This article is reproduced from the April 1963 issue of Motor Sport. Its an early comparison test of the Triumph Spitfire vs. MG Midget. You can download it as a PDF and view it in it's original form.

MotorSport0463.pdf

In vintage times, 1,100-c.c. sports cars were decidedly popular among the sportsmen who frequented Brooklands Track and Alms Hill, etc. They were of French origin—Salmson, Amilcar, B.N.C., Rally, Lombard, Senechal, Vernon-Derby—and invariably had pointed tails, centre-lock wire wheels, high gear ratios and sketchy weather protection, with fold-flat windscreen or "aero" or raked vee-screens.

How different is the Triumph Spitfire 4, a very welcome addition to the ranks of the long-neglected " 1100" sports cars. In vintage times it would have come just above the 1,100-C.C. class but today, with an F.I.A. classification of 1,000-1,150 c.c., it comes just within it. It has a useful lockable luggage-boot in lieu of a racing tail, it is, if anything, low-geared, and it has extremely good protection from the elements, but the windscreen is fixed.

The attractively-styled Spitfire 4, which attracts a very fairshare of admiring glances, is built by Standard-Triumph, of the Leyland Group, from Triumph Herald components. Thus it inherits a fantastically small turning circle at the expense of severe tyre-scrub on the very full lock, transverse leaf-spring swing-axle independent rear suspension, and 9-in. disc front brakes by Girling. The backbone chassis is retained, suitably modified, and the Michelotti-styled body, flat and shapely, is not only amongst the most pleasing of present-day small sports cars, but it has the luxury of wind-up glass windows instead of detachable sidescreens and a good, rigid hood, which blends well with the lines of the body.

The Spitfire 4 is purely a 2-seater, for the conventional shelf behind the two bucket seats is too low to be used as a seat and in later models is humped in the centre. But for extra luggage or the dog it is essentially useful. Access to it is by lifting either seat, to do which a catch at the base of the squab has to be released—a bit "fumbly" but an insurance against an empty seat flying forward under heavy braking.

A snag having arisen when I went by appointment to Standard-Triumph's well-run depot on Western Avenue at Acton to collect the test-car, I completed a considerable mileage in a Spitfire which the makers deemed unsuitable for the " gentlemen of the Press." This does not imply that they issue specially-prepared vehicles for road-test; merely that this particular Triumph had a slight dent in the tail, its brakes needed adjustment, the tic k- over was rather fast, and, after I had got it home, one of the tubeless Dunlop C41 tyres subsided and refused to remain inflated for any length of time after my efficient Dunlop foot-pump had be en applied to it-and the spare was flat.

Those items, and a good many rattles, were the only shortcomings of a car that I found most enjoyable to drive, quick and sure through traffic, and comfortable to occupy in the coldest weather, the heater being unobtrusive but entirely adequate and the windows in the doors much appreciated. The doors have effective" keeps" and getting in or out, with the hood up, should present no real difficulty to the reasonably agile .

Although the weather remained abnormally cold all the time I had the two Spitfires for test, their hoods remained up throughout, more on account of laziness than lack of handiness. The weather protection is first-class, the hood providing adequate headroom and having three transparent rear panels that provide equally adequate rearwards visibility. The plated ribs on top of the front wings are excellent for "sighting" the car.

The little 1,147-c.c. Triumph is purely a sports car, lively, fun to drive, making appropriate noises-a travelling motor-race and sticking well to the road. While accelerating the engine has a quite loud, deep exhaust note but I do not think it would give offence to anyone; at other times the engine is reasonably quiet, save for some exhaust roar and the sucking of the S.U.s.

The instrument panel forms the centre of an otherwise very shallow facia, cut away on each side for access to very useful well-lipped deep shelves, the only disadvantage of which is that warm air is blown over them when the heater is in use, to the detriment of Mr. Cadbury and others of his ilk. Instrumentation consists of small matching Jaeger tachometer and speedometer, the former reading from 6,500 r.p.m. with an orange band from 5,500 to 6,000 r.p.m. and the red band from 6,000 to 6,500 r.p.m., the latter to 110 m.p.h., flanked by a slow recording fuel gauge (which shows no-level for miles before the supply dries up) and a temperature gauge, an oil-gauge being rather surprisingly absent. Both tachometer and speedometer are finely and clearly calibrated, using a combination of large and very small figures, other needles are commendably steady, that of the tachometer even more so than that of the speedometer, and the needles move in the same plane. Large knobs with International symbols look after wipers, lamps, heater, choke and screen-washers, a central flick-switch bringing in the heater-fan. There is a long, angled" struggling bar" in front of the passenger, and provision for a radio below the instrument panel. A lidded ash-tray is provided in the facia sill.

The neat little remote gear-lever emerges from the transmission tunnel, cranked back from a flexible anti-draught muff, and the central fly-off handbrake is man-sized and conventionally located on the tunnel. The single-spoke thin-rimmed steering wheel has a horn-push on its hub and controls Alford and Alder rack and- pinion gear. A slender stalk on the left of the column selects the full and dimmed headlamp beams after the lamps have been switched on, its positions indicated diagrammatically-it is necessary, however, to go through the full-beam position when selecting sidelamps from dipped beam. The stalk pulls inwards to give full-beam daylight flashing. The horn but not the wipers is independent of the ignition circuit. A r.h. stalk controls the self-cancelling flashers and a good point is that the rear lamps can be seen by glancing behind, even when the hood is up, although their glasses look rather vulnerable.

The doors have no pockets, facia shelves and the space behind the seats giving sufficient stowage. Their interior handles are set low, out of the way, the window-winders call for 3 1/3 turns to fully open the windows and those who consider it a designer's duty to make the exterior of a car as smooth as possible in deference to careless pedestrians may frown slightly at the forward-pointing exterior door handles. Safety-belts were fitted to both the Spitfires I drove.

The rear-view mirror is hung sensibly from the screen rail but the rake of the rail cuts off sideways vision rather sharply. The pedals enable " heel-and-toe " gear-changing to be indulged in, there is parking space for the clutch foot, the driver's seat has a very reasonable range of adjustment and the steering column can be adjusted for length if a spanner is applied.

There are the usual warning lights and the speedometer incorporates a total mileage recorder with decimals as well as a trip recorder. The facia sill is of resilient, non-dazzle material.

The hood sticks are stowed in the luggage boot when the car is used in open form, but although these, the tools and the spare wheel are accommodated therein, luggage accommodation is not unduely impared. The lid props and releases automatically.

The entire bonnet hinges from the front, after Herald-type side catches have been released, to give complete freedom of access to the 69.3 x 76mm. (1,147 c.c.) 4-cylinder engine, with its twin S.U. type HS@ carburetters and 9.0-to-1 c.r. The makers claim an output of 63 net b.h.p. at 5,750 r.p.m. and maximum torque at 3,500 r.p.m.

The ignition key starts the engine, which always commenced readily in the recent sub-zero temperatures, and a separate key locks the doors (not much of a precaution in a hooded car) and boot. There is a quick-action fuel-filler on the tail.

On The Road

The Triumph Spitfire 4 behaves like a typic al small sports car and responds well to enthusiastic driving. The engine can be thrust well "into the red" without evidence of valve-bounce or other discomfort. Unfortunately the lower gears are too low, so that the maxima in 1st and 2nd stop at 25 and 44 m.p.h., respectively. In 3rd gear 70 m.p.h. is possible but the makers prefer a few m.p.h, fewer. These are genuine speeds, after the normal optimism of the speedometer has been corrected.

Given a reasonable run the absolute top speed is 93 m.p.h. but 90 is a more commonplace road speed. The engine is turning over at just over 5,000 r.p.m. at a cruising speed of 80 m.p.h., and it is docile to a degree at low speeds in top cog.

The suspension is fairly hard, so that bad roads produce a good deal of rattle and shake, some of which is transmitted to the steering. However, comfort is not greatly impaired under such conditions and poor surfaces need not call for drastic reduction of speed, while ground clearance is usually ample. The cornering. tendency is mild understeer which changes to oversteer as the swing-axle i.r.s. reaches positive wheel camber. Once the driver has become accustomed to this handling characteristic he or she should have no alarms and excursions. Only in very sudden, tight changes of direction does the rear-end feel at all squidgy.

Clutch and brakes work so well they call for no comment, except that the latter need firm pressure; the steering is accurate, absolutely free from sponge or lost motion, light and "quick" without being outstandingly sensitive or smooth; geared 3 3/4 turns, lock-to-lock (which should be read in conjunction with the astonishing 23 1/2-ft. turning circle) it catches tail slides and oversteer with alacrity.

The fuel range, inclusive of performance testing, was the useful one of 263 miles. The engine likes 100-octane fuel but only pinked mildly on Esso Extra. Because of the uncertainty of when the Standard-Triumph Press Department would be able to let me have the correct test-car my checks of petrol consumption were more curtailed than usual, but came out at 33.7 m.p.g. under adverse conditions. After 700 miles no oil was required. Grease points are confined to two needing lubricant at 6,000 miles and four more requiring attention every 12,000 miles; no starting handle is provided.

For the first time since before the war I was able to take acceleration figures on the peace and security of a banked track "somewhere in Surrey." Here the following figures were recorded without the engine overheating (the thermometer has no figure calibration, but its needle remained just above " N " ) or causing us any anxiety. These times are against an accurate electric speedometer, and are the average of several runs, two-up, dry surface, no WInd. The best times are in brackets, and it should be emphasised that the mileometer showed only just over 1,000 miles:

0-30 m.p.h. 4.85 sec. ( 4.8 sec.)

0-40 m.p.h. 7.55 sec. ( 7.6 sec.)

0-50 m.p.h. 11.20 sec. (11.1 sec.)

0-60 m.p.h. 15.60 sec. (15.4 sec.)

0-70 m.p.h. 21.70 sec. (21.6 sec.)

s.s, 1/4 -mile 19.55 sec. (19.5 sec.)

It is nice to discover that these figures equal or improve on those claimed in the catalogue. It only remains to add that the gear-change is extremely pleasant, with a "mechanical" as distinct from Porsche feel, the lever moving precisely and with short movements, especially across the gate, the speed of change being limited only by stiffness on the second car I drove, which was comparatively new. The angular rather than straight action is no disadvantage, and reverse is easy to get in, up and right, beyond the 1st-gear location. The lever is not spring-loaded, except to guard against inadvertent reverse gear engagement. There is good synchromesh on the upper three forward speeds; 1st gear is normally as easy to engage as the others, even from rest-a feature few engineers are capable of contriving.

I covered a total of 560 miles in the two Spitfires but as others also drove them, the combined total mileage was somewhat greater. The only trouble experienced was breakage of a weld of the base framework of the passenger's seat on the second car, causing it to collapse and become unhabitable by animal or human, thus providing me with a single-seater Spitfire. Had this happened to the driving seat the consequences could have been highly inconvenient, even dangerous. These seats are, in any case, nothing special but I found them moderately comfortable and well padded; the pedals are slightly out of line.

The Triumph Spitfire 4, with its handsome styling, advanced specification, good performance and sensible weather equipment and luggage accommodation, if it stands up to hard driving, should soon be a best-seller in the small sports-car class. It has good prospects of doing very well for Standard-Triumph International and British exports, particularly at the reasonable price of £640 19s. 7d., purchase tax paid, or £654 5s. 5d. if your girlfriend makes you buy a heater.-W. B.

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The M.G. Midget has been one of Britain's most popular small sports cars from the end of the vintage era, when it made its bow as the 850 c.c. M-type. Since the last London Motor Show it has joined the newly resuscitated ranks of 1,100 c.c. sports cars, for the 950 c.c. power unit of the post-war Midget has been replaced, under B.M.C.'s engine standardisation scheme, by a Type 10 CG, 64.6 X 83.7 mm. (1,098 c.c.) engine which, in twin carburetter form with M.G. 1100 head and camshaft, produces 55 b.h.p. at 5,500 r.p.m. and 61 lb./ft. torque at 2,500 r.p.m. In addition to this improvement, Girling 8:1in. disc brakes are used on the front wheels, there is bauIk-ring synchromesh on the three upper gear ratios, 2nd gear is fractionally higher than before, a double-thickness gearbox plate cuts down tail-shaft whirl, the clutch is of increased diameter and detail improvements concern better crash-padding round the facia, a Smiths electric speedometer and a carpeted floor.

After the Triumph Spitfire the M.G. Midget at first gives the impression of being a toy, very low, very small, rather difficult to see out of with the hood up, rough and noisy. After a day's motoring in it I had considerably revised this opinion, and at the end of a lengthy test I was a firm Midget enthusiast, for this M.G., no less than the better of its predecessors, feels "all in one piece," is responsive, sprightly and very quick about the place, moderately comfortable, and essentially safe.

It is perhaps" less of a car" than the Spitfire, more difficult to get into and out of with the hood up. Its sliding Perspex side windows instead of wind-up glass windows and a hood that tends to drum and, in spite of ingenious telescopic sticks, is not particularly easy to erect, are not altogether endearing. Casual minor controls, such as manually-cancelling indicators operated by a facia flick-switch, whereas the Spitfire has a stalk and self-cancelling mechanism, no means of daylight headlamp flashing, facia-location of the lighting flick-switch, inaccurate instruments and doors that lack exterior handles, so that, if the sliding side-screens freeze up, entry to the M.G. poses a problem the solution of which, to say the least, looks like burglary, make a price of £42 below that charged for the Triumph seem disadvantageously disproportionate.

However, on longer acquaintance this latest of a long line of M.G. Midgets comes over as a very likeable and attractive little car. Everything about it tends to be simple, yet adequite. The neat facia lacks any form of oddments-stowage but as M.G. owner are more likely to be laden with maps and torches than gloves and handbags the big rigid pocket in each door is useful enough. The sidescreens, apart from the aforesaid and other obvious shortcmmings, are rigid, yet easily detachable on undoing a couple of slotted knurled knobs on each, although their fit is neither draught- nor entirely leak-proof. On the whole, however, with hood up and sidescreens in place the Midget is snug enough. It has a heater the volume of which cannot be varied, although by turning its control knob a fan can be brought into action, while if the knob is pulled out the intake is closed and noxious fumes excluded. Normally I found the amount of heat more than sufficient.

The screen is flat but, even so, the wiper blades leave dirty areas, and sideways visibility is not particularly good. However, the wipers are supplemented by very effective (pump-knob) washers which during a dirty day 's driving of 380 miles didn't run dry. The main instruments consist of a speedometer reading to 100 m.p.h, and a tachometer calibrated to 7,000 r.p.m. in graduations of 500 r.p.m., with the first warning band from 5,500 to 6,000 r.p.m. anything higher taking you "into the red." A trip with decimals and total mileage recorder are incorporated in the speedometer dial; the figures are clear and needles steady.

These dials are supplemented by a small combined oil-pressure gauge and water thermometer (oil pressure varies with r.p.m., between approximately 40/60 lb./sq. in.; the heat is normally at 170ºF rising to 180ºF under extreme conditions) and a fuel gauge that registered full when only four to five gallons were in what is claimed to be a six-gallon tank, but is suitably pessimistic at the other extreme.

The minor controls are a .series of old-fashioned lettered knobs and small unlabelled flick-switches, which between them look after choke .(or, more correctly, as the gas-works are S.U. HS2, mixture enrichment), starter, heater, lights (foot-dipper), wipers, washers and direction-flashers. There are the expected warning lights, including a single rather large one for the turn-indicators, and facia lighting can be extinguished by a tiny switch under the facia rail. The ignition key, separate from the boot-lid key, does not start the engine. The rear-view mirror is mounted somewhat obstructively on the facia sill. The styling department has overcome its love of octagons but the front badge naturally incorporates one, there is another in a facia motif before the passenger, and a large ' one above the word " Midget" on the boot lid.

The rigid remote gear-lever is well placed, the driving position good, but the pull-up handbrake lies beside the passenger's seat cushion, in a position where it might trouble a modest girl-friend, if such still exist. It is sad that M.G., of all people, no longer provide a fly-off handbrake.

The bucket seats are good but not outstanding, the cushion more comfortable than the squab on a long driving stint, but they hold the driver firmly; the seat backs tilt forward to facilitate removing luggage or enabling dogs to remove themselves from the back ledge. This, for some unaccountable reason, has a deep upholstered cushion, elaborately arranged to hinge up after press-buttons had been freed, presumably for access to the axle. As it is so high that no adult and not every canine would feel secure when sitting on it, the purpose of this elaboration eluded me. A plain shelf for luggage would be more sensible. Perhaps the strain of car-styling produces children with stumps in lieu of legs but the wider public, outside such drawing offices, usually has active offspring with two equal-length legs and these cannot occupy sports-car back seats of this oddly-dimensioned kind, so may we go back to pure z-seaters, please? Perhaps, however, someone thinks a Midget is a car for midgets?

The boot lid locks, and, opened, has to be supported by a crude bent-wire prop that is difficult to stow. The boot-lid handle was also difficult to turn after closing the lid. The boot carries the spare wheel, horizontally on the floor, and hood sticks, tools, etc., in a bag strapped to the forward wall. There is still plenty of room for the kind of luggage sports-car owners are likely to want to take with them.

The bonnet lid also has to be propped open, after which the carburetters with their separate Coopers air cleaners, the Champion plugs, fillers, dip-stick and Lucas battery are all very accessible. The Lucas sealed-beam headlamps are, of course, normally located, unlike those on earlier Sprites, and very effective, and the test car had safety-belts (which I didn't use).

The interior of the car is somewhat cramped, as there is a propeller shaft tunnel between the seats, but the absence of windup windows provides ample elbow-room. The interior, pressdown door handles are set well back, where they are unlikely to be inadvertently operated and the hood has a big rear panel and subsidiary transparent panels at the back.

In Action

If this M.G. seems a bit skimped when one makes a critical examination of it, the modest basic price of less than £495 (under £165 surely, by pre-war values?) must be taken into account. Once you start to drive it, and assuming you can appreciate a sports car, the Midget is quickly taken at its face value and is great fun. The engine could be called rough, and there is a good deal of noise, including gear whine, although the latter is in character and less obtrusive than that from many vintage sports cars. The gear-lever rattles at about two-thirds up the rev. range but the engine goes up to 6,500 and even to 7,000 r.p.m, assuming the tachometer had not been " tuned," as I experienced on one Press M.G. before the war. .

The performance is somewhat deceptive, because the speedometer flatters the driver to a considerable degree. It goes easily and eagerly to 70 m.p.h, and on to 80 m.p.h, on long straights, but in fact the M.G. is then doing 63 and 72 m.p.h., respectively; at 40 m.p.h, the reading is 4 m.p.h, fast, at 50, 5 m.p.h. fast, at 60, 6 m.p.h, optimistic. The genuine maxima in the gears, pushing the needle of the tachometer well" into the red," whereas peak power is developed some 1,000 r.p.m. lower, are 32, 54 and 74 m.p.h, At approximately 5,000 r.p.m, in top gear the true speed is 76 1/2 m.p.h. and a very long run is necessary to obtain the flat-out maximum of 92 m.p.h.

Less important than recorded performance, however, is the manner in which this willing little sporting 2-seater gets about. It feels .safe and predictable, has good brakes and plenty of acceleration,

The gearbox is a delight, the lever going through well, if a shade stiffly, bottom gear reasonably easy to engage in spite of crash cogs on this ratio, reverse easy to find beyond top gear.

The suspension is quite firm, as sudden shocks at the steering wheel and momentary deflection from a straight course over severe bumps conveys, but it is notably comfortable for this type of car. Roll is absent, cornering virtually neutral, tail slides can be checked quickly with positive rack-and-pinion steering. This is geared 2 1/5-turns, lock-to-lock, and has useful, never fierce, castor-return action. The-brakes are light, powerful, and vice-free except for very occasional rubbing sounds from the pads. This is essentially a little car to enjoy, in which to breathe fresh air. It is a taut car to fling through the curves when Mr. Eyles isn't looking—nor are the Dunlop "Gold Seal" C41s likely to attract attention by squealing. The Exhaust note shows spirit but is unlikely to prove offensive if the driver uses normal discretion.

Wile this M.G. Midget is no racer, its acceleration, to corrected speeds, two-up on a dry track, was timed as shown below

0-30 m.p.h. 4.85 sec. ( 4.8 sec.)

0-40 m.p.h. 7.90 sec. ( 7.8 sec.)

0-50 m.p.h. 11.25 sec. (11.0 sec.)

0-60 m.p.h. 16.20 sec. (16.2 sec.)

0-70 m.p.h. 23.00 sec. (22.8 sec.)

s.s, i -mile 19.55 sec. (20.0 sec.)

The unbracketed times are averages of two runs; the best times are within brackets. The performance has to be related to economy and here the Midget is very impressive. A fuel consumption check over a big mileage, embracing almost every road and traffic condition gave 39.2 m.p.g. The tank is said to hold 6 gallons but takes less than 5 if the range, brimful to empty, of 163 is any criterion. The filler cap is unsecured and not of quick-action type as on the Spitfire. Although the engine likes 100-octane fuel and I gave it Esso Golden and Super Shell and B.P. Super Plus when I could get it, there was very muffled protest on normal premium petrol. Even after performance testing the ignition cut clean and starting was instantanious after nights in the open, although the knob marked "C" was needed for a while before the engine would pull. No faults developed in a strenuous test of 890 miles and at the end half-a-pint of Castrol restored the sump level.

I am not too old to enjoy a sports car and this M.G. Midget, so inexpensive and so economical to run, and smart in its good red cellulose and durable-looking black p.v.c. upholstery, would be very acceptable as a companion to the Editorial Morris 1100 from the same manufacturing source. At its inclusive price of £598 13s. 7d. I can forgive a certain out-dated crudity in its minor details. This is the best M.G. Midget yet, a small sports car at one with its driver and, I repeat, enormous fun. — W.B.