I like to think it's being restored, and it got this far before pausing (probably for financial reasons).
It was more complete before the exhibition - the fin is the only bit that looks the same as it did last year! In fact looking elswhere, only the right side of the fuselage has been stripped...
http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/on-line/spitfire/images/Williams.jpgInterestingly, being a South Marston Spitfire, it hails from the same place as Honda Civics and CRVs...