Oh I Say, A Spitfire! Now That’s What You Call Propah.
There can be no truer test of fitness than getting into a classic British roadster. Or getting out of it. If you can do either without getting excruciating muscle cramps in your belly, you are either a yoga instructor, the owner of a classic British roadster or a wee bit fitter than me. Anyway, once my internal organs, gut muscles and abdominal fat went back to their original, uncompressed size, I could breathe again.
It’s not so – for lack of a better word – cramped inside, but one could say it’s intimate. Firing up the Triumph Spitfire requires you to reach out somewhere in the darkness between your knees upwards and turn the ignition key. Once it does, it makes a rorty sound that makes you feel as if today, surely during the drive, you’re going to enter into a dogfight with Messerschmitts, not mere taxis and autorickshaws.
It may look imposing in the pictures, but in real life, the Triumph Spitfire is so diminutive and low-slung that if you peer underneath it will probably say BBurago or Maisto. And to think that the Spitfire was known to be more spacious than its key competitors like the Austin-Healey Sprite or the MG Midget (collectively called Spridget, FYI). Phew.
This story is from the June 2017 edition of BBC TopGear India.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the June 2017 edition of BBC TopGear India.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
THE FOUR FACES OF MUMBAI
How the Tata Nexon Matches Your City Vibe
KANYAKUMARI TO KASHMIR
Everyone is out to find an alternative to petrol or diesel. Could this be yours?
FROM CITY STREETS TO SNOW-CAPPED PEAKS
The summer sun beat down mercilessly, a stark contrast to the yearning for cool mountain air.
2024 MARUTI SUZUKI SWIFT - Still Swifty without a cylinder
Most of us know or are accustomed to Swift.
2024 FORCE GURKHA - Terrain Tamer
The Gurkha's story began in 1987 with the introduction of India's first indigenous utility vehicle.
DUBAI - Revving Up the Luxe
A Tesla picks you up from the airport - that's Dubai for you. TopGear India embarked on a quest to uncover the finest cars and indulge in extraordinary experiences during our recent visit to Dubai.
LAUNCH CONTROL
Tesla has finally unlocked the Cybertruck's off-road potential. We grab a rival and head to the desert for a baptism of fire...
QUESTION OF SPORT
The standard Ioniq 5 N sweeps the hot hatch title, and now there's an even racier version. Can it convince us electric motorsport isn't a total waste of time?
ASSAULT & BATTERY
The Taycan has always been quick, but Porsche just took things to a whole other level...
BRITS ABROAD
Is the MG Cyberster a return to form for the Great British Roadster? Bizzarely, we had to travel to China to find out...