Triumph Spitfire Mk3 - Mdina Grand Prix, Malta - Number 28 with Period Hardtop

A dark green Triumph Spitfire Mk3 carrying race number 28 and fitted with a period hardtop passes through the Mdina Grand Prix course in Malta.

This photograph captures a dark green Triumph Spitfire Mk3 carrying race number 28 during the Mdina Grand Prix in Malta. Viewed from the rear three-quarter angle, the compact British sports car displays its flowing rear wings, chrome bumpers and distinctive removable hardtop with a large wraparound rear window. Introduced in 1967, the Spitfire Mk3 represented a significant development of Triumph’s lightweight two-seat sports car and was powered by a 1,296 cc four-cylinder engine. The Spitfire itself had first appeared in 1962, combining attractive Italian-influenced styling with relatively simple mechanical components to create an affordable open sports car. Triumph also offered a detachable hardtop, allowing the roadster to be transformed into a more weather-resistant coupé while retaining its sporting character. The model developed a notable competition history, with Spitfires participating successfully in international and club-level motorsport. Seen here at the Mdina Grand Prix, the compact dimensions and lightweight construction that helped define the Spitfire remain particularly well suited to the event’s twisting road course.