The Hairdresser Mysteries on BBC One: Lily Petal drives a classic British convertible, but what model is it?
Talk about arriving in style!
The Hairdressers Mysteries is a brand new cosy crime on BBC One which delivers a protagonist it’s hard not to like – and Lily’s levels of cool are seriously elevated by the car she drives.
Honestly, we’re not usually impressed by such materialistic matters. Save that for Top Gear. But Lily Petal’s car deserves some recognition. Not least because it is in perfect keeping with her 70s aesthetic.
Hairdresser Lily Petal leaves London for a (supposedly) quieter life in a small historic town in the West Midlands. She buys a small hairdressers at the top of a quaint cobbled street, and decks it out with all things retro. We’re talking migraine-inducing floral patterns and prints, old-school dial phones, and vintage nicknacks.
Lily is obsessed with everything 70s, from her clothes, to her decor, to her music taste. And, yes, The Hairdresser Mysteries leading lady Lily Petal has a car straight out of the 70s…
What car does Lily drive in The Hairdresser Mysteries?
In the very first moments of the new BBC One cosy crime drama, Sally Phillips’ character Lily Petal arrives in the sleepy town of Blossom Vale with a bang. Or rather some very loud music blaring from her car radio (specifically T. Rex’s 20th Century Boy). Way to impress her new neighbours!
Lily’s car is something to behold. In a striking yellow colour, the vehicle looks like it could take her straight back to the 70s.
In fact, Triumph manufactured the car in 1976. It’s a classic yellow British Triumph Spitfire 1500 convertible. Petrol heads might want to know that the cylinder capacity is 1493 cc. It generally came in either Inca Yellow or Mimosa Yellow.
When it was first released, the Triumph Spitfire was famous for being an “affordable” open-top British sports car. Styled by Italian designer Giovanni Michelotti, its sleek, low-slung lines made it look fast and expensive, even though it was relatively cheap to buy and run.
Over an 18-year run (1962 to 1980), Triumph built over 300,000 Spitfires across five versions. The car manufacturer exported a huge 75% of these, with the US market making up nearly half of all sales. Triumph named the car after the famed Supermarine Spitfire fighter plane of World War II.
Do Triumph still make cars?
Triumph discontinued the model in 1980. They made the decision in the August of that year because the car could not meet strict new Californian emissions regulations, and California made up half of its sales.
The model that Lily drives in The Hairdresser Mysteries was sold for £2,000 in 2010. They are very popular cars and highly fixable. You can find them across the UK at classic car dealerships and through private sellers. Prices typically range between £6,000 and £15,000 depending on the model’s condition.
The original Triumph Motor Company no longer mass-produces cars. The brand was officially retired in 1984. However, the famous marque’s rights are now owned by BMW, which occasionally sparks rumours of a revival, such as the electric Triumph TR25 concept car created by design house Makkina.
While the car manufacturing ceased, the separate Triumph Motorcycles division remains an extremely successful, independently operated company. Anyone who has watched The Pitt series 2 will know that Dr Michael ‘Robby’ Robinavitch rides a vintage 1970s Triumph Bonneville.
Read more: DI Thomas Lynley’s vintage car is ‘star of the show’ in the detective drama
