1098cc with 56 horses, and disc brakes were installed on the front to compete with the Spitfire. Wire wheels became an option, and 16,080 MkIs were made. Again, an Austin-Healey Sprite with badge engineering.

The MG Midget MkII (1964-1966) saw significant changes! The doors were greatly improved with crank-up windows, swiveling quarter lights (We Americans called them vent windows), and external handles and locks. The windshield received a slight curve, and semi-elliptical rear springs were fitted. The power was bumped up to 59 horsepower, and 26,601 were made.

For 1966, the MG Midget MkIII (1966-1974) got the best thing you can have on a convertible... an easier, permanently-attached folding roof! It also got a 1275cc engine, but only 65 ponies. The 1969 MkIIIs came with black-painted grilles and lower body sills, and "Rubery Owen Restyle" wheels were standard (Wire wheels were still optional). 1972 MkIIIs had round wheel arches, a Triumph steering rack, and a second muffler. 100,246 were made over the eight-year model run.

The MG Midget 1500 (1974-1980) did the unthinkable. It used a Triumph Spitfire 1500 engine till its last days because of strict American pollution requirements. Although MG and Triumph had merged in 1968, they were still rivals.

The Midget 1500 received black "rubber" bumpers, the A-Series Spitfire engine, the Morris 4-speed transmission, and the rear wheel openings returned to a square shape for body strengthening. 73,899 Midget 1500s were made, the last ones for the UK market were black.

Like the MGB, TR6, and Spitfire, American regulations damaged the spirit of these sports cars. They had to be raised to meet bumper requirements, then detuned to meet emissions specs. To balance power and emissions, the MG Midget used the Spitfire's 1493cc engine and transmission from 1974 to the last car on December 7, 1979. Some fans claimed heresy, others saw it as the only way the car could survive.

Somewhat inversely to production models, MG Midgets were lowered to the ground as much as possible for racing. An ingenious method was to enclose the exhaust system into the drive shaft tube, lowering the car from 4-5 inches to 1.75 inches off the ground.

This car competed in SCCA Class "F" and was so light, it needed 150 pounds of ballast to meet the minimum weight requirements. It has a dry-sump 1275cc engine that makes 140 horsepower, with a top speed of 135 miles per hour.

Originally modified by BHP Developments in 1990, the car has a front motor mount made from sandwiched aluminum that ties the steering rack and front suspension together for added vehicle rigidity.

Jeff Lane, owner of The Lane Motor Museum in Nashville, raced this car. It was retired, then restored to perfect running condition by Chuck Callis.

A lot can be said about a car that lasts almost 20 years and still looks fresh without major redesigns. Timeless? Proper? Maybe done right from the beginning? Nearly 30 years after the car ceased production, it still has hordes of loyal followers.

According to Wikipedia: "On May 24, 2008, the Official UK Golden Anniversary of the introduction of the Austin Healey Sprite, "Spridget 50 - The Big Party" was held at the British Heritage Motor Centre at Gaydon, Warwickshire. Up to 1,000 Sprites, Midgets, and derivatives were in attendance - a record number. The event was jointly organised and promoted by the UK's Midget and Sprite Club, Healey Drivers Club, MG Owners Club, Austin Healey Club, and MG Car Club - the first time an event of this size has been supported by all of the marque-representing clubs. More information and many photographs at http://spridget50.org/index.php."

There is an attempt to revive the car. A version of the Smart Car Roadster may be built with the MG Midget name. Introduced in 2003 and ending in 2005, the Roadster weighs 1,742 lbs, has 81 horsepower (Except for Brabus special editions with 101 horsepower), and costs nearly the same as an MX-5 Miata.

The Roadster is based on a stretched Smart Fortwo, and offers either a solid Targa top or electrically-retractable soft top. Top Gear named the Roadster the Fun Car Of The Year in 2005..

I'm hoping the new one receives the support and success of the original.

--That Car Guy (Chuck)

"Hemmings Sports & Exotic Car" magazine (February, 2009) supplied some technical details, Wikipedia and Google gave specifications and images. The Lane Motor Museum in Nashville, Tennessee, exhibited the 1949 MG TC Midget and racing Midget.

Triumph's Spitfire and GT6

by That Car Guy

This is the car I wanted 30+ years ago, so much that I still have this brochure I got from the dealer when it was new. I was 19, full of vinegar (And other things), and needed an "image" car. The Mustang II I had was fun, but I wanted something more sophistimacated and sexy. Still crazy after all these years, I finally got a 2001 Miata a while back, the closest thing to a Spitfire I could find that might run a while before needing any major service or ruining my bank account. Somehow, both of my dream roadsters turned out to be British Racing Green with tan interiors and real wood steering wheels. Brooklands Green is shown in the 1977 brochure here.

Why a Spitfire? What made it different from, say, an MGB, Triumph TR6, MG Midget, or a Fiat X-19? Well, for me, three things: 1) It had a full independent suspension, the only British car of this class to do so. Also, a perfect 50/50 front/rear weight ratio for great balance. 2) The bonnet and wings rose together, giving full access for engine, chassis, and electrical service, which was usually a bit too often. 3) The car also had real wood on the dash, quite unique in a car like this. I live in a rural area with small, twisty roads, and a muscle car would be as out of place here as a stretched Escalade limousine in downtown Tokyo.

The car was designed by Giovanni Michelotti and introduced in 1962 to compete with the Austin-Healey Sprite. The $2,199 Triumph Spitfire 4 Mark I (1962-1965) had an 1147cc engine, cranking out 63 horsepower. All Spitfires were 4-speeds, overdrive was first offered in 1964, and the car had front disc brakes from Day One! The Spitfire Mark II (1965-1967) had the same engine, but was upped to 67 ponies with a new camshaft.

The Spitfire Mark III (1967-1970) brought the 1296cc powerplant from the Triumph Herald and 1300 saloons, and the Spitfire Mark IV (1970-1974) kept this engine. Horsepower figures vary (48 to 75) from year to year and country to country. The Mark IV received all-new body panels, also designed by Mr. Michelotti.

The Spitfire 1500 (1974-1980) had a 1493cc mill with a desperate 57 horses. It sold, base price, for $5,995 in its last year (A 1980 Pontiac Firebird was $5,992). These were the heaviest Spitfires... 1,875 pounds, including federally-mandated 5 MPH crash bumpers and reinforcements.

All these cars had the 83-inch wheelbase, and initially had center-mounted gauges to easily build either left- or right-hand-drive. Thankfully, the dash evolved into the pleasant "Federal" (USA) form shown here in 1969. Interior options and comforts were few. Radios, map lights, removable hardtop, tonneau cover, even wire wheels were offered for a while. Air conditioning? No way.

What amazes me about the Miata is that it has things unheard of on these now-vintage Triumphs... cruise control, power windows, power door locks, remote this-and-that, just to name a few, not to mention the respected Japanese reliability. The 2001 and later Miatas also have almost twice the power of any stock Spitfire.

There were three generations of "hardtop" Spitfires (Top to bottom): the GT6, GT6 MK2, and GT6 MK3. Introduced in 1966, the cars had the 2.0-litre 95-hp 6-cylinder from the Triumph Vitesse to power the extra weight of the hardtop.

It was called "The poor man's E-Type" since the GT6 also had a hatch. A small rear seat was optional, it had a longer and taller hood for the larger engine, and the doors had vents and square glass corners. Inside, the cars had a real wood dash, instruments, and a heater, all standard.

In 1969, the GT6 MK2 (Called the GT6 Plus in America) had 104 horsepower, a raised front bumper, new dash, a 2-speed heater fan, and a black headliner. Engine cooling vents appeared in the sides of the hood. I have to wonder why this engine wasn't in the lighter, topless Spitfire... it would have been a screamer!

A year later, the GT6 MK3 produced an all-new body shell with a new front face, flush door handles, and a new taillight treatment. This model was also designed by Mr. Michelotti, and similar to the Triumph Stag, which he also designed. Slippery vinyl seat covers were replaced with classy cloth, and wire wheels were no longer offered. In 1973 the car received power brakes, and this was the last year for the GT6 series. 0-60 took 10.1 seconds. In all, 41,253 GT6s were made.

The last Spitfire 1500 was built in August, 1980, even though the 1500 series was their best seller - 95,829 were made, compared to 45,763 for the original Mark I. Sadly, like the MGB and others, efforts to meet bumper and emissions requirements hurt both handling and power.

The car was raised by using taller springs to lift the body to bumper height standards. Buh-bye, low center of gravity. The engine was detuned for cleaner emissions with a lower 7.5:1 compression ratio, a single-barrel carburetor, EGR, and a catalytic converter. Only 53 horses stayed, and the car went from 0-60 in 14.3 seconds. Hang on now! The '79 and '80 models had full black bumpers that increased the car's length by 8.5 inches.

But these changes are not what killed the 1500. After the GT6 was cancelled in 1973, the Spitfire continued, but didn't share any pieces with any other car. This was not cost-effective. British Leyland became cash-strapped, so they decided to save money by dropping the car altogether. 314,342 Spitfires had been made from 1962 to 1980.

So how close does a Miata come to a Spitfire? Well, according to "How Things Work", Mazda used a Spitfire body over the Miata's chassis during development.

I guess, even after 30+ years, you can still come home.

--That Car Guy (Chuck)

Google Images supplied the open-hood Spitfire, dash, and GT6 pictures. The Spitfire brochure is a survivor from the 1970s. Wikipedia provided some of the Spitfire and GT6 history here. "How Stuff Works" gave other Spitfire info.

The Batmobile (1966)

by That Car Guy

"Quick, Robin, to the Batpoles!" Whoosh!  "Atomic batteries to power... turbines to speed". The hidden cave door drops, a sign falls, and it's 14 miles to Gotham City. "Da da da da da da da da da... 'BATMAN'!"

There have been "Batman" cartoons and comic books and TV shows and movies, but the one vehicle that carried the Dynamic Duo and won the popularity vote is George Barris' 1966 TV Batmobile. Originally a car show concept car, a 1955 Lincoln Futura was the donor vehicle for the Batmobile.

There would be 3 more copies later, built from fiberglass molds onto stretched Ford Galaxie frames for public displays and such. Ghia of Italy built the Futura; it was used in "It Started With A Kiss" with Debbie Reynolds and Glenn Ford.

The Futura was sold to Mr. Barris for the whopping sum of one dollar, since Ford had no use for it and was storing it at Mr. Barris' shop anyway. The 21-day conversion included enlarging the tailfins, black paint, red trim, red flashing lights, new headlight fins, and new Bat-trim.

Wayne Enterprises (and Hollywood) added a high-energy Bat-beam, Bat-ray, nose-mounted chain cutter, direct connection to the Batcomputer in the Batcave, a mobile Batphone, Bat-zooka, Bat-tering ram, a portable inflatable Batmobile, and parachutes for the much-anticipated Bat-turns. A mobile "Batmobile Parachute Pickup Service" van would immediately dispatch and retrieve the discarded silk after each daring traffic maneuver. "Holy turn-on-a-dime, Batman!"

The first appearance of a Batmobile was in Detective Comics #27, May, 1939. Since then, the Batmobiles have reflected the trends and technology of the times, including today's armored vehicle and Batpod. But the 1966 show was so far over the top with crazy gadgets and camp humor that this car remains the favorite of most Batfans.

Premiering on January 12, 1966, "BATMAN" changed TV forever. Color television was new, and this show made the most of it! There were three seasons before the show was cancelled by ABC. There would have been a fourth season and hopefully beyond, but the sets were bulldozed before word came down that NBC wanted the show. Between the first and second season, the "BATMAN" movie was released, introducing us to the Batboat, Batcycle, and Batcopter. The higher film budget allowed these vehicles to be built, and footage from the movie was inserted into the series from time to time.

Anybody who was anybody wanted to be on the show. Sammy Davis Jr. (Shown here), Vincent Price, Eartha Kitt, Ethyl Merman, Cesar Romero... the list goes on. From campy guest roles as villains to cameos in a skyscraper window, big names would beg their agents to be on "BATMAN".

A question has come up as to why many of the scenes were filmed tilted. The producers later replied that the crooks were crooked, so the scenes were lensed crooked as well. The fight scenes may be best remembered with comic superimpositions like "CRAAACK!", "FLRBBBBB!", "WHACK-ETH!", and "ZOWIE!".

At first, the show was on twice a week, with a deadly cliffhanger sure to make you come back and see their daring escape (Same Bat-Time, Same Bat-Channel!). Good thing Batman kept a can of Bat-Carousel-Reversing Spray handy in his utility belt at all times, as well as the Universal, All-Purpose Bat-Antidote.

Though Batman usually drove the Batmobile, Alfred the butler drove it a time or two (Robin was too young). The Penguin (Burgess Meredith) stole it once and made it the "Penguinmobile", complete with an umbrella over the driver's seat.  Little did he know that Batman could maneuver the car by remote control, and the resulting ride was hilarious (Quack, quack, quack)!

"Holy Made-For-TV Reunion Show!" There was a GREAT TV movie in 2003 starring Adam West, Burt Ward, and the Batmobile, called "Return to the Batcave: The Misadventures of Adam and Burt". Out of Bat-character, the two actors relived the years making "BATMAN", under the premise that the Batmobile been stolen and they were going to find it. Frank Gorshin and Julie Newmar reprised their roles as "The Riddler" and "Catwoman", arch-villains from the series and comics. Betty White makes the infamous window cameo in this TV movie.

The Batmobile has appeared in several productions over the years, including "Rock Star", "The Simpsons", and "Pee Wee's Big Adventure" (Look close at the Warner Brothers/Burbank Studios gate - it just drives by).

Newer Batmobiles have been made, but this car is the fans' favorite. "Holy backfire, Batman!" The car seems to be having a resurgence, as several new scale models have recently been released.

--That Car Guy (Chuck)

The DenOfGeek web site provided the Lincoln Future/Batmobile image. Technical stuff for this post came from "The Official BATMAN Batbook" by Joel Eisner. The front view is from 1966Batmobile.com, the last two photos are from "The Official BATMAN Batbook".