The Supermarine Spitfire is perhaps the most famous and recognizable war plane the Allies had during World War II. To this day, 80 years after first entering service with 19 Squadron of the Royal Air Force, it is still a source of inspiration for the creators of various items.
Custom bike builders take a particular interest in airplanes in general and in the Spitfire in particular. The latest such nod to the plane that saved Britain back in the day comes from Switzerland and is called simply that: Spitfire.
Built by VTR Customs with the help of Dutch watchmaker TW Steel, the Spitfire is based on a BMW Motorrad R1200R. The original bike has been extensively modified, including by extending the front end by 20 cm (7.8 inches).
The most striking changes were however done to the bike’s outer hull. Using raw metal, hammers and no computers for the design, VTR managed to mold a handcrafted body to resemble the iconic fighter.
“We faced many challenges we have never thought of,” said VTR in a statement.
“We love what we do though, and this touches our hearts, taking something iconic and bringing it into the future. The fact it’s building towards a race ready bike is something we are used to as racers, but making Spitfire race ready is another step.”
The motorcycle was taken for a spin this week, ridden by VTR factory pilot Amelie Mooseder. You can see the bike in action in the video below.
Unfortunately, there is no word on the performances of the motorcycle, nor are any details available on whether more than one would ever get made.
Being a collaboration between several companies, the BMW Spitfire is accompanied by a TW Steel timepiece. Part of the ACE Spitfire series, the watch comes with a Swiss Sellita SW510 automatic chronograph movement adorned with 27 jewels.
Daniel loves writing (or so he claims), and he uses this skill to offer readers a "behind the scenes" look at the automotive industry. He also enjoys talking about space exploration and robots, because in his view the only way forward for humanity is away from this planet, in metal bodies. Full profile
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