Highlights
・Based on the Triumph Vitesse
・2 litre engine
・Very lightweight
・2 litre engine
・Very lightweight
The Background
The Roadster as you see here has been finished in the style of a Riley / Vincent MPH and was based around Triumph Herald range components (e.g., Spitfire, Herald, Vitesse, GT6).
The two seat body is built of aluminium and fibreglass and has a radiator grille slightly similar to pre-war Alfa Romeo sports cars. Fitted with the two-litre inline-six from a late Triumph Vitesse, a top speed of 177 km/h (110 mph) was achievable.
The History
This particular car was built in the 80s and painted and then sat in the corner of a workshop for a number of years.
The current owner was looking for a project so he bought it and recommissioned it.
It is one of a number of projects and now it is again ready to hit the road it is up for sale.
The Paperwork
There is a V5 present , a workshop manual and some information on the model. There is no other paperwork present.
The Interior
The interior is sparse as to be expected with a kit car of this type but functional. The gearbox bell housing sits down to your left and is partially exposed and the pedals are fairly close together so it takes a little bit of getting used to.
There is a lovely wooden steering wheel, chequer plate dash and a double bench seat to sit on.
The Exterior
The exterior of the vehicle is clean and tidy, the wire wheels really set the car off and the tyres have lots of tread. The paintwork was completed some time ago and although it hasn’t seen much action out in the elements since, there is some pitting from it being stored and aged. No damage to speak of though.
The chromework is in decent condition and overall the car looks the part.
A black vinyl tonneau cover also accompanies the car.
A black vinyl tonneau cover also accompanies the car.
The Mechanics
Mechanically the car is sound, it starts well and sounds throaty and raspy. The car goes through the gears without issue. The brakes were replaced as part of the recommission and it starts, stops and runs well.
The 2 litre Triumph Vitesse engine is more than mighty enough to make this a small nimble fun car. The fact the car is mechanically based on the Triumph range also means that spares are still available from a number of enthusiast outlets.
The Appeal
The Triumph kit car is one of those cars made in the days when Britain still had an imagination.
It's designed to be built on the Triumph range chassis and wont set the world alight but its pretty nippy due to its power to weight.
It's fun, its quirky and most road users today will never have heard of it. If you like to be that little bit different and fun is higher on your list than a big brand name, this could be a sweet little purchase.
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