Triumph Herald 13/60
Reviewed by Unique Cars and Parts
Our Rating: 2
Introduction
The last derivative of the successful Herald range appeared in
1967, the Herald 13/60. The 13/60, as the name suggests, used a 1300 (1296cc), 60 (61bhp) engine shared with the Spitfire. This lively little engine ensured that the Herald could still keep its sporty, economical performance that had made it so popular when it first appeared.
The front end was restyled using a bonnet similar to the Triumph Vitesse to give a sleeker, more modern appearance and the interior substantially revised, though still featuring the traditional wooden dashboard. Maximising space, the designers incorporated a clever armrest which could be recessed in each side panel.
The engine was enlarged to 1296 cc and fiited with a Stromberg carburettor, offering 61 bhp (45 kW) and much improved performance; front disc brakes became standard. In this form (though the 1200 saloon was sold alongside it until 1970) the Herald lasted until 1971, by which time it was severely outdated in style but not performance.
It had already outlived the introduction of the Triumph 1300 Saloon, the car designed to replace it, and was still selling reasonably well, but it no longer had a place among the range of newer cars in the large British Leyland line-up. Also, due to its labour-intensive method of construction, each car was selling at a loss.
The decision of Triumph to build a new small car in the late 1950s paid off handsomely. Total Herald sales numbered well over 300,000, thanks in no small part to the number of variants made possible by its separate chassis design.
Saloon, convertible, estate, coupe and van were only a small part of the Herald's total contribution to the Standard-Triumph range: the Triumph Vitesse, Triumph Spitfire and Triumph GT6 were all based around modified Herald chassis and running gear with bolt-together bodies and were hugely successful for the company. The Vitesse front suspension was used as the basis of 1960s Lotus cars.
To distinguish the 13/60 from earlier Herald models look for the revised grille and bonnet, as previously mentioned these being similar in style to the six cylinder Triumph Vitesse model.
