Triumph Herald

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triumph
Triumph Herald Convertible (1961)
Triumph Herald Convertible (1961)
Herald
Production period: 1959-1971
Class : Lower middle class
Body versions : Limousine , station wagon , panel van , coupe , convertible
Engines:
Petrol engines : 0.95-1.3 liters
(29-43 kW)
Length: 3886 mm
Width: 1524 mm
Height: 1321 mm
Wheelbase : 2311 mm
Empty weight : 725-865 kg
Previous model Standard Eight
Standard Ten
successor Triumph Toledo
Triumph Herald 948 Convertible (1962)

The Triumph Herald was a lower middle class two-door car introduced by the Standard Triumph Company in 1959 . The body was designed by the Italian designer Giovanni Michelotti and was offered as a sedan (“saloon”), convertible (“convertible”), coupé and in various station wagon variants.

A new lower middle class car

Towards the end of the 1950s , Standard-Triumph enjoyed great success with its wide range of sporty two-seater models, which complemented the range of models in addition to standard sedans. In this range the stand Standard 8 /10 , that of a small (803 cc or 948 cc) four-cylinder engine was driven in its home market to compete with Morris Minor , Ford Popular and Austin A35 . In Germany it represented the same vehicle class as VW Beetle , Lloyd Arabella , DKW Junior or Renault Dauphine . Nevertheless, the simple-looking Standard 8 and 10 were not a great production success. A model change became necessary towards the end of the 1950s, and Standard-Triumph began development of the Herald in 1956 under the direction of then Director Alick Dick .

At the suggestion of the then technical director Henry George Webster , the Italian designer Giovanni Michelotti was commissioned in September 1957 to develop design proposals for the “Zobo” project. Shortly before Christmas 1957, he presented a model in the form of the Herald Coupé. The one-piece bonnet, which can be tilted forwards in unison with the wheel arches, was realized by Standard-Triumph, a departure from the original Michelotti concept. With a modern design, the Herald stood out from the contemporary cars both in Great Britain and on the continent. The company opted for a separate chassis instead of a self-supporting body, as Standard-Triumph did not have its own body presses at the time. The previous body supplier Fisher & Ludlow had already been taken over by the competitor British Motor Corporation (BMC) in 1953 , and when the contracts expired in 1959, the delivery commitment to Standard-Triumph ended. Since you could only order smaller body parts on the free market, you had to hold on to the double tube frame on which the vehicle was screwed together from individual body parts. Each body part, including the door sills and the roof, was bolted to the rest of the body and could be dismantled individually. This construction method offered several advantages: the convertible and station wagon versions were already on sale two years after the model appeared on April 22, 1959, and the coupé and sedan versions were the first models to appear.

The new Herald was a combination of traditional and modern technology. He received the drive unit of the Standard 10, a four-cylinder engine with 948 cm³ with an underneath camshaft , whose four-speed gearbox drove the rear axle and whose first gear was not synchronized. An overdrive could be ordered on request . The rack and pinion steering and the double wishbone suspension of the front wheels resulted in an exceptionally small turning circle of 7.60 meters. The length-adjustable steering column, which also gave way in head-on collisions, was new for the time . The rear independent wheel suspension with a pendulum half -axle with longitudinal thrust struts and an overhead transverse leaf spring was a new development from Triumph. However, this axis led to problems in driving behavior. The Herald had drum brakes at the front and rear . It was not until the 13/60 that front disc brakes became standard equipment. The design was angular and modern, in the style of the time the body had hinted tail fins , while the interior looked unusually light and spacious thanks to the large windows. In the sedan, the instrument displays were limited to a speedometer and a fuel gauge (a coolant temperature gauge was available as an option), which were inserted into a gray plastic dashboard. The dashboard of the coupé was equipped as standard with a speedometer, a petrol and cooling water temperature display and a lockable glove compartment . The center shift was adopted from the previous models. The vehicle was carpeted and heated. The Herald was offered in a wide range of contemporary paintwork, with extras including dual carburetors , leather seats, a wooden dashboard, Telaflo shock absorbers and front disc brakes.

The new car was received fairly well by the public but was not an immediate sales hit, possibly because of the high price of £ 700, including a 45% purchase tax, which made it more expensive than most competing models. The separate chassis initially led to much criticism of the vehicle's fragile structure. The engine accelerated the vehicle from 0 to 100 km / h in about 31 seconds. The top speed was 112 km / h. The rear suspension on pendulum axles with variable camber was criticized because of its surprising reactions at the limit, especially in the more powerfully motorized variants and in the Vitesse model (all except MKII). The smooth steering was viewed positively, as was the excellent visibility, which made the Herald a popular vehicle for driving schools . The simple repair options were also an incentive to buy. The owners also enjoyed cheaper insurance premiums because of the security granted, which was based on the rigid double tube frame.

The Herald was repeatedly positively highlighted by the GDR's specialist press .

The Herald 1200

Triumph Herald 1200 Saloon (1968)
Triumph Herald 1200 Cabriolet

Standard Triumph had great expectations for the new car; the company was in serious financial difficulties in the early 1960s and was taken over by Leyland Motors in 1961 . This opened up new development resources for the Herald, which was repositioned on the market with a 1147 cm³ unit. The new version surprised with a number of detail changes including white rubber bumpers, a wooden dashboard and improved seats. The quality control has been improved. The double carburetors were no longer available for the standard version, but remained on offer as an option. A single Stromberg carburetor was used as standard . Disc brakes were available as an option shortly after the introduction of the Herald 1200 . The revised vehicle had improved drivability, and registrations rose despite growing competition with the BMC Mini and the Ford Anglia .

The other versions of the Herald also sold well; the convertible with its fully retractable top became popular as a true four-seater, and the station wagon became a practical alternative to the Morris Minor Traveler. The Triumph Courier delivery van - a modified version of the Herald station wagon with steel side walls - was manufactured from 1962 to 1964, until it was removed from the model range due to insufficient numbers. The coupé was also withdrawn from the range towards the end of 1964, as the Triumph Spitfire had largely occupied its market niche. A sportier version, the 12/50 , was offered from 1963 to 1967, which had an engine with increased output, a Webasto vinyl roof and disc brakes as standard.

The Herald 13/60

Triumph Herald 13/60 Estate (1970)

In 1967 the Herald was revised again with the introduction of the 13/60. The front was retouched by taking over the front hood of the Triumph Vitesse, but retaining two headlights, which gave it a sleek and modern appearance. The interior was thoroughly redesigned, a still wooden dashboard was installed with a new switch arrangement. A clever increase in space was created for the rear passengers by relocating the armrests in the side paneling of the doors. The engine was bored out to 1296 cm³ and combined with a Stromberg carburetor, which led to an increase in performance. Front disc brakes became standard. In this version (although the 1200 sedan continued to be sold until 1970) the Herald was produced until 1971, with its design certainly looking outdated, but not in terms of performance. It outlasted the introduction of the Triumph 1300 , which was designed as its successor, and sold relatively well. In the newer model range from BLMC , however, it had no more space, not least because the production was still very labor-intensive and it ultimately only sold at a loss.

Standard-Triumph's decision to build a new small car in the late 1950s turned out to be a sensible strategy. The total number of all Herald models was 510,614 copies. Thanks to the chassis, there was no need to be limited to a few model variants to ensure high numbers of items per press tool . Sedan, convertible, station wagon, coupé and delivery van were only part of the Herald concept from Standard-Triumph: The Triumph Vitesse , which, in addition to its higher engine version with a 1.6 liter or later 2 liter six-cylinder engine, is outwardly different from the Herald inclined double headlights differed, including the Triumph GT6 and the Triumph Spitfire, they were all based on a modified Herald chassis and contributed to the great success of the company.

Triumph Vitesse Convertible (1970)

Today's distribution of the Triumph Herald

Nowadays there are still a large number of Herald models in Great Britain that survived thanks to many enthusiasts and a very good supply of spare parts. Sedan and convertible versions are widespread, station wagons are rare, and coupes are extremely rare. The rarest version is the Courier delivery van, of which only a handful of known specimens remain. Always popular with driving schools, the vehicles still arouse nostalgia among a large number of people who learned to drive at the Herald or used it every day. Though Standard Triumph did not survive as an independent car manufacturer, the Triumph Herald wrote a significant chapter in British automotive history.

Production numbers

  • Herald 948 Saloon and S / 1959–1962: 76,860 copies
  • Herald Coupé / 1959–1961: 15,153 copies
  • Herald 948 Convertible / 1960–1961: 8,262 copies
  • Herald 1200 Saloon / 1961–1970: 201,142 copies
  • Herald 1200 Coupe / 1961–1970: 5,319 copies
  • Herald 1200 Convertible / 1961–1968: 43,295 copies
  • Herald 1200 Estate / 1961–1968: 39,819 copies
  • Herald 12/50 Saloon / 1962–1967: 53,267 copies
  • Herald 13/60 Saloon / 1966–1971: 38,886 copies
  • Herald 13/60 “Sunroof” Saloon / 1966–1971: 1,547 copies
  • Herald 13/60 Estate / 1966–1971: 15,476 copies
  • Herald 13/60 Convertible / 1966–1971: 11,772 copies
  • Herald 13/60 CKD / 1966–1971: 14,978 copies

Web links

Commons : Triumph Herald  - collection of images, videos and audio files

literature

  • Ball, Kenneth: Triumph Herald 1969–1971 , Autobook, Autopress Ltd., Second Edition 1973, ISBN 0-85147-235-4
  • Langworth, Richard; Robson, Graham: Triumph Cars - The Complete 75-Year History ; Motor Racing Publications, London, 1979, ISBN 0-900549-44-0
  • Langworth, Richard; Robson, Graham: Triumph Cars - The Complete Story ; Motor Racing Publications, 1991, ISBN 0-947981-28-4
  • Graham Robson: Triumph Herald and Vitesse: The Complete Story . The Crowood Press Ltd (July 28, 1997), ISBN 1-86126-050-4

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Triumph Herald - a small car in sectional construction. In: Motor Vehicle Technology 8/1959, pp. 331–332 and 9/1961, pp. 381–382.
  2. ↑ Conversion kits for Triumph "Herald" 1200 . In: Motor Vehicle Technology 6/1962, pp. 249–250.
  3. ↑ Conversion kits for Triumph "Herald" 1200 . In: Motor Vehicle Technology 6/1962, pp. 249–250.