My very first fettle was on my sister's 13/60. The fuel gauge stopped working and I figured out, aged 12, that the sensor in the tank was broken. I undid the tank, removed the sender unit (petrol everywhere) fixed the wiring and put it all back. My sister was absolutely delighted that it now worked. My dad had a nervous breakdown though, because, inspired by my success, my next fettle was on his Rover 2000. It didn't end well.
You just cannot beat a straight six for its sound track. They are also perfectly balanced and smooth. The Vitesse might well be on my shopping list once I retire.
I had a Mk 2 Vitesse convertible in the late 70s and it was brilliant. The diff failed on it, so I fitted a rebuilt herald diff (which had a different final drive ratio). It lowered the top speed, but the torque it created was amazing. You could pull away from standing in 4th gear on the flat! Once I clocked it from 0 - 60 in 8 seconds, starting in 2nd gear & going straight into 4th. The only engine mod I did was to fit electronic ignition. Fond memories! Funny story - I remember driving back from Ludlow towards Shrewsbury (on the A49 I think) one Sunday afternoon when I noticed a white Jag XJ6 coming up behind me at speed. I toyed with the idea of putting my foot down and having some fun with it, but decided not to as I wasn't in a rush. Anyway, we got to a straight stretch of road and the Jag passed me. Inside were 4 policemen and on the back was a plate which said "Police driver under instruction"!
Loved this video. My first car was a 1970 Herald 13/60. I bought it after graduation and absolutely loved it. You could open the bonnet, sit on the tyre and work on the engine. I remember running out of petrol once and then remembering it had a reserve fuel tank. A quick flick of a switch in the boot and I drove to the nearest fuel station. The wooden dashboard was beautiful. Great memories.
In 1972, when I was 18, I sold my 1966 Mini Countryman Reg:1666 D (wonder if the number still exists?) and bought a 1967 2 Litre Vitesse convertible, WJH 808E, with wire wheels and in exactly the same colour without the white flash, it was like a rocket ship compared to the Mini. It was in mint, one owner condition, but I gave it so much stick over the following 2 years that I got through eight splined rear wheel hub adapters, £10 per adapter, (I was earning £16 a week!) purchased from Doves spares dept. Green Lane Morden, they actually run out of stock because of me - rear outriggers re-welded five times and a new differential, but I loved it. Upgraded to TR6's after that. I still have my Fuel Ration Book for the Vitesse from the 1973 fuel crisis.
I love those cars. Actually in a GT6 gearbox rebuild with the addition of a genuine type D overdrive. Same engine, well the same as the Vitesse 2 litre. Thanks. And it feels good to be back! It has been too long and it hasn’t been the best of times for me. Edit: the starter and the idle sound are 100% the same as my GT6.
This made me rather nostalgic. I bought a MkII convertible in 2005 in Kent and drove it home on its own wheels, 300 miles to Cologne, Germany, in January. (It could have gone awfully wrong in many ways, but the weather was dry and sunny, the car didn’t miss a beat, and my brand new Metrinch toolkit stayed in the luggage.) I kept her for more than 10 years, until it was time to pass her on to someone who had a house with a shed, and knew his way around a multimeter in horseshoe mode much better than myself, as I got cornered by some gremlins of the house of Lucas. I perfectly agree with all of your assessments, Ian, although I never had reason to complain about the mildly disappointing wiper performance - my reason for getting new wipers was that the previous owner had been too skint to go for chrome ones, and the black arms looked terrible on her. She obviously never got used in rain, with the exception of a downpour during a classic car meeting, which proved what little good a tonneau cover does (the zip in the middle funnels everything on the transmission tunnel). In Germany of course, the car was even rarer and attracted a lot of attention. The ladies seemed to like it a lot - with the exception of my wife, sadly, which was part of why it got too little use in my custody. It must have been the sound, with that hint of Tom Jones in it, combined with the very harmless and nice looking small body. You can drive the car discreetly, as the engine has way more power than needed at low revs, but feeding her the beans in a tunnel reveals an inclination for trumpet solos that can be quite exhilarating when you’re in the mood. I had her in a box in a large underground garage for a year, and somehow parking always took longer than necessary, with a few laps of honour of several storeys, not just the one where my box was. Good times!
@@rorylyons277 I’m personally not a giant, otherwise I wouldn’t have fitted in a Vitesse, but believe it or not, I was referring exclusively to the car 😂
Does car body styling get any better than this? The Vitesse was beautiful with the angular wing tops at the front. It really suited the rest of the design, particularly the fantastic rear lights. It’s like a dart.
I had a Vitesse 2l in 1977 and my favorite thing to do was to pull up at a set of traffic lights next to a Capri. They, thinking it was just a herald, would smugly zoom away and then I would race past them! Great days!
My brother re-engineered his 13/60 by himself, welding in a vitesse style rear suspension. The car is still on the road today, 40 years later. Testament to the meccano style and flexibility of this car. I drove it for many months in the early eighties. Great soft -top fun.
Great cars, The Vitesse was one of the best small Triumph's. My wife has had both a 1600 MK1 convertible and a MK 2000 saloon. We have a Stag now whichw have owned for the last 43 years, (known as the Red Devil) it has a 666R registration. Cheers Bob
I have one in Belgium since 8 years now and I'll never sell this. She's not perfect but when I turn the key and hear the sound (original exhaust, not inox), it gives me the smile for all the drive. This is a wonderful car, not known so not expensive. She deserves every penny spent on this. Regards
Hubnut, the Mk2 rear suspension is a variant of double wishbone. It has a reversed lower wishbone, and uses a link to control fire-and-aft movement, as with the Herald suspension. The transverse leaf spring forms the upper wheel control in place of a wishbone. It's vastly better than a swing-axle rear. Only the Vitesse 2000 Mk2, and GT6 Mk2 and early Mk3 got it. Not a large number of cars.
Great review. I loved my 1970 Mk2 Vitesse convertible. May I recommend another channel: "County for Old Cars", our host, Sean, has two Vitesse convertibles - a Mk1 and a Mk2.
I had a white Mk2 convertible 1971 with overdrive for 30 years, but then had to get rid of it. I did nearly 80k miles in it in this time. It was great car owing to the engine. I fitted a stage 2 tuned head and exhaust extractor manifold, uprated Koni front suspension, uprated brakes and a stronger J-type over drive gearbox than the std D type with the period column stalk switch, Spitfire Mk3 steering rack which had fewer turns lock to lock and was therefore quicker. Aluminium rack mounts. Electric fan, straight through sports exhaust which made the engine sound gorgeous. Replaced the chassis out riggers with uprated ones to minimise chassis flex. Uprated the rear suspension with Koni adjustable units. Fitted larger tyres 175s I think on the Rostyle GT6 rims. It was a great car but time just caught up with it and it just wasn't quick enough anymore. The bonnet had begun to rot on the D plate corners and I lost interest in it and was into other cars like Lancia Delta Integrales so the Vitesse had to go. Looking back on my Vitesse ownership, one of the most memorable moments was breaking down outside the gates of Buckingham Palace in the pouring rain on Christmas Day in around 1984 with my sister as passenger travelling to our Granny's place for Christmas lunch in South London which we never made arriving very late on Christmas day afternoon on the back of an RAC recovery truck. My sister has never forgiven me for this. Would I have another? Maybe but then maybe not. If a TR5 came along at the right price then for sure. I was offered one in BRG for £2k in the mid 1980s. So wish I had bought it as they are now silly money unlike the Vitesse.
Ah, the Triumph Herald / Vitesse - exquisite cars - the design is wonderful, as were all of Michelotti’s designs for Triumph. I would imagine that owning one of these would have been a big deal in the 60s. Lovely!
Loved this - reminded me of my first cars, which were a series of Vitesses - a 1600, then 2ltr Mk2 saloon, followed by 2 Mk 2 convertibles. I drove my freshly rebuilt from chassis up Valencia Blue 2ltr Mk 2 convertible (with J Type overdrive for the 'Bahns) to Frankfurt in late 1986 with all my stuff and a load of spares for my first design job in Germany. First "test" drive after getting an MOT was to the ferry and I was still bolting down bits like the passenger seat on the way across the Channel on the Herald Of Free Enterprise, no less, which I thought was fitting for a small Triumph. Sadly, tragedy struck that boat in March the next year. The Vitesse sat on an indicated 100mph where possible and got me there without problems. I knew of no others in Germany at the time, although there were some Spitfifes and Heralds, so it was quite a novelty, as well as transport. I explored quite a bit of Germany in it, roof down and tonneau on and it never let me down. Still have a soft spot for these cars, despite having had all sorts of very nice expensive cars since. Lovely sounding straight 6, sweet gearbox, really nice steering and handled pretty well - I think I would still enjoy a Vitesse today. The nearest thing in driving feel to one of these I have encountered was an E30 BMW 320i - very similar feel and sounds, but a bit more body rigidity. Incidentally, the gearbox was always the weak link in these - it was only laid out for about 80lb/ft torque, so needs gentle treatment. It comes out through the cabin, so can be replaced by the roadside without jacking the car up - ask me how I know!
There was a neighbour who had one, I tried to talk him into selling it, but he declined and pointed me to a friend of his who sold me a '72 Fiat 500L 😁 After owning that I was hooked on small engine cars.
I have a 70 mk2 Vitesse No show queen but I love it. It's a Tristan convertible which was a kit you could buy to turn your saloon into a soft top. It has twin exhaust pipes so makes a lovely noise especially through tunnels !
Lovely car and review. I bought my Vitesse 2 litre convertible, (White with Black stripes), for £25 from a fellow Soldier who had just been sent somewhere else at short notice, when i was in Aldershot in 1978. It broke down on way home from Pub and i just left it in a carpark near Farnham. Luckily i sold the Rostyle wheels for £10 each to a REME mechanic who went back for them. £25.00 was actually a weeks wages then.
I had a 1964 1600 Vitesse convertible with O/D and a 1965 Herald 1200. Oh so many memories including driving along the M62 in February with the cockpit filling with snow entering between the door and hood. Happy days.
My grandfather was managing director and chairman of Standard Triumph - I have pictures of him involved in the development of the car. I also have a photo of ‘Herald’. his small fishing boat after which the car was named.
My brother in law owned a white Herald Vitesse soft top in the early 1970s but sold it when he and my sister emigrated to Canada. From then on, it was a series of American cars for them. What a come-down!
My first "nearly purchase" was a 1966 Vitesse Six saloon (with overdrive). Dark blue with cream or white flanks. So much about it was gorgeous, but is had no clutch, hence £40. This was 1983, before older car values went uphill. I should have bitten, nit couldn't find a clutch and was anyway suspicious that there may have been other issues. I was 19 and knew nothing. But it was such a lovely thing and sounded gorgeous. The 1600 motor was not a monster, but didn't need to be. I'd driven Heralds and even they were nippy little things. I imagine the Vitesse Six (with a clutch) would have moved briskly. I shall never know. There are too few small sixes in this world. And despite all the faff and complication, I miss the clunk of an overdrive and the serene progress once engaged.
My Father (a Triumph man) ordered a Herald on release day in April 1959 and it was the third one sold in Perth (Scotland). Then my Mother had a Vitesse convertible which she kept for years. Had forgotten the really good engine sound
I learned to drive and passed my test in 1967 in a Truimph Herald belonging to Crewe School of Motoring. A few years later a friend had a Herald Coupe, if we "pulled" it was hopeless in the back seats, too cramped to get up to mischief ! Happy days
My Mum got a 1960 Triumph Herald 12/50 shortly after passing her driving test in the 80's. My enduring memory is a day trip out in the Weald of Kent and we went around a sweeping bend in Tenterden and clipped every wing mirror as we made the turn. It was of course back in the days when wing mirrors were actually on the wing and just popped back out again if they met anything.
My father had both. I did learn to drive in his 'H' reg Vitesse. As well as other lesser cars. The out riggers used to go. On changing gears, it used to do the Cha Cha Cha. I suppose today, it would be called, twerking.
You underestimate your abilities when it comes to sound snafus. A very good rescue and very enjoyable piece, including the sound. And I remember admiring that lovely front treatment on a local Vitesse in 1978 or thereabouts, in NZ.
My cousin owned a Herald years ago. Once when we went sea fishing together, the wayward rear suspension showed itself when going round a corner a bit too vigorously and the back end went a bit astray. He managed to catch it, but for me it was a thrilling moment. I was not a petrol head at the time, but now I would love to own that car plus a Vitesse, Spitfire and GT. A friend of mine owned a Spitfire and tried to see how fast it could go in reverse.... he blew the engine up. Jim, if you are watching/reading this, you are a prat 🤣
Always loved Triumphs. They had such great styling and the fact the Vitesse, GT6 and other models had straight six engines was amazing. My Aunt had a Herald many years ago and a lecturer at university had a GT6 which was always referred to as a cheap mans E type. I was lucky enough back in 2000 to be given (yes given) a 1971 Triumph GT6 mk3 in a rather sorry state. Sadly I’ve never got around to restoring it and have stored it over the past 23 years in various places in the dry. It’s fitted with the engine out of the 2500 saloon or estate so is equipped with a pair of SU’s rather than the usual Strombergs. However, there were a pair of strombergs in the back of the car complete with inlet manifold. After a bit of fettling, we got it running and it sounds amazing. Just feel bad I’ve never got around to doing anything with it due to life and other projects getting in the way. The body work has had a hard time with tinworm but I believe its salvageable by some one with defication. I should sell it on really. Well I better confer with my good lady as technically its really hers as I wasn’t going to rescue it until she told me to lol. As always a great video covering one of the great cars from Canley…
My mum's first car was a 1200 or a 1250 in white ,the bumpers used to leave white marks on anything if you touch them and possibly the worst handbrake which never worked properly,great memories,cheers Ian Great video
My dream car when I passed my test in the early 80’s. Just couldn’t find a decent one - no one was looking after them. Found one in the barn of a farm campsite in South Devon 15 years ago. There it was, one owner, log book, full history, covered in dust and chicken sh*t but couldn’t get the farmer’s daughter to part with it.
Wonderful example of sixties motoring. None of us could afford one but I did have the saloon entry Herald. To people of my era, these cars of the time just take your breath away.
One model of car I never had the chance to drive or own, sadly (Herald or Vitesse). Shame the gearing wasn’t better thought out at the top end. The spoked steering wheel is quite retro for late-60s. Great video Ian, thanks for sharing.
My brother in law had a covertable 2lt many years ago. Great fun. That amazing steering lock didn't do the clutch any favours. You could convert the engine to 2.5 lt by just fitting the 2.5 crank.
I loved my GWL 506F convertible - In 1979 I came back after a gig from Derby to London (with a bass speaker cabinet strapped to the boot lid) in record time, with the roof down - OK - I was effing frozen, but it was so much fun!
My late dad had a 1.6 vitesse convertible. I used to borrow it and really enjoyed driving around. It was pale blue but he painted it Ford Daytona Yellow. There was paint left over so I painted my Anglia with it. I'm convinced that it went faster afterwards 😁
Another great video Ian. We have always had a triumph or two on the fleet but never a Vitesse or Herald. Our current Triumph is a 1500 Spitfire which we have owned from 1984 and is totally original and still rust free after 45 years!! How is that possible you ask, well we never drive it when wet or in the winter.
My grandparents had 2 Heralds. A 1964 green saloon, with a cream flash and red interior. The reg plate was BEE ??B, lol. Then came a white drop top, with the face-lift front. I can see them now, the top down, my fat granny now, reminiscent of Thora Hird, with her walking stick standing erect between her legs, and hand on hand, resting on the crook! lol. Fair play to them, they were over 70 when grandad used to poodle from Deopham, near Norwich, down to Bury Eds on Sundays. Calmer roads back then of course. Nice one Mr. Nut
I had one from 2003-2007, a 1971 MK II, as you say a fabulous soundtrack of a burbling exhaust note as we pootled around the Dales. I loved the view down the bonnet and the moment the overdrive kicked in at around 45 mph. It could hold its own in modern traffic albeit notice to brake needed to be given in writing! Wonderful memories.
Great video - thank you. The sound is even better in real life and the car is indeed a joy to drive. A surprising percentage (around 5%) have survived too - not bad for a 60s car. Still a very underrated car IMHO.
My first car was a 1200 herald and like a kid it took weeks to blow the engine and a 13/60 went into it…which lasted another few weeks 🤪 Ended up with a 2.5 in it but still the 1200 back end and swing axles. Evil evil little car… it taught me so much about cars and tinkering, and now I was not as good a driver as I thought
Good job they fixed the rear suspension. I had a Herald 13/60, and there was one intersection in town where I made a right hand turn down a steep hill with a bumpy road surface. More often than not the car gave a little skip as the splines in the rear drive shafts sorted themselves out (I think it was the splines). Nice car, though. One evening we were driving in the country and came across a ewe who had escaped with her lamb, running down the road towards us. I slowed, the ewe kept on coming. I stopped. The ewe eyed us up, then gave a brisk butt to the car and carried on. Rural NZ.
Was advised as the two seater beater which was true back in the day. Later versions produced over 100 bhp and could top 100 mph. My 1966 1600 saloon broke in half while driving which was interesting 😮😅
I loved my Mk3 Spitfire. It was my second car. I bought it in Oxford where it was a partial knockdown kit! I assembled it on the sellers drive in a couple of hours and then drove it back thoroughly illegally to Cambridge in the dark! It had a soft and hard tops and tonneau and the hard top was sheepskin lined!😂
My dad owned a dark blue Herald back in the middle of the 70s, and man did he hate it. Every time i visited, and we took a drive, he was grumpy because he didn't like the car. Sadly the 5-6 year old me never thought to ask why. He'd boght it from his father in law, so i suspect his then bossy girlfriend, now bossy wife, had taken control and landed him in that situation :D ..anyways: While i prefer the front of the regular Herald to the Vitesse, i regularly see - and hear - a fixed roofed Vitesse on my daily walks, and i most certainly prefer the sound of the six cylinders. It does indeed sound absolutely lovely. The driver of that car alwats gets a thumb up for making my day better :) Experiencing a little of what such a car is like from behind the wheel, was enjoyable. Thanks Ian :) ..oh and: The impression i get from the Vitesse i meet, is also that it is very low geared. Hard to say with certainty when you're not in the car, but i think the driver's in top gear at rather low speeds.
Bought a MK1 68 Vitesse about 15 years ago , was a fair condition and a decent runner (most of the time) . Was going to teach myself mechanics and gradually improve it but never did . Sold it about 3 years later. Had fun with it and liked that random people would come and speak to you about it. It still lives on in my motoring memories. I get occasional updates on the car even now as I sold it via a work colleague to someone they knew and it’s still on the road and used regularly.
Another top video Ian, well recued given the original recording sound issues. My dad has an old coffee and whit Herald 950 if I recall. It performed brilliantly when I was a small kid (sat in the middle back seat ) with my mum and older brother and sister on family holidays to the coast from the midlands, not so my brother who could get travel sick walking. Seeing the inside brings back so many memories of the dash but with less dials. I even remember the bouncing speedo needle and if I recall the non ticking indicator bulb was on the right side of the dash near the door but I'm relying on memories from me as a five year old at the time. I think the washers might have been a manual pumped plunger on the dash as well. Oh and no radio. I remember my brother always pushing to get a Vitesse with like me no appreciation that my dad was doing two jobs at the time to keep the family afloat. Simpler times back then. Many thanks for sharing.
Yes for approx the first year of their release, so roughly 1959/1960, a "948cc" engine version was available. According to a textbook quote I read once, the "948cc Herald" was released because of the perceived need for a "budget" priced model, which had rubber floor mats instead of carpetted floor, and I think heater was optional extra. (Note a heater was standard, fitted to ALL 1200, "12/50" and "13/60" Heralds.). It's worth noting that the immediate predecessor, the Standard 10 (948cc engine) had a "part flow" oil filter system, whereas the Triumph Herald "1200" (1147cc) had a "full flow" oil filtration system. I do not know whether those few Heralds with the 948cc engine, had it "straight out of a Standard 10" and therefore only a part flow oil filter system, or if the oil galleries as needed in the block, or whatever, was of the later 1147cc, full flow oil filter design. The problem as I see it with "part flow" oil filter systems (as used on numerous British cars of the 1950's) , is that only the "surplus" oil delivery from the overpressure release spring, is filtered. Once a car's engine is a few years old and bearings etc well worn etc, there is never any "spare" excess oil pressure to activate the release spring, so oil is effectively circulated straight to the bearings, unfiltered, in older, more worn engines. If I remember correctly, some of the Hardtop Coupe bodied versions, had the smaller 948cc engine but with a twin carburettor system. I would guess that was so they could enter in some motorsport events in the under 1,000cc category.
@@KiwiCatherineJemma Wow, some great background information. I certainly do not remember carpets in the Herald. I was not aware of the different oil systems either. Many thanks for sharing. Golden times.
Beautiful sound when you switched on. I had the Vitesse Mk2. It was a beauty. Same colour but was not a convertible. Changing those doughnuts was such a job. Lots of fun.
Here in New Zealand my dad bought Heralds for years. My first Herald memory was a dark green one with a speckled metal dash. I would have been 6-ish. A white one with a wooden dash. And finally (we had a few others in between) a yellow 13/60 with twin dials and my brotthers and I thought it was wicked. Then my eldest brother bought a Green Vitesse with a cream stripe which we thought was a rocket ship, followed by a mint white Vitesse. I can still remember the sound it made. Which was sweeeeeeet!!
The mighty Vitesse! I must admit to having a real soft spot for these beasties. I was offered the drive of one for the End Of Year run when in the Auckland Triumph Car Club back in 2017, because both of my own vehicles were laid up. Having never driven one before, I jumped at the chance and never regretted it one bit. I clocked up over 500 miles (800km) in the weekend I had it - 240 of these being the end of year run itself, but I just wanted to keep driving it! The one I drove was an early MkII, so it had the 2-litre engine, but still had the wire mesh grille instead of the horizontal bars of the facelifted version.....but it too was a factory convertible, so you got to hear ALL the sounds from the engine, carbs, exhaust, gearbox and diff, as well as enjoy the sun on your head and the smells of the scenery.....and the car in front of you. She had overdrive too (stalk is on the RH side of the column between the indicator stalk and the dashboard), but even at 60mph, she was still pulling 3000rpm, so she could definitely have benefitted from having a slightly lower ratio diff. The trade-off would have been the acceleration from 0-60, but I don't think it would have hurt it that much to have taller gears, because the engine is such a torquey little thing. The only niggle I had was the adjustment from driving a Stag and a 2500S to driving something with a solid chassis but still with a light rear end. The Vitesse would certainly corner very well and tracked beautifully as she was pushed spiritedly around some twisty winding roads. The owner had told me to have some fun and stretch her legs, so I was doing just that when it gave me a nip on the backside to remind me who was REALLY in charge. I was howling into a corner and set up for the apex (so easy in a convertible) when the Vitesse cocked her right front wheel and we went round as expected....until there was a minor bump in the road. The Vitesse went light in the rear and the rear wheels skipped sideways a couple of feet. I was ready for the change in her aspect, but not that the front would follow suit AFTER the rear. When both front wheels bit the tarmac after the rear bounced, they too went left even though they were pointed right, so I pushed the go pedal further down, the rear bit the tarmac hard and we carried on around the corner with me sitting a bit higher in my seat. If I had steered to the left when the rear bounced, we would have gone into the ditch and so it was fortunate I was aware the wee beasty had a reputation of trying to bite you if it came across an anomaly under hard cornering and to wait until both ends of the car had reacted before addressing anything, The owner laughed like a drain when I told him and said "yep - that's the Rotoflex for ya!". However, the incident didn't put me off the Vitesse at all....although I must admit to treating her with a bit more respect after that! The little car had an aftermarket tasteful wood-rimmed Momo steering wheel on it, so the steering was a bit heavy at slower speeds, but it was still perfect for the open road. Brakes were boosted disks up front and drum rear and were perfectly adequate to stop the car quickly. Even the then-47-year-old seats were comfortable enough to have spent a good 5 hours in the car. Glad you enjoyed the drive as much as I did, mate. A fairly rare car now, but still a barrel of fun if you get the chance to drive one. Would I own one? Actually, yes. Yes I would.....but it would have to be a convertible. Actually, I think I'd even swap my Stag for one too! All the best.
Really interesting video, Ian. When I was in grade school one of the teachers had a purple and white Vitesse that I thought was a Herald. I did not know, over 50 years ago, that only Vitesse had the quad headlamps, si ehen i saw a car with only 2, I thought it was just an older Herald.
Having driven a GT6 and being driven around in one in the early 70s I have always fancied a 2 Litre Vitesse. The GT6 used to pull the Ton with ease, from memory, it did 90 in 3rd and was superb on the motorway with overdrive, the sound from the straight was lovely
We worked on triumphs all through the 60s The Herald was a dream to work on because of the opening bonnet. Our fastest time for a clutch change on a Herald. 22 minutes. The Vitesse was a bit more refined to work on, and these doghnut drive shaft joints were a pain to work on,, 4 large Jubilee clips to crush them until the bolts lined up,,,, if you can get the clips to stay in place without them slipping off damaging your knuckles every time you change them. I Fitted a few MX5 gearboxs into the Vitesse and it goes like hot stink with lower top end revs, the starter motor adapter is easy to make, Plus you lose the useless overdrive as well. Oh the memories of welding the rusted up chassis mounting points.
Regarding the voice over section. I have found my phone cuts the power to the wireless adapter if the battery drops much below 40% It doesn't tell you, so you don't know until you have spent the afternoon recording trying to get it done before the phone dies, and then start the evening editing and find the audio missing 🥹😭😭 Initially I thought it was the battery in the wireless mic failing, but eventually realised the phone was the culprit. There is a charge thru port on the side of the adaptor so it is technically possible to charge whilst recording although I don't want extra wires hanging around. Rather defeats the purpose of wireless recording.
Thanks for this, first car I ever travelled in was a Vitesse, Dad borrowed it off the local priest to bring me home after I was born as his car was off the road, there probably wasn't a baby sea fitted in 1973 mind you. Always wanted one since, such a pretty car.
My aunt had a Vitesse convertible when I was a kid, I remember the time she picked me up from school in London and drove me down to my grandparents in Poole. Even though it was a hot day and I was pretty much welded to the black vinyl seat by the end.
I've always thought that the 2 best engine sounds are a straight 6 working hard and a Rover V8 just burbling away at low revs 🙂 Lovely vid, thanks Ian & Carly 👍
Seeing that angled wingtop and wobbly speedo reminds me of a dear departed friend. 3 of us went with him to see this dark green Herald in Adlington, test drive didn't start out too well as it wouldn't start till we'd taken all the plugs out, quick clean as they black and away we went. It stunk of petrol, even off choke, but it just had to be his first car. Sorted by rebuilt carb. Even back then couldn't believe how rattly they were compared to my mk3 Cortina-not a paragon itself. After couple years he'd turned it into a convertible, parts from a scrapper he bought.
My very first fettle was on my sister's 13/60. The fuel gauge stopped working and I figured out, aged 12, that the sensor in the tank was broken. I undid the tank, removed the sender unit (petrol everywhere) fixed the wiring and put it all back. My sister was absolutely delighted that it now worked. My dad had a nervous breakdown though, because, inspired by my success, my next fettle was on his Rover 2000. It didn't end well.
You just cannot beat a straight six for its sound track. They are also perfectly balanced and smooth. The Vitesse might well be on my shopping list once I retire.
Nice to see you on the Torrington to Bideford road
Always loved these Triumphs. The bonnet opening was incredible.
I had a Mk 2 Vitesse convertible in the late 70s and it was brilliant. The diff failed on it, so I fitted a rebuilt herald diff (which had a different final drive ratio). It lowered the top speed, but the torque it created was amazing. You could pull away from standing in 4th gear on the flat! Once I clocked it from 0 - 60 in 8 seconds, starting in 2nd gear & going straight into 4th. The only engine mod I did was to fit electronic ignition. Fond memories!
Funny story - I remember driving back from Ludlow towards Shrewsbury (on the A49 I think) one Sunday afternoon when I noticed a white Jag XJ6 coming up behind me at speed. I toyed with the idea of putting my foot down and having some fun with it, but decided not to as I wasn't in a rush. Anyway, we got to a straight stretch of road and the Jag passed me. Inside were 4 policemen and on the back was a plate which said "Police driver under instruction"!
Loved this video. My first car was a 1970 Herald 13/60. I bought it after graduation and absolutely loved it. You could open the bonnet, sit on the tyre and work on the engine. I remember running out of petrol once and then remembering it had a reserve fuel tank. A quick flick of a switch in the boot and I drove to the nearest fuel station.
The wooden dashboard was beautiful. Great memories.
In 1972, when I was 18, I sold my 1966 Mini Countryman Reg:1666 D (wonder if the number still exists?) and bought a 1967 2 Litre Vitesse convertible, WJH 808E, with wire wheels and in exactly the same colour without the white flash, it was like a rocket ship compared to the Mini. It was in mint, one owner condition, but I gave it so much stick over the following 2 years that I got through eight splined rear wheel hub adapters, £10 per adapter, (I was earning £16 a week!) purchased from Doves spares dept. Green Lane Morden, they actually run out of stock because of me - rear outriggers re-welded five times and a new differential, but I loved it. Upgraded to TR6's after that. I still have my Fuel Ration Book for the Vitesse from the 1973 fuel crisis.
Always wanted one as the front lights we're the icing in the six pot cake.
They're reminiscent of the Bentley Continental of the same era. Pure coincidence of course!
I love those cars.
Actually in a GT6 gearbox rebuild with the addition of a genuine type D overdrive. Same engine, well the same as the Vitesse 2 litre.
Thanks. And it feels good to be back! It has been too long and it hasn’t been the best of times for me.
Edit: the starter and the idle sound are 100% the same as my GT6.
This made me rather nostalgic. I bought a MkII convertible in 2005 in Kent and drove it home on its own wheels, 300 miles to Cologne, Germany, in January. (It could have gone awfully wrong in many ways, but the weather was dry and sunny, the car didn’t miss a beat, and my brand new Metrinch toolkit stayed in the luggage.) I kept her for more than 10 years, until it was time to pass her on to someone who had a house with a shed, and knew his way around a multimeter in horseshoe mode much better than myself, as I got cornered by some gremlins of the house of Lucas.
I perfectly agree with all of your assessments, Ian, although I never had reason to complain about the mildly disappointing wiper performance - my reason for getting new wipers was that the previous owner had been too skint to go for chrome ones, and the black arms looked terrible on her. She obviously never got used in rain, with the exception of a downpour during a classic car meeting, which proved what little good a tonneau cover does (the zip in the middle funnels everything on the transmission tunnel).
In Germany of course, the car was even rarer and attracted a lot of attention. The ladies seemed to like it a lot - with the exception of my wife, sadly, which was part of why it got too little use in my custody. It must have been the sound, with that hint of Tom Jones in it, combined with the very harmless and nice looking small body. You can drive the car discreetly, as the engine has way more power than needed at low revs, but feeding her the beans in a tunnel reveals an inclination for trumpet solos that can be quite exhilarating when you’re in the mood. I had her in a box in a large underground garage for a year, and somehow parking always took longer than necessary, with a few laps of honour of several storeys, not just the one where my box was. Good times!
Thomas - much ego here?
"combined with the very harmless and nice looking small body" 😁
@@rorylyons277 I’m personally not a giant, otherwise I wouldn’t have fitted in a Vitesse, but believe it or not, I was referring exclusively to the car 😂
Drove my 2ltr Mk 2 Convertible to Frankfurt in 1986 with all my stuff and a load of spares for my first design job in Frankfurt.
That control on the left is not for a heated rear window, it controls the heater valve to give cold or hot air in the cockpit.
Thank you.
The clanky noise of the door closing took me back 40 years with my 13/60 convertible.
Does car body styling get any better than this? The Vitesse was beautiful with the angular wing tops at the front. It really suited the rest of the design, particularly the fantastic rear lights. It’s like a dart.
Triumph Mk 2 Big 6 sedans and Stag.
If you notice, the car will rock when revved. I had a Mk2 saloon. What a monster. Loved it.
I had a Vitesse 2l in 1977 and my favorite thing to do was to pull up at a set of traffic lights next to a Capri. They, thinking it was just a herald, would smugly zoom away and then I would race past them! Great days!
When you mention Rubber Doughnuts, I did wonder if Police drove these as they quite like Doughnuts.
My brother re-engineered his 13/60 by himself, welding in a vitesse style rear suspension. The car is still on the road today, 40 years later. Testament to the meccano style and flexibility of this car. I drove it for many months in the early eighties. Great soft -top fun.
Great cars, The Vitesse was one of the best small Triumph's. My wife has had both a 1600 MK1 convertible and a MK 2000 saloon. We have a Stag now whichw have owned for the last 43 years, (known as the Red Devil) it has a 666R registration. Cheers Bob
What a beauty. Lovely sixties British engine noise and that paint job really sets it off. Lovely 😊
I have one in Belgium since 8 years now and I'll never sell this. She's not perfect but when I turn the key and hear the sound (original exhaust, not inox), it gives me the smile for all the drive. This is a wonderful car, not known so not expensive. She deserves every penny spent on this. Regards
I love the way the white stripe starts from the headlights and works its way back!
What a gorgeous car! 😍😍
I had 3 of these beauties in my youth, and, if I win the Lottery I will have a 4th.
Hubnut, the Mk2 rear suspension is a variant of double wishbone. It has a reversed lower wishbone, and uses a link to control fire-and-aft movement, as with the Herald suspension. The transverse leaf spring forms the upper wheel control in place of a wishbone. It's vastly better than a swing-axle rear. Only the Vitesse 2000 Mk2, and GT6 Mk2 and early Mk3 got it. Not a large number of cars.
My Dad always remembers a lady who lived in his town back in the day who had a Vitesse and would happily out race young men in their Escorts.
Great review. I loved my 1970 Mk2 Vitesse convertible. May I recommend another channel: "County for Old Cars", our host, Sean, has two Vitesse convertibles - a Mk1 and a Mk2.
Mate had a red Herald, loved it hooning around was so fun, and that turning circle was great. The girls loved it topless as well😂😂
I had a white Mk2 convertible 1971 with overdrive for 30 years, but then had to get rid of it. I did nearly 80k miles in it in this time. It was great car owing to the engine. I fitted a stage 2 tuned head and exhaust extractor manifold, uprated Koni front suspension, uprated brakes and a stronger J-type over drive gearbox than the std D type with the period column stalk switch, Spitfire Mk3 steering rack which had fewer turns lock to lock and was therefore quicker. Aluminium rack mounts. Electric fan, straight through sports exhaust which made the engine sound gorgeous. Replaced the chassis out riggers with uprated ones to minimise chassis flex. Uprated the rear suspension with Koni adjustable units. Fitted larger tyres 175s I think on the Rostyle GT6 rims. It was a great car but time just caught up with it and it just wasn't quick enough anymore. The bonnet had begun to rot on the D plate corners and I lost interest in it and was into other cars like Lancia Delta Integrales so the Vitesse had to go.
Looking back on my Vitesse ownership, one of the most memorable moments was breaking down outside the gates of Buckingham Palace in the pouring rain on Christmas Day in around 1984 with my sister as passenger travelling to our Granny's place for Christmas lunch in South London which we never made arriving very late on Christmas day afternoon on the back of an RAC recovery truck. My sister has never forgiven me for this.
Would I have another? Maybe but then maybe not. If a TR5 came along at the right price then for sure. I was offered one in BRG for £2k in the mid 1980s. So wish I had bought it as they are now silly money unlike the Vitesse.
Ah, the Triumph Herald / Vitesse - exquisite cars - the design is wonderful, as were all of Michelotti’s designs for Triumph. I would imagine that owning one of these would have been a big deal in the 60s. Lovely!
Loved this - reminded me of my first cars, which were a series of Vitesses - a 1600, then 2ltr Mk2 saloon, followed by 2 Mk 2 convertibles.
I drove my freshly rebuilt from chassis up Valencia Blue 2ltr Mk 2 convertible (with J Type overdrive for the 'Bahns) to Frankfurt in late 1986 with all my stuff and a load of spares for my first design job in Germany. First "test" drive after getting an MOT was to the ferry and I was still bolting down bits like the passenger seat on the way across the Channel on the Herald Of Free Enterprise, no less, which I thought was fitting for a small Triumph. Sadly, tragedy struck that boat in March the next year.
The Vitesse sat on an indicated 100mph where possible and got me there without problems. I knew of no others in Germany at the time, although there were some Spitfifes and Heralds, so it was quite a novelty, as well as transport. I explored quite a bit of Germany in it, roof down and tonneau on and it never let me down.
Still have a soft spot for these cars, despite having had all sorts of very nice expensive cars since. Lovely sounding straight 6, sweet gearbox, really nice steering and handled pretty well - I think I would still enjoy a Vitesse today. The nearest thing in driving feel to one of these I have encountered was an E30 BMW 320i - very similar feel and sounds, but a bit more body rigidity.
Incidentally, the gearbox was always the weak link in these - it was only laid out for about 80lb/ft torque, so needs gentle treatment. It comes out through the cabin, so can be replaced by the roadside without jacking the car up - ask me how I know!
Just love the sound of these straight sixes. Always remember my uncle thrashing his Vitesse around Redhill
This was the car I wanted when I was a teenager.
I had one as a teenager (just; I was 19). It was a lovely car.
Same. I had a Herald instead which I could afford to insure.
There was a neighbour who had one, I tried to talk him into selling it, but he declined and pointed me to a friend of his who sold me a '72 Fiat 500L
😁
After owning that I was hooked on small engine cars.
I have a 70 mk2 Vitesse No show queen but I love it. It's a Tristan convertible which was a kit you could buy to turn your saloon into a soft top. It has twin exhaust pipes so makes a lovely noise especially through tunnels !
Lovely car and review. I bought my Vitesse 2 litre convertible, (White with Black stripes), for £25 from a fellow Soldier who had just been sent somewhere else at short notice, when i was in Aldershot in 1978. It broke down on way home from Pub and i just left it in a carpark near Farnham. Luckily i sold the Rostyle wheels for £10 each to a REME mechanic who went back for them. £25.00 was actually a weeks wages then.
I had a 1964 1600 Vitesse convertible with O/D and a 1965 Herald 1200. Oh so many memories including driving along the M62 in February with the cockpit filling with snow entering between the door and hood. Happy days.
My grandfather was managing director and chairman of Standard Triumph - I have pictures of him involved in the development of the car. I also have a photo of ‘Herald’. his small fishing boat after which the car was named.
My brother in law owned a white Herald Vitesse soft top in the early 1970s but sold it when he and my sister emigrated to Canada. From then on, it was a series of American cars for them. What a come-down!
I always associate this with Last of the Summer Wine and ladies of a certain age wearing headscarves
My first "nearly purchase" was a 1966 Vitesse Six saloon (with overdrive). Dark blue with cream or white flanks.
So much about it was gorgeous, but is had no clutch, hence £40. This was 1983, before older car values went uphill.
I should have bitten, nit couldn't find a clutch and was anyway suspicious that there may have been other issues. I was 19 and knew nothing.
But it was such a lovely thing and sounded gorgeous.
The 1600 motor was not a monster, but didn't need to be. I'd driven Heralds and even they were nippy little things. I imagine the Vitesse Six (with a clutch) would have moved briskly. I shall never know.
There are too few small sixes in this world.
And despite all the faff and complication, I miss the clunk of an overdrive and the serene progress once engaged.
My Father (a Triumph man) ordered a Herald on release day in April 1959 and it was the third one sold in Perth (Scotland). Then my Mother had a Vitesse convertible which she kept for years. Had forgotten the really good engine sound
I learned to drive and passed my test in 1967 in a Truimph Herald belonging to Crewe School of Motoring. A few years later a friend had a Herald Coupe, if we "pulled" it was hopeless in the back seats, too cramped to get up to mischief ! Happy days
My Mum got a 1960 Triumph Herald 12/50 shortly after passing her driving test in the 80's. My enduring memory is a day trip out in the Weald of Kent and we went around a sweeping bend in Tenterden and clipped every wing mirror as we made the turn. It was of course back in the days when wing mirrors were actually on the wing and just popped back out again if they met anything.
Hark, the herald axles swing!
Loved it 😂😂
A excellent review as always Ian!
My Dad learned to drive in a Herald. His first car was an Imp - what great choices were open to drivers then - loads of diversity in design and power
My father had both. I did learn to drive in his 'H' reg Vitesse. As well as other lesser cars. The out riggers used to go. On changing gears, it used to do the Cha Cha Cha. I suppose today, it would be called, twerking.
You underestimate your abilities when it comes to sound snafus. A very good rescue and very enjoyable piece, including the sound. And I remember admiring that lovely front treatment on a local Vitesse in 1978 or thereabouts, in NZ.
Great new format, Worked in a Leyland dealership in the 70/80s. Memories a plenty. Dealership now Citroen!
What a nice car; I really like the styling of the Herald and Vitesse models. Very british... Thanks for sharing and see you soon --- Martin
My cousin owned a Herald years ago. Once when we went sea fishing together, the wayward rear suspension showed itself when going round a corner a bit too vigorously and the back end went a bit astray. He managed to catch it, but for me it was a thrilling moment. I was not a petrol head at the time, but now I would love to own that car plus a Vitesse, Spitfire and GT. A friend of mine owned a Spitfire and tried to see how fast it could go in reverse.... he blew the engine up. Jim, if you are watching/reading this, you are a prat 🤣
Always loved Triumphs. They had such great styling and the fact the Vitesse, GT6 and other models had straight six engines was amazing. My Aunt had a Herald many years ago and a lecturer at university had a GT6 which was always referred to as a cheap mans E type. I was lucky enough back in 2000 to be given (yes given) a 1971 Triumph GT6 mk3 in a rather sorry state. Sadly I’ve never got around to restoring it and have stored it over the past 23 years in various places in the dry. It’s fitted with the engine out of the 2500 saloon or estate so is equipped with a pair of SU’s rather than the usual Strombergs. However, there were a pair of strombergs in the back of the car complete with inlet manifold. After a bit of fettling, we got it running and it sounds amazing. Just feel bad I’ve never got around to doing anything with it due to life and other projects getting in the way. The body work has had a hard time with tinworm but I believe its salvageable by some one with defication. I should sell it on really. Well I better confer with my good lady as technically its really hers as I wasn’t going to rescue it until she told me to lol. As always a great video covering one of the great cars from Canley…
Love the flickering speedo needle . . . Miss that.
My mum's first car was a 1200 or a 1250 in white ,the bumpers used to leave white marks on anything if you touch them and possibly the worst handbrake which never worked properly,great memories,cheers Ian Great video
Hark the Herald Axle Swing. Love it. Still a great looking car and what a fantastic noise.
Nothing sounds better than a nice well bred inline-6!
My friend had a Vitesse back in the early 70s. I remember he hid the the rust in the door sills with balsa sheet 🤔🤔 He was a bit of a lad 🫤
My dream car when I passed my test in the early 80’s. Just couldn’t find a decent one - no one was looking after them. Found one in the barn of a farm campsite in South Devon 15 years ago. There it was, one owner, log book, full history, covered in dust and chicken sh*t but couldn’t get the farmer’s daughter to part with it.
Wonderful example of sixties motoring. None of us could afford one but I did have the saloon entry Herald. To people of my era, these cars of the time just take your breath away.
One of these would be awesome on the fleet👍
A great and truly underrated car with a wonderful soundtrack.
Triumph straight 6 is a great sound. The 2.5pi version is the ultimate.
yep, but like the GT6 you then need a Nissan rear end swapped in to handle the power, the diff stub axles were very weak
One model of car I never had the chance to drive or own, sadly (Herald or Vitesse). Shame the gearing wasn’t better thought out at the top end. The spoked steering wheel is quite retro for late-60s. Great video Ian, thanks for sharing.
My brother in law had a covertable 2lt many years ago. Great fun. That amazing steering lock didn't do the clutch any favours. You could convert the engine to 2.5 lt by just fitting the 2.5 crank.
I loved my GWL 506F convertible - In 1979 I came back after a gig from Derby to London (with a bass speaker cabinet strapped to the boot lid) in record time, with the roof down - OK - I was effing frozen, but it was so much fun!
My late dad had a 1.6 vitesse convertible. I used to borrow it and really enjoyed driving around. It was pale blue but he painted it Ford Daytona Yellow. There was paint left over so I painted my Anglia with it. I'm convinced that it went faster afterwards 😁
Herald was such an elegant looking car! Travelled Europe in my 1970s convertible (white). Lots of fun and lots of attention while driving.
I really like the cream stripe that starts with the front lights and carries on all the way along the car. Quite dashing!
Another great video Ian. We have always had a triumph or two on the fleet but never a Vitesse or Herald. Our current Triumph is a 1500 Spitfire which we have owned from 1984 and is totally original and still rust free after 45 years!! How is that possible you ask, well we never drive it when wet or in the winter.
My grandparents had 2 Heralds. A 1964 green saloon, with a cream flash and red interior. The reg plate was BEE ??B, lol. Then came a white drop top, with the face-lift front. I can see them now, the top down, my fat granny now, reminiscent of Thora Hird, with her walking stick standing erect between her legs, and hand on hand, resting on the crook! lol. Fair play to them, they were over 70 when grandad used to poodle from Deopham, near Norwich, down to Bury Eds on Sundays. Calmer roads back then of course.
Nice one Mr. Nut
I must say that I love the sound of that motor. Music to my ears. 🚙
I had one from 2003-2007, a 1971 MK II, as you say a fabulous soundtrack of a burbling exhaust note as we pootled around the Dales. I loved the view down the bonnet and the moment the overdrive kicked in at around 45 mph. It could hold its own in modern traffic albeit notice to brake needed to be given in writing! Wonderful memories.
Great video - thank you. The sound is even better in real life and the car is indeed a joy to drive. A surprising percentage (around 5%) have survived too - not bad for a 60s car. Still a very underrated car IMHO.
My first car was a 1200 herald and like a kid it took weeks to blow the engine and a 13/60 went into it…which lasted another few weeks 🤪
Ended up with a 2.5 in it but still the 1200 back end and swing axles. Evil evil little car… it taught me so much about cars and tinkering, and now I was not as good a driver as I thought
Good job they fixed the rear suspension. I had a Herald 13/60, and there was one intersection in town where I made a right hand turn down a steep hill with a bumpy road surface. More often than not the car gave a little skip as the splines in the rear drive shafts sorted themselves out (I think it was the splines).
Nice car, though. One evening we were driving in the country and came across a ewe who had escaped with her lamb, running down the road towards us. I slowed, the ewe kept on coming. I stopped. The ewe eyed us up, then gave a brisk butt to the car and carried on. Rural NZ.
Was advised as the two seater beater which was true back in the day. Later versions produced over 100 bhp and could top 100 mph.
My 1966 1600 saloon broke in half while driving which was interesting 😮😅
I loved my Mk3 Spitfire. It was my second car. I bought it in Oxford where it was a partial knockdown kit! I assembled it on the sellers drive in a couple of hours and then drove it back thoroughly illegally to Cambridge in the dark! It had a soft and hard tops and tonneau and the hard top was sheepskin lined!😂
My dad owned a dark blue Herald back in the middle of the 70s, and man did he hate it. Every time i visited, and we took a drive, he was grumpy because he didn't like the car. Sadly the 5-6 year old me never thought to ask why. He'd boght it from his father in law, so i suspect his then bossy girlfriend, now bossy wife, had taken control and landed him in that situation :D ..anyways: While i prefer the front of the regular Herald to the Vitesse, i regularly see - and hear - a fixed roofed Vitesse on my daily walks, and i most certainly prefer the sound of the six cylinders. It does indeed sound absolutely lovely. The driver of that car alwats gets a thumb up for making my day better :) Experiencing a little of what such a car is like from behind the wheel, was enjoyable. Thanks Ian :) ..oh and: The impression i get from the Vitesse i meet, is also that it is very low geared. Hard to say with certainty when you're not in the car, but i think the driver's in top gear at rather low speeds.
I share your HubNutty happiness.
Bought a MK1 68 Vitesse about 15 years ago , was a fair condition and a decent runner (most of the time) . Was going to teach myself mechanics and gradually improve it but never did . Sold it about 3 years later. Had fun with it and liked that random people would come and speak to you about it. It still lives on in my motoring memories. I get occasional updates on the car even now as I sold it via a work colleague to someone they knew and it’s still on the road and used regularly.
Absaloutly fantastic video ian miss hubnut ❤👍 absaloutly beautiful car pitty they don't make them like that any more brilliant
Standard Triumph loved using the 6 cylinder engine l do remember the Herald good looking car but in Australia we never got the Vitesse
Another top video Ian, well recued given the original recording sound issues. My dad has an old coffee and whit Herald 950 if I recall. It performed brilliantly when I was a small kid (sat in the middle back seat ) with my mum and older brother and sister on family holidays to the coast from the midlands, not so my brother who could get travel sick walking. Seeing the inside brings back so many memories of the dash but with less dials. I even remember the bouncing speedo needle and if I recall the non ticking indicator bulb was on the right side of the dash near the door but I'm relying on memories from me as a five year old at the time. I think the washers might have been a manual pumped plunger on the dash as well. Oh and no radio. I remember my brother always pushing to get a Vitesse with like me no appreciation that my dad was doing two jobs at the time to keep the family afloat. Simpler times back then. Many thanks for sharing.
Yes for approx the first year of their release, so roughly 1959/1960, a "948cc" engine version was available.
According to a textbook quote I read once, the "948cc Herald" was released because of the perceived need for a "budget" priced model, which had rubber floor mats instead of carpetted floor, and I think heater was optional extra. (Note a heater was standard, fitted to ALL 1200, "12/50" and "13/60" Heralds.).
It's worth noting that the immediate predecessor, the Standard 10 (948cc engine) had a "part flow" oil filter system, whereas the Triumph Herald "1200" (1147cc) had a "full flow" oil filtration system. I do not know whether those few Heralds with the 948cc engine, had it "straight out of a Standard 10" and therefore only a part flow oil filter system, or if the oil galleries as needed in the block, or whatever, was of the later 1147cc, full flow oil filter design.
The problem as I see it with "part flow" oil filter systems (as used on numerous British cars of the 1950's) , is that only the "surplus" oil delivery from the overpressure release spring, is filtered.
Once a car's engine is a few years old and bearings etc well worn etc, there is never any "spare" excess oil pressure to activate the release spring, so oil is effectively circulated straight to the bearings, unfiltered, in older, more worn engines.
If I remember correctly, some of the Hardtop Coupe bodied versions, had the smaller 948cc engine but with a twin carburettor system. I would guess that was so they could enter in some motorsport events in the under 1,000cc category.
@@KiwiCatherineJemma Wow, some great background information. I certainly do not remember carpets in the Herald. I was not aware of the different oil systems either. Many thanks for sharing. Golden times.
Beautiful sound when you switched on. I had the Vitesse Mk2. It was a beauty. Same colour but was not a convertible. Changing those doughnuts was such a job. Lots of fun.
Here in New Zealand my dad bought Heralds for years. My first Herald memory was a dark green one with a speckled metal dash. I would have been 6-ish. A white one with a wooden dash. And finally (we had a few others in between) a yellow 13/60 with twin dials and my brotthers and I thought it was wicked. Then my eldest brother bought a Green Vitesse with a cream stripe which we thought was a rocket ship, followed by a mint white Vitesse. I can still remember the sound it made. Which was sweeeeeeet!!
The mighty Vitesse! I must admit to having a real soft spot for these beasties. I was offered the drive of one for the End Of Year run when in the Auckland Triumph Car Club back in 2017, because both of my own vehicles were laid up. Having never driven one before, I jumped at the chance and never regretted it one bit. I clocked up over 500 miles (800km) in the weekend I had it - 240 of these being the end of year run itself, but I just wanted to keep driving it!
The one I drove was an early MkII, so it had the 2-litre engine, but still had the wire mesh grille instead of the horizontal bars of the facelifted version.....but it too was a factory convertible, so you got to hear ALL the sounds from the engine, carbs, exhaust, gearbox and diff, as well as enjoy the sun on your head and the smells of the scenery.....and the car in front of you. She had overdrive too (stalk is on the RH side of the column between the indicator stalk and the dashboard), but even at 60mph, she was still pulling 3000rpm, so she could definitely have benefitted from having a slightly lower ratio diff. The trade-off would have been the acceleration from 0-60, but I don't think it would have hurt it that much to have taller gears, because the engine is such a torquey little thing.
The only niggle I had was the adjustment from driving a Stag and a 2500S to driving something with a solid chassis but still with a light rear end. The Vitesse would certainly corner very well and tracked beautifully as she was pushed spiritedly around some twisty winding roads. The owner had told me to have some fun and stretch her legs, so I was doing just that when it gave me a nip on the backside to remind me who was REALLY in charge. I was howling into a corner and set up for the apex (so easy in a convertible) when the Vitesse cocked her right front wheel and we went round as expected....until there was a minor bump in the road. The Vitesse went light in the rear and the rear wheels skipped sideways a couple of feet. I was ready for the change in her aspect, but not that the front would follow suit AFTER the rear. When both front wheels bit the tarmac after the rear bounced, they too went left even though they were pointed right, so I pushed the go pedal further down, the rear bit the tarmac hard and we carried on around the corner with me sitting a bit higher in my seat. If I had steered to the left when the rear bounced, we would have gone into the ditch and so it was fortunate I was aware the wee beasty had a reputation of trying to bite you if it came across an anomaly under hard cornering and to wait until both ends of the car had reacted before addressing anything, The owner laughed like a drain when I told him and said "yep - that's the Rotoflex for ya!".
However, the incident didn't put me off the Vitesse at all....although I must admit to treating her with a bit more respect after that! The little car had an aftermarket tasteful wood-rimmed Momo steering wheel on it, so the steering was a bit heavy at slower speeds, but it was still perfect for the open road. Brakes were boosted disks up front and drum rear and were perfectly adequate to stop the car quickly. Even the then-47-year-old seats were comfortable enough to have spent a good 5 hours in the car. Glad you enjoyed the drive as much as I did, mate. A fairly rare car now, but still a barrel of fun if you get the chance to drive one. Would I own one? Actually, yes. Yes I would.....but it would have to be a convertible. Actually, I think I'd even swap my Stag for one too! All the best.
Another review chock-full of charm. Thank you for showing us the Vitesse 2litre. Never heard the 6cylinder sound until now. Isn’t it nice!
Really interesting video, Ian. When I was in grade school one of the teachers had a purple and white Vitesse that I thought was a Herald. I did not know, over 50 years ago, that only Vitesse had the quad headlamps, si ehen i saw a car with only 2, I thought it was just an older Herald.
Yah! My very favourite cars, thanks for covering them!
Having driven a GT6 and being driven around in one in the early 70s I have always fancied a 2 Litre Vitesse. The GT6 used to pull the Ton with ease, from memory, it did 90 in 3rd and was superb on the motorway with overdrive, the sound from the straight was lovely
We worked on triumphs all through the 60s
The Herald was a dream to work on because of the opening bonnet.
Our fastest time for a clutch change on a Herald. 22 minutes.
The Vitesse was a bit more refined to work on, and these doghnut drive shaft joints were a pain to work on,, 4 large Jubilee clips to crush them until the bolts lined up,,,, if you can get the clips to stay in place without them slipping off damaging your knuckles every time you change them.
I Fitted a few MX5 gearboxs into the Vitesse and it goes like hot stink with lower top end revs, the starter motor adapter is easy to make, Plus you lose the useless overdrive as well.
Oh the memories of welding the rusted up chassis mounting points.
Just a lovely car, and that straight six sound, wonderful!
Lovely car well put together video,well shot very informative
Loved my Triumph Dolomite 1500HL back in the late 1980's...Very plush interior for it's size.
another great video has always Ian and miss hubnut and hublets and hubmutts 👍
Regarding the voice over section. I have found my phone cuts the power to the wireless adapter if the battery drops much below 40% It doesn't tell you, so you don't know until you have spent the afternoon recording trying to get it done before the phone dies, and then start the evening editing and find the audio missing 🥹😭😭 Initially I thought it was the battery in the wireless mic failing, but eventually realised the phone was the culprit. There is a charge thru port on the side of the adaptor so it is technically possible to charge whilst recording although I don't want extra wires hanging around. Rather defeats the purpose of wireless recording.
Thanks for this, first car I ever travelled in was a Vitesse, Dad borrowed it off the local priest to bring me home after I was born as his car was off the road, there probably wasn't a baby sea fitted in 1973 mind you. Always wanted one since, such a pretty car.
My aunt had a Vitesse convertible when I was a kid, I remember the time she picked me up from school in London and drove me down to my grandparents in Poole. Even though it was a hot day and I was pretty much welded to the black vinyl seat by the end.
Lovely car. Another great video! 👍
I've always thought that the 2 best engine sounds are a straight 6 working hard and a Rover V8 just burbling away at low revs 🙂 Lovely vid, thanks Ian & Carly 👍
Always had a [very] soft spot for the Vitesse.... I think my Dinky Toys model may have started it!!!
Seeing that angled wingtop and wobbly speedo reminds me of a dear departed friend. 3 of us went with him to see this dark green Herald in Adlington, test drive didn't start out too well as it wouldn't start till we'd taken all the plugs out, quick clean as they black and away we went. It stunk of petrol, even off choke, but it just had to be his first car. Sorted by rebuilt carb. Even back then couldn't believe how rattly they were compared to my mk3 Cortina-not a paragon itself. After couple years he'd turned it into a convertible, parts from a scrapper he bought.
Beautiful car and beautiful piece of history.