|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Copyright ©2000-2007
by Eric Kieboom &
Jacob Poortstra
All Rights Reserved
|
|
 |
Front page of 1975 US sales brochure. Note tasteful seventies colours. |
 |
Opening the brochure, we're immediately confronted with a truly nice two-page spread of a carefully staged picture showing a Mimosa yellow, US-spec (see side repeaters) Spitfire 1500, with a not entirely unpretty girl in it. She is looking a bit dreamy-eyed into the camera, though, so we must wonder what she's been drinking/smoking. Ah well, these were the seventies, after all.
The text is banging on about British racing green and tradition and all that. |
 |
"There's no discounting the appeal of its shapely lines, a blend of the science of aerodynamics and the art of Turin designer Giovanni Michelotti". Yes, it's a pretty car, outwardly designed by the same man who designed many cars of the same era: BMW's, Alpine Renaults, DAF's...
Other selling points used here are the tiny turning circle, syncro on all gears (first gear was unsynchronised until the advent of the 1500, with its three-rail gearbox) and "the optional Laycock overdrive". That must have baffled some Merkins. |
 |
Late Merkin Spitfires came with catalytic converters, so they used "unleaded gasoline, for lower emissions and longer spark plug life". Yeah, sure.
The text says "both the blades and arms of the windshield wipers in matte black", but the pictures clearly show them in gleaming stainless steel and according to all sources I know, they weren't changed to black until March of 1977, at which time the door handle escutcheons became also black, the steering wheel switchgear changed to the TR7 type and the seat upholstery was changed to houndstooth cloth.
Note: US market Spitfires were delivered with the optional-for-other-markets map reading light as standard. |
 |
Yet more pictures and information about the optional steel hardtop, the 'luggage compartment', 'chromed oil filler cap' (very important!), the 'infinitely variable dashboard lighting' (for US markets only) and the 'caliper-type disc brakes' - have there ever been any other type of disc brakes on cars than caliper-type? |
 |
Here's some more text explaining what's in the pictures on the previous page ("seats deeply pleated in expanded PVC leathercloth", "unmatched access to the engine") and touches on one of the great Triumph marketing tools of the day: racing. There are also technical specs of the car. |
 |
And so we come to the rear cover of the brochure, with that pretty girl again, long blond hair carefully draped over the passenger door of the even prettier car she's sitting in. The bloke standing next to the car is asking if she's going to sit in the car all day and the three cyclists in the background are doing endless circles and figures of eight. Ah, don't you just love marketing?
Note the big US-spec rear bumper, bumper guards and number plate lights. Oh, and "look Ma: no number plate!" |
<< Back to sales brochures index
|
