Triumph Spitfire vs MGB vs Lotus Elan: a new dawn

By Simon Hucknall

| 7 Jul 2022

Classic & Sports Car - Triumph Spitfire vs MGB vs Lotus Elan: a new dawn

Social historians will argue about exactly when Britain’s post-war blues started to lift.

In 1957, then prime minister Harold Macmillan announced that we’d “never had it so good”, but the electorate probably wasn’t getting that vibe until about five years later, in 1962.

And what a vibe it was, too, with Britons eager to shake off any residual post-war gloom to the accompaniment of The Beatles’ Love Me Do, and the knowledge that change was in the air.

Car makers were also on a roll, with a raft of new products that jettisoned the grey, austere designs of old for good.

Sports cars from Lotus (left), Triumph (right) and MG were aimed at fresh-faced buyers

They now had to appeal to an increasingly youthful, aspirational buyer – as well as the booming American market – and styling reflected that shift.

But three models unveiled in 1962 – all homespun two-seaters, but each at a different price point – were to change the face of The Great British Sports Car for more than a decade, and beyond.

They were the Triumph Spitfire, MGB and Lotus Elan.

The MGB (front), Lotus Elan (middle) and Triumph Spitfire influenced British sports cars for decades to come

And what better location to bring this trio together than Goodwood Motor Circuit, which would still have been a prime stop-off for these cars’ first owners 60 years ago?

Perhaps the most impecunious of them would have been driving the Spitfire, and feeling ever-so-slightly smug at the thought of showing up fellow drivers in their cheap ’n’ cheerful Austin-Healey Sprites.

For the Spitfire, despite its relatively low £729 price and humble Herald underpinnings, looked like a glimpse of the future.

The MkI/II Spitfire featured a lower-set bumper than the one introduced on the MkIII

Yet, had it not been for Standard-Triumph’s prescience in eschewing a full monocoque for the Herald when its development started in 1956, the Spitfire might never have existed.

Body-on-frame construction meant that multiple models could be spun off the same chassis, albeit in modified form, without breaking the bank.

So when Austin-Healey released the Sprite in 1958 and started to enjoy immediate sales success, Standard-Triumph (as it was then) sought a piece of the action.

The Triumph’s spartan interior with central dials reflects its mere £729 price-tag when new

In September 1960, work started on a prototype called ‘The Bomb’, based around the Herald with a 948cc engine.

Penned by Giovanni Michelotti, who had been retained by Standard-Triumph since the late ’50s, the prototype’s cute, petite lines were remarkably close to what would end up in production – but that almost didn’t happen due to the company’s dire financial straits.

Fortunately, Leyland Motors stepped in and took full control of Standard-Triumph in April 1961.

Even then, had it not been for new MD Stanley Markland’s curiosity about the by then dustsheet-covered prototype in the corner of the design studio, the Spitfire might never have seen the light of day.

Under the Spitfire’s clamshell bonnet sits a four-cylinder engine producing 63bhp

You could make a ‘style over substance’ accusation about the Spitfire, but it must have looked like a true slice of la dolce vita in 1962.

Chief engineer Harry Webster’s shortening of the Herald’s frame by 8½in and replacing the chassis side members with structural sill panels right-sized it as a two-seater, while allowing the seats themselves to be mounted low alongside the frame’s centre section.

The Spitfire’s body was also welded (unlike the Herald’s) and secured to the chassis with 12 fixings.

For anyone who had sat in a Sprite, it was immediately a far more capacious and practical proposition.

Although not as fast as the Lotus (front), the Triumph feels much quicker than its 0-60mph time suggests

Underneath, the Spit was no sophisticate, though.

Rack-and-pinion steering and front suspension by coils and wishbones were carried over from the Herald, with a single transverse leaf spring and swing-axles at the rear, much improved over the car’s long life to counter its tendency for off-throttle, mid-bend camber changes.

However, front disc brakes – quite something by class standards – replaced the Herald’s drums.

Many of the Spitfire’s components were carried over from the Triumph Herald

At its heart beat Triumph’s 1147cc overhead-valve ‘four’, first developed a dozen years earlier for the Standard Eight.

With just 63bhp you were never going to burn rubber in a Spitfire 4, but, with its twin SUs bubbling away, it sounded as if you could.

So, there you are in Goodwood’s car park, feeling decidedly pleased about the admiring looks your new Spit is getting, when an all-new MGB rolls up and rather steals your thunder.

It’s a longer car by four inches, and its driver has just chopped in an MGA for it on the strength of Autocar’s recent road test, which opined: ‘There is no doubt that the new MGB 1800 is a much superior car to its predecessor.’

‘Autocar commented on how much easier the engine seemed to breathe in the B versus its predecessor, with an “easy” 100mph being achievable’

Even if you set aside designer Don Hayter’s handsome, well-proportioned body, it was obvious the £949 B was a country-mile ahead in terms of comfort and refinement – and that was crucial to its success in export markets such as the USA.

A switch to a steel monocoque made the car roomier, lighter and stiffer. And while chief engineer Syd Enever had carried over much of the MGA’s underpinnings (steering rack and suspension, with a leaf-sprung live rear axle) to keep the car affordable, its modern design and driveability shone through.

The unitary body also made the B a safer car, by early ’60s standards, with built-in crumple zones to protect its occupants – although safety belts were still optional.

The large boot of the MGB helps make its case as the most GT-orientated car out of the trio

Like Triumph, MG used well-proven mechanicals: in this case the B-series engine that had done such sterling service in a variety of ’50s BMC models.

Bored out to 1798cc, the simple overhead-valve ‘four’ gained twin SU semi-downdraught carbs, helping it produce a healthy 95bhp and 110lb ft of torque.

Autocar commented on how much easier the engine seemed to breathe in the B versus its predecessor, with an ‘easy’ 100mph being achievable.

The MGB’s bored out four-cylinder engine produces 95bhp and 110lb ft of torque

Our third 1962 debutant at this Goodwood meeting would probably be making a beeline for the paddock, and more likely driven by one of the competitors.

Its advertising even suggested as much: ‘“I drive my Lotus Elan for pleasure – not because I have to,” says World Champion Jim Clark.’

It was a powerful message for a car that was created with few of the compromises of the Spit and B, and, while the Elan perhaps lacked their visual chutzpah, there was no doubting its technical pedigree.

A pair of slender bucket seats in the Lotus Elan help to boost the interior space

At just 1516lb (688kg), the Elan perfectly embodied Colin Chapman’s minimal-weight mantra.

It was the first Lotus road car to employ a steel backbone chassis and glassfibre body after the unitary-shelled Elite, which was about to finish production.

Costing £1499, it wasn’t a bargain – an Austin-Healey 3000 was £200 cheaper – but the specification was to die for.

All-round independent suspension with Lotus-designed double wishbones up front and ‘Chapman struts’ at the rear, brake discs on all four corners and the Ford-based, 1558cc jewel of a Twin Cam engine introduced earlier that year in none other than the Lotus 23 racing car.

The Lotus is more at home on the track than the Triumph and MG

Chapman had wanted a twin-cam head from the outset and, by good fortune, Harry Mundy had designed one for Facel Vega, which a lack of funds had kiboshed.

He initially adapted it to suit the Anglia/Consul 109E block, but when Ford introduced the stronger 116E ‘Kent’ unit for the Cortina with its five-bearing crank, this was used as the basis – in 1498cc form – for the Twin Cam in the first 22 Elans.

When Chapman enlarged the engine to 1558cc and 105bhp (versus 100bhp for the 1500), he recalled the early cars and either overbored their original motors to the new displacement, or replaced them with fresh units.

A wood-rimmed steering wheel and dashboard add a classy finish to the Elan

Clothed with a pert, minimal and timeless body designed by John Frayling, the Elan was unveiled at Earls Court in October 1962.

Chapman also knew that the US market was important to the Elan’s success, and even poached production engineer John Cope-Lewis from Rolls-Royce to make sure that its quality and refinement would pass muster on the other side of the Atlantic.

Despite that, teething problems did persist after launch, such as poor window fit, water leaks and some conrod failures, but these were largely addressed in 1964 with the Elan S2.

The Elan’s elegant body was designed by John Frayling

Mark Kaye’s 1964 S1 was originally exported to Germany, returning to the UK in 1998 when it was restored and converted to right-hand drive.

Fitted with a QED420 engine producing 145bhp, complemented by adjustable dampers all round and a slightly lower ride height, this Elan’s performance belies its near-60-year age.

You sit low in a fixed-back bucket seat behind a wood-rimmed, three-spoke wheel and simple dash with four dials.

Roof down, we blast up the road past Glorious Goodwood’s racecourse, the bark of that Twin Cam becoming truly infectious as the revs grow, with the throaty twin Weber 40s adding to the aural drama.

The Lotus Elan’s Twin Cam engine produces 105bhp

The four-speed Ford ’box is notchy, with a short, positive, mechanical feel – just as well, because you need to keep the engine percolating above 2500rpm for best results.

Body control is tight, ride firm, and the high-geared steering delivers sensational levels of feedback.

Low gearing in top (around 20mph per 1000rpm) is perfect for these twisty South Downs lanes: point-to-point, there would have been few to touch it back in the day.

The MGB (rear) pressures the Spitfire (front) with a huge 43lb ft torque advantage, while the Elan walks away from both thanks to its 153bhp per tonne

So is it a case of half the price, half the thrills with the Triumph?

Jez Woods’ October 1962-built car, chassis FC301, is one of several Spitfires he’s owned since the 1980s.

177 CRX was fully restored by Triumph specialist Jigsaw over a four-year period, and is now resplendent once again in its original Powder Blue livery.

Even by the standards of the early ’60s, the cabin is spartan and copious body-coloured surfaces abound.

Although the Lotus Elan (middle) offers a more sporty ride than the Triumph’s (top), both cars are heaps of fun to drive

The central four-dial binnacle would have minimised production costs between right- and left-hand drive, and the Smiths readouts are the height of clarity.

Pull away and a first-gear whine reveals the car’s Heraldic roots, as does its tiny turning circle (a mere 24ft).

The steering is quite low-geared and, with a fair chunk of free play off-centre, you quickly learn that a light touch is advisable as speeds rise.

But the accelerator demands decisiveness at all times; attempt to pull away on anything less than half-throttle and you kangaroo like an L-plated 17-year-old.

Steel wheels with chrome hubcaps on all three

And then, of course, you need to keep it pinned through faster bends, knowing that a lift – especially on these slightly damp Sussex roads – could mean a camber change through its swing-axles, with an ensuing loss of grip.

But it’s a hoot. The gearshift snicks crisply, and is accompanied by the loudest exhaust note of our trio, making the car feel far faster than its 0-60mph figure (17.3 secs) suggests.

Sure, there’s considerably more body flex versus the Elan, but its fun-factor is undiminished.

The MGB is more of a GT compared to the Lotus and Triumph

That Eann Sutton’s immaculate 1963 MGB offers the biggest contrast to driving the Spitfire and Elan is perhaps no surprise.

Visually, it’s period-accurate, with standard steel rims (wires were optional), pull-doorhandles and a lack of head restraints, and only its colour being from a later series of B.

The engine, too, benefits from a five-bearing crank (as opposed to the earlier three), and what would have been an optional oil cooler.

This classic MGB features a few choice upgrades

Sutton’s car has also been upgraded with a Kenlowe fan and K&N air filters, with an alternator replacing the dynamo.

But the biggest change is a swap from the original, non-overdrive four-speed gearbox to a more modern Ford five-speeder, though the cranked lever you see is unchanged.

The MGB is more like a refined, open-topped GT than out-and-out sports car.

The deep timbre and linear delivery of the B-series give the car an immediate feeling of savoir faire.

The MGB’s well-proportioned body was penned by designer Don Hayter

The non-standard ’box is a joy to use, with a slick, well-oiled feel to every change, but then so was the original, the plain difference being that fifth gear now replaces fourth with overdrive.

You’d look forward to covering long distances in the B.

The steering wheel on this early car is perhaps on the large side of comfortable, but the handling is well balanced and grip ample from its non-original Pirelli radial tyres.

The Triumph Spitfire, Lotus Elan and MGB (left to right) inspired a generation of great sports cars

Vive la difference!

Between them, these cars offered sporting salvation to a broad cross-section of buyers 60 years ago, and their enduring popularity meant long production lives for them all (11 years for the Elan, and 18 years each for the B and Spitfire).

The Lotus and Triumph, it is claimed, even inspired the greatest modern exponent of this era and genre of car: the Mazda MX-5.

That’s some legacy.

Images: Luc Lacey

Thanks to: Jade Callan, Goodwood; Alan Morgan, Club Lotus; Andy Harris, Chichester MGOC; Triumph Sports Six Club

Factfiles

Triumph Spitfire 4

Sold/number built 1962-’80/314,332 (all variants)
Construction steel backbone chassis, steel body
Engine all-iron, ohv 1147cc ‘four’, twin SU carburettors
Max power 63bhp @ 5750rpm
Max torque 67lb ft @ 3500rpm
Transmission four-speed manual, RWD
Suspension independent, at front by double wishbones, coil springs, anti-roll bar rear swing-axles, transverse leaf spring, radius rods; telescopic dampers f/r
Steering rack and pinion
Brakes discs front, drums rear
Length 12ft 1in (3683mm)
Width 4ft 1in (1244mm)
Height 3ft 11½in (1206mm)
Wheelbase 6ft 11in (2108mm)
Weight 1589lb (721kg)
0-60mph 17.3 secs
Top speed 92mph
Mpg 31.2
Price new £729
Price now £8-20,000*

Lotus Elan 1600

Sold/number built 1962-’73/12,224 (all variants)
Construction steel backbone chassis, glassfibre body and bumpers
Engine iron-block, alloy-head, dohc 1558cc ‘four’, twin Weber carburettors
Max power 105bhp @ 5500rpm
Max torque 108lb ft @ 4000rpm
Transmission four-speed manual, RWD
Suspension independent, at front by double wishbones rear Chapman struts, lower wishbones; coil springs, telescopic dampers f/r
Steering rack and pinion
Brakes discs
Length 12ft 1in (3683mm)
Width 4ft 8in (1422mm)
Height 3ft 9½in (1155mm)
Wheelbase 7ft (2133mm)
Weight 1516lb (688kg)
0-60mph 8.7 secs
Top speed 114mph
Mpg 27.9
Price new £1499 (£1095 in component form)
Price now £25-40,000*

MGB

Sold/number built 1962-’80/ 523,826 (all variants)
Construction steel monocoque
Engine all-iron, ohv 1798cc ‘four’, twin SU carburettors
Max power 95bhp @ 5400rpm
Max torque 110lb ft @ 3000rpm
Transmission four-speed manual, optional overdrive, RWD
Suspension: front independent, by double wishbones, coil springs rear live axle, semi-elliptic leaf springs; lever dampers f/r
Steering rack and pinion
Brakes discs front, drums rear
Length 12ft 9³⁄₁₆in (3891mm)
Width 4ft 11⅞in (1521mm)
Height 4ft 1⅜in (1254mm)
Wheelbase 7ft 7in (2311mm)
Weight 2072lb (972kg)
0-60mph 12.2 secs
Top speed 103mph
Mpg 21.4
Price new £949
Price now £8-20,000*