1967 BSA 650cc Spitfire Mk III Special, Frame no. A65SA4919 Engine no. A65SA4919-Y

1967 BSA 650cc Spitfire Mk III Special
Frame no. A65SA4919
Engine no. A65SA4919-Y
Unveiled in 1966, the first of the "Mark" series of Spitfires immediately became BSA's top guns. Based on the twin-carb Lightning, the Spitfire got a power bump via higher-compression pistons, a special cam and sporty open-bellmouth Amal GP carburetors; the changes good for a claimed 53bhp from the 650cc twin. The fastest standard BSA produced to that date, it wowed the UK's Motor Cycle magazine with a best run at 123mph and two-way average of 119mph. The Spitfire was used by traveling marshals at the 1967 Isle of Man TT races – no duty for slow pokes.

U.S. journalists were also taken with the Spitfire, a stylish machine by way of its flashy two-tone paint, Dunlop aluminum rims, racy 190mm front brake, lots of chrome and polished alloy, special decals and a jaunty (if somewhat short-range) 2gal. gas tank. "The Bomb from Birmingham," wrote Cycle World magazine, calling the BSA a prime example of a road-burner, and noting that "such motorcycles are not made for economy, in either purchase price or daily operation – they are made to go, and to look good and sound sporty." The magazine radar-gunned its Spitfire tester at 117mph, making it at the time the fastest under-750cc street bike CW had ever tested.

This matching-numbers 1967 Spitfire is a Mk.III variant, meaning it runs Amal Concentric carburetors with twin pancake-style air filters in a nod towards civility and engine longevity. The recipient of a full restoration in 2009, it has been ridden sparingly since, the odometer now showing less than 300 miles.