As part of the U.S. press introduction of the Triumph Herald in 1960, a factory Herald Build Team assembled a coupe from its components as the writers looked on. Mike Cook, who was a part of the team, writes about the experience in his hugely entertaining Triumph Cars in America:
We attached body sections, installed seats and battery, and hooked up hydraulics and wires, while Alan [Bethell] discussed the independent suspension, the unique forward-opening hood, which revealed not only the engine but the front suspension, and safety items, like the crushable dash made of compressed fiber, and the collapsible steering column. Members of the audience craned their necks and even stood on chairs to see the process. When we closed the bonnet and stood back, Alan marched over from the podium, entered the car, sat down, and twisted the key. The engine roared to life and he demonstrated the Herald’s famous lock (turning circle) of 24 feet, by driving it in a circle in front of the press, who applauded boisterously. We were a hit!
The Herald was a hit around the world, too, with a production run of more than 510,000. Designed as the replacement for Standard-Triumph’s small cars, the Herald was offered in sedan, coupe and convertible form, and became the first of many Triumph products to be styled by Giovanni Michelotti. Even in 1960, the car’s body-on-frame construction was somewhat dated, but it was employed out of necessity; rival BMC had bought up Standard-Triumph’s former body supplier, Fisher & Ludlow, and the only other company that might have been able to supply unit-bodies, Pressed Steel, was alredy running at capacity. The Herald’s body panels could be produced by smaller suppliers.
The first Heralds used the 948-cc four-cylinder engine inherited from the previous Standard 10. The Herald 1200 range was introduced in April 1961, with a 1,147-cc version of the inline-four. A station wagon was added in May 1961, followed by a Courier van in October 1962. Front disc brakes became optional in October 1961. The final variant, the 13/60, appeared in October 1967; it shared its 1,296-cc four-cylinder engine with the Triumph 1300. The Herald stayed in production until 1971.
This 1966 Triumph Herald 1200 convertible for sale on Hemmings.com is advertised as being in original condition, with a little over 55,000 miles on the odometer. Though the seller’s description is somewhat cryptic, we can see that the car has benefited from an alternator conversion, at least.
Contemporary ads pointed out that, while the Herald was the lowest-priced convertible available in America, at $1,949, it still offered bucket seats, a four-speed transmission, four-wheel independent suspension, rack-and-pinion steering and a top speed in excess of 80 MPH. These are usable and unusual cars that are easy to keep running, thanks to the many components they share with the Triumph Spitfire, a car derived from the Herald. If originality isn’t your thing, there are any number of performance upgrades developed for the Spitfire that will work just as well on the Herald.
From the seller’s description:
1966 Triumph Herald, 55,374 miles, original condition. Very solid, runs and drives great, view pictures online.
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