Spitfire Spitfire Center Caps-What's the Deal?

[This14u]

Just blasted, primed & painted my '80 Spit steel wheels. Took a look at the center caps (plastic cover w/ Triumph logo) and they appear to have been painted black by the PO. VB lists the caps only in silver. What color were they originally? I've seen as many silver as black-different colors for different years?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Andrew Mace]

Beginning with their introduction in 1971, the caps were black plastic. Somewhere around 1975 (I think), they changed to silver. (Can't say if the silver was paint or molded in; my experience is solely with the earlier black caps.)

 

[71MKIV]

the silver caps also have a rounded edge at the center logo, while the black ones have a sharp edge.

The 80 should have had the rounded silver ones.