Spitfire 1500 Options and Changes
| Note: This page may or may not be totally applicable to US spec. cars. For instance, not covered are the US emissions changes; there were constant revisions throughout the years.It appears that US cars received many changes that were later adopted by Non US cars possibly to ease in manufacturing complexity or to conform to European safety legislation updates. Also, I (with lots of help from Joe Curry) have added a separate table discussing the Commission numbers 1977-79 to ease confusion regarding the model year, manufacture year and 1/2 year designations.Because info was taken from many sources, it may not be totally accurate. If there are any glaring inaccuracies, please email me. |
| Spitfire 1500 | model year | changes from previous model | commision number (FM=US, FH=the rest of the world) | body # | Engine # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | Body: Commission plates had “Spitfire 1500” at top (very early 1500 used the last of the Mk4 plates), license plate holder, decal 1500 badges, silver knave plates (hub caps), black boot trim edging at rear, boot gasket now press-on not stick on, US rear bumpers strengthened by adding a large chrome “cover” between uprights and other under-car brackets Engine: larger dashpot tops (non US), heat shield between manifolds (non US), “4-2-1″ exhaust with cut out in frame for clearance (non US), electronic tach, close ratio single rail transmission, input shaft from 10 to 20 splines, larger 7 1/4″ clutch plate, new bumper guards, larger rear bumper, red valve cover with chrome filler cap,”full flow” oil filters fitted, larger 7-bladed fan made from white plastic (non-US), US got viscous coupling fan, Catalyst (California only) Interior: light in trunk, electric tachometer, sill plates, passenger seats get seat belt pressure sensor pad, handbrake grip redesign with center armrest (US only) | FH75001 FM28001U (US) | 28001FH | FM28001E-FM40000E (US had UE suffix)California: FM34714UCE- FM40000UCE | |
| 1976 | 9:1 compression, Emissions label fitted under bonnet, windshield washer bottle no longer had “Tudor” label, windshield wipers were painted black, square holes in wheels (US only) | FH80000 FM40001U (US) | 38001FH | FM45001E-FM80000E (US had UE suffix)California: FM45001UCE- FM80000UCE | |
| 1977 | 7.5:1 compression again (US), round holes in wheels again, wipers/washer switch, ignition switch and horn button to steering column, new carb, new distributor, new exhaust & intake manifolds, deeper seats with cloth inserts, smaller steering wheel, radiator with electric fan, catalyst (US only) | FH100000 (March) FM60001U (US) FM60001UC (Calif.) | FM85026 | FM80001E-FM109889ECalifornia: FM80001UCE- FM109889UCE | |
| 1978 | black side mirrors & door handle mounts (area connecting handle to the door), bonnet safety “hook and latch” (US only) | FH105734 FM70001U (US) Commission numbering became confusing at this point. See below for more info. | FH109890 | FM109890E-? (US had UE suffix) | |
| 1979 | electric coolant fan, fatter steering wheel, 5″ wide wheels, stronger bumpers with larger guards 1979 1/2: black bumpers | FH130001 FM90001U (US) See below for more info.US at 10/79: TFVD2AT (TFVD6AT-overdrive)California at 10/79: TFZD2AT (TFZD6AT-overdrive) | ? | FM150002E (US had UE suffix) | |
| 1980 | door side impact bars | TFWAD1AT000001 FM102488U | ? | FM168502E (US had UE suffix) | |
| The last Spitfire made: August 1980 and had the VIN number TFADW5AT 009898 in FAB Inca Yellow | |||||
| Spitfire 1500 changes | after commission # | |
|---|---|---|
| FH76285 | hood cover snaps now plastic coated brass | |
| FH78674 | front light lenses now shared with MG (flatter shape) | |
| FH80000 (Jan 1976) | “Luxury package” option became standard, door mirror & windshield wiper arms painted black, value cover securing nuts changed to slotted screws, inside battery boxs no longer painted black and side brackets reduced in height, negative batttery cable no longer yellow, all export cars get brake master cylinders with plastic reservoirs like US cars | |
| FH84398 | Seatbelt lock now all black with out chrome edge (non-US) | |
| FH85802 | “Waxstat Jet” carbs fitted and air filter box gets B.L. Cars logo (non-US) | |
| FM95001 | Rubber bumper covers (US only) | |
| between FH100020-FH130000 | UK cars get brake master cylinders with plastic reservoirs like US cars | |
| FH100020 (March 1977) | door handles painted black, chrome trim rings fitted to wheels (only to FH100447), TR7-style steering column covers with ignition key up at wheel and wash/wipe put on stick, electric windshield washer, cigarette lighter added to non US cars, new solid spoked steering wheel with non-functional horn button, turn signal indicator light moved to below hazard switch, houndstooth cloth seats | |
| FH105278 | Non US cars have another carb revision (shorter dashpots, different Waxstats and needles, different float chamber tops and overflow pipe), | |
| FH105734 (Jan. 1978) | Non US cars get the US’s visous fan | |
| FH113678 | interior vinyl changed from “coarse” to “smooth” pattern, houndstooth pattern changed slightly. See photo (from the book Triumph Spitfire and GT6-A Guide to Originality) | |
| FH114523 | carpet material changed from tufted pile to loop pile (including door panel), thinner seat recline lever fitter (around this time) | |
| FH116000 | simpler rear license plate lights on bumpers replaced “Triumph” light bar (non-US) | |
| FH127151 | revised air filter box with staggered air inlets (non-US) | |
| FH130000 (Jan. 1979) | wheel rims increase to 13x5J, notches in wheel nuts were added to help prevent the chrome from flaking off, Non US cars get US’s tandem brake master cylinder and PDW valve with dash warning light, another steering wheel design, new speedometer with 110 mph max (non US), passenger side interior light and door switch | |
| VIN001198 | some cars got factory fog lamps at rear, also some got passenger door mirrors, some bonnet catch handles were painted body color, some boot lid trim got plastic end caps instead of welded on metal |
| Spitfire 1500 changes | after date | |
|---|---|---|
| October 1975 | British Leyland square “house” badges (on bonnet by catches) were left off the passinger’s side. They were fitted on both sides before October. None fitted in 76. | |
| 1976 | Emissions label fitted under bonnet, windshield washer bottle no longer had “Tudor” label, square holes in wheels (US only) | |
| December 1977 | Bonnet bracing bar simplified, extra bonnet bracing added to prevent bonnet from hitting windshield in the event of frontal crash (US only although some UK cars had it) | |
| 1978 | Laminated windscreen standard, plastic tool bag replaced canvas roll (non-US) | |
| Mid 1978 | Mota-Lita steering wheel with leather grip | |
| October 1979 | VIN number plates replaced the Comm. number plates, later a small VIN plate was welded to right side boot gutter |
| Options (dealer) | option | price |
|---|---|---|
| Base Price | £1290 (1975-£1509.30 ) | |
| Soft-top conversion kit | £51.00 | |
| Hard-top kit | £77.22 | |
| Skid plate | ? | |
| Headlamp conversion mask | ? | |
| Oil cooler | ? | |
| Radio, aerial and speaker installation | £60.00 | |
| Mud flaps | ? | |
| Touch-in paints | ? | |
| Wooden gear knob | ? | |
| Hood stowage cover-for use with hard-top | ? | |
| rubber floor mats | ? | |
| workshop manuals and parts list | ? |
| Options (special order) | option | price |
|---|---|---|
| Overdrive | £113.14 | |
| Laminated windscreen -standard from 1978 | £19.07 | |
| Front upper ball joint with grease nipple | ? | |
| Competition DS11 brake pads | ? | |
| Luxury pack: stainless steel driver’s door mirror, inertia-reel seat belts, head rests, map light, center arm rest, dipping rear view mirror (standard after FH 80000 on non-US cars) | £39.78 |
| Commission Numbers Including 1/2 Years | model year | date when change was made* | commission number |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | Aug. 1972 | FM1 | |
| last 1973 first 1974 | Oct. 1973 | FM7699 FM10002 (10001 not found by BMIHT) | |
| last 1974 first 1975 | Sept. 1974 | FM20461 (possibly higher) FM28001 | |
| last 1975 first 1976 | Sept. 1975 | FM35336 (might be 36343) FM40001 | |
| last 1976 first 1977 | Dec. 1976 | FM51271 FM60006 (60000-60005 not found by BMIHT) | |
| last 1977 first 1978 | Oct. 1977 | FM67333 FM70001 | |
| last 1978 first 1978 1/2 (may be listed as 1979) | June 1978 | FM79310 FM90001 | |
| last 1978 1/2 first 1979 | Sept. 1978 Aug. 1978** | FM93189 FM95001 | |
| last 1979 first 1980 | Sept. 1978 Jun. 1979 | FM102488 FM110001 | |
| last 1979 w/VIN first Spitfire with VIN | Oct. 1979** | FM111120 TF????AT000001 | |
| the last Spitfire | August 1980 | TFADW5AT 009898 | |
| * date when car was assembled. For instance, the last 73 and the first 74 was built in Oct. 1973** cars apparently were coming off the assembly line as different model years at the same time.More information about VIN numbers…click here. | |||