This is the exceptionally rare Sebring GT hardtop for the Triumph Spitfire, and belongs to Sylvain G in France. It is an original W&P item and was acquired after a lengthy search by Sylvain. Sylvain is also helping us to track down three other Spitfire Sebring GT hardtops in the UK.

In Sylvain's own words:

"I was pretty sure my hardtop would be a W&P, although it is very difficult to find information concerning this type of conversion. Thanks too for your coment: "If the fibreglass has colour all the way through, it is an early original W&P. If it is just painted fibreglass, it was probably made by Fibresports". I can now tell you it is an early original one. Indeed, the hardtop has some cracks and in each crack I can see colour all the way through of the fiberglass. It is very rigid and not thin as the fibreglass hard tops sold nowadays by parts suppliers. I have ever seen other hardtops similar to mine in the UK and for the MKIV and 1500 Spitfire: I know of a white, a yellow and a black one. I am not certain, but I am pretty sure the difference between an early W&P and the later Fibresports manufactured hardtops could be the small slot under the fuel cap and the special trims/panels inside (all around the driver and passenger windows, windscreen and around the rear side windows): I haven't seen them on the other hard tops that I know about ... I could be wrong but from my point of view these could be the differences. I have sent a picture showing a Lotus Elan Shapecraft: an Elan with an alloy fastback hardtop. On the picture, the general shapes are very similar, the shape of the window too. The Elan Shapecraft is my dream car and is the beginning of the story, and the reason why I looked for a Sebring hardtop for my Spitfire".

Many thanks to Sylvain for the use of his photographs and text.

above: rear three quarters view - note central raised fuel filler cap; below upper: side profile; below lower: the Lotus Elan Shapecraft