FATHER AND SON CLASSICS - MGB GT V TRIUMPH SPITFRE 1500

This year, Lancaster Insurance Services was delighted to host on their NEC stand two British sports cars owned by a father and son. Paul Clappison’s 1973 model MGB GT will be familiar to many readers as it won the Lancaster Insurance Pride of Ownership competition in the 2018 Practical Classics Classic Car & Restoration Show. It was also our Car of the Month for April 2019. Meanwhile, Jake Clappison followed the path of Canley rather than Abingdon. Last year, his 1979 Inca Yellow Triumph Spitfire 1500 took first place in the Lancaster Insurance Classic Motor Show’s Pride of Ownership.

The MGB GT made its bow at the 1965 Earls Court Motor Show, three years after the Roadster. Paul thinks the design still looks current today, and the coupe proved so popular that it increased B sales by over 40%. The Clappison MG was first registered on the 13^th November 1972, and when he came by his MG in 2017, it was in “good overall condition. I was looking for a rust-free example that could be improved on to show level”.

Over the past five years, Paul has devoted a great deal of time to ensure his MG is in better than showroom condition:

The paint is smooth as glass on show days as I spend weeks preparing the car prior to a show. I also replaced the rear screen, trim, and bumper and added various finishing touches to the interior and engine bay while also maintaining a lot of the originality, including restoring the original steering wheel. The wheels are 24 years old, and I spend three hours a corner to get them to look as good as possible on show days.

Of course, his son’s Triumph looks equally splendid, and Jake acquired it in 2019 thanks to his father - “I only knew about it two weeks before purchase”. JBJ 921 V is a very late example of the Spitfire 1500, as the final model left the factory in August 1980. The Triumph was originally painted in white, but another owner subsequently decided on the distinctive Inca Yellow finish.

As with Paul’s MG, the Spitfire underwent extensive restoration, and today it still possesses its original ‘Passport to Service’ book. It is Jake’s first ‘traditional’ sports car, and he points out that his winning the Pride of Ownership was also down to the help he received from his father and girlfriend. “I started shaking in shock when I heard my name mentioned; I had hoped for third place but never thought that I would win.”

Today, the B GT and the Spitfire are now part of the Clappisons family. As to whether there are any spirited father/son debates concerning the respective merits of MG versus Triumph – we’ll let them tell you!