Since we are on the subject, I'll just go ahead and share the entire
list of the Mk3 and MkIV I got from the BMIHT. You can draw from it
whatever conclusions you will!
MK3
===
Jan 67 First Mk3 Prefix: FD Serial #: 4
(1, 2 and 3 not found)
Dec 67 First 68 Model Prefix: FD Serial #: 20000
Jan 68 First 67 Model in 68 Prefix: FD Serial #: 15302
Apr 68 Last '67 Model Prefix: FD Serial #: 16515
?? 68 First US export Model Prefix: FDU Serial #: approx. 31000
Jan 69 First car in 1969 Prefix: FD/FDU Serial #: approx. 39434
?? 69 Last 69 model Prefix: FD/FDU Serial #: approx. 51949
Aug 69 First 70 model Prefix: FD/FDU Serial #: 75000
Jan 70 First car in 70 Prefix: FD/FDU Serial #: 80803
Dec 70 Last Mk3 Prefix: FD/FDU Serial #: 92803
MKIV
===
Aug 70 First MkIV Prefix: FH/FK/FL Serial #: 3
(FK-US, FL=Sweden) (1 and 2 not found)
Jan 71 First Car in 71 Prefix: FH/FK/FL Serial #: 5127
?? 71 Last 71 Model Prefix: FH/FK/FL Serial #: 19612
Sep 71 First 72 Model Prefix: FH/FK/FL Serial #: 25001
Jan 72 First car in 72 Prefix: FH/FK/FL Serial #: 30978
Nov 72 Last 72 Model Prefix: FH/FK/FL Serial #: 45744
Oct 72 First 73 Model(non US) Prefix: FH Serial #: 50001
Jan 73 First MkIV in 73 Prefix: FH Serial #: 52514
?? 73 Last 73 Model MkIV Prefix: FH Serial #: 59387
Dec 73 First 74 Model MkIV Prefix: FH Serial #: 60001
Jan 74 First MkIV in 74 Prefix: FH Serial #: 61821
Nov 74 Last MkIV Prefix: FH Serial #: 64995
Andrew Mace wrote:
>
> Suzie wrote:
>
> > > This month's edition of Club Torque, the Club Triumph magazine included a
> > > bunch of figures including home & export quantities & chassis numbers for
> > > each mark.
> > >
> > > I'm rather confused as they quote the first set of Mk III chassis numbers
> > > as being from FD1 - FD15306. Does that mean that I've spent all that money
> > > on a non-existent car as Baby Blue is FD16410?
>
> I have data that suggests that FD15302 was the first Spitfire
> manufactured in calendar year (not model year) 1968. So perhaps all that
> was meant by "first set" is those cars manufactured in calendar year 1967?
>
> On Thu, 16 Mar 2000, Joe Curry noted:
>
> > It might be noted that new year models started at even numbers (i.e.
> > first 1970 model was FD75000) and the last of the year's models would
> > have stopped at some point before that. So they are not totally
> > inclusive.
>
> But that didn't always happen. The Mk3 Spare Parts Catalog clearly notes
> many, many items unique to the 1969 model year "Federal" Spitfire "Fitted
> from Commission No. FDU31254"; note that this car was built well before
> calendar year 1969, as the first calendar year 1969 Spitfire produced was
> around FD39376.
>
> > For the MkIV, production began in August 1970 with chassis number 3 and
> > continued through 64996. Prefix could have been FH, FK or FL. Just
> > like the Mk3, the MkIV year models started on major number sequences and
> > left gaps between that and the preceeding year. Just like the Mk3, the
> > Serial numbers 1 and 2 [as corrected by Joe in a later post] were
> > not found.
>
> No real idea here, but perhaps it is something akin to the situation with
> the early TR2's. After several prototypes, TS1LO and TS2 were the first
> two "off-tools" TR2s to be built 22 July 1953 (two days before yours
> truly). But these cars were virtually hand-assembled vehicles, both sent
> off to shows (#1 to Canada and #2 to Ireland). Could FH1 & 2 (and/or FK
> or FL as Joe notes) have been show cars as well? Anyone?
>
> --Andy
>
> * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
> * Andrew Mace, President and *
> * 10/Herald/Vitesse (Sports 6) Consultant *
> * Vintage Triumph Register <www.vtr.org> *
> * amace@unix2.nysed.gov *
> * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
--
"If you can't excel with talent, triumph with effort."
-- Dave Weinbaum in National Enquirer
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