Being built as an LF Mk IXc at Castle Bromwich, ML407 was delivered to 33 Maintenance Unit on April 23, 1944 to start a real international life. She was ferried to 485 Squadron of the Royal New Zealand Air Force on April 29. On December 28, 1944 it was reassigned to RAF 145 Wing of the 2^nd Tactical Air Force but on January 4, 1945 it joined 341 (Alsace) Squadron, a Free French unit in 131 Wing.

Subsequent units were 308 (Polish), 349 (Belgian), 345 (Free French), and 332 (Norwegian) Squadrons before returning to 485 RNZAF Squadron. After passing to 151 Recovery Unit in Belgium on April 26, 1945, ML407 returned to the United Kingdom and went into storage on September 27 that year.

After she was sold to Vickers on July 19, 1950, she was converted to a T Mk IX trainer as G15-175 and then joined the Irish Air Corps as IAC 162 on June 5, 1951. After retirement in 1960 it was offered for sale and on March 4, 1968 sold to N. Samuelson who sold it to Sir W.J.D Roberts in April 1970.

In August 1979 it became the property of Nick Grace and joined the civil register as G-LFIX on February 1, 1980. In the subsequent years she was rebuild to flying condition as T Mk XI by Nick Grace. Her first post-rebuild flight took place on April 16, 1985 and late that year Chris Horsley acquired a share in the aircraft.

Nick Grace quickly got a reputation as a phenomenal Spitfire pilot and flew ML407 in several movies, including Piece of Cake and Perfect Lady. Tragically, Nick Grace was killed in a car accident in 1988. His widow Carolyn Grace didn't part with ML407, she decided to learn to fly the Spitfire herself. She successfully completed her training and went solo in 1990. Since 1991 she got Display Authorisation and Aerobatic and Formation qualifications to her name.

ML407 is painted in the colours of 485 RNZAF Squadron who she served during the Second World War as LF Mk IXc. The code OU-V represents the Spitfire of Johnnie Houlton with who she shot down a Junkers Ju-88 on D-Day 1944.

The Spitfire's home is in Hangar Two at the Imperial War Museum in Duxford, Cambridgeshire, UK. Carolyn flies the Grace Spitfire at many airshows, both public and private around the UK and continental Europe

Supermarine Spitfire TR Mk IXc
G-LFIX - ML407/OU-V