Triumph Herald and Vitesse Buyer's Guide
By Andy Mace
In addition to the items listed in the general Triumph Buyers Guide , there are a number of specific items of interest on the Herald/Vitesse.
Assessing a Herald or Vitesse for possible purchase is very much like assessing any Triumph. Due to the many mechanical similarities, most of the same strengths and weaknesses of GT6s apply to the Herald/Vitesse range.
- Engine: The engines generally took a lot of punishment, but ultimately that punishment shows in wear of cylinder bores, crankshafts, main and big-end bearings, thrust washers, etc. Expect to pay about the same for a rebuild of a Herald engine as you would for the nearly identical Spitfire engine. Some 948cc engine parts are becoming scarce.) On the six-cylinder, check carefully for all the same sorts of problems common to GT6 and TR6 engines. Again, rebuilding costs are about on a par with other Triumph sixes, and some 1600cc parts are scarce.
- Transmission: The Heralds used a transmission virtually identical to the Spitfire, and the usual problems are likely to be found, especially with worn synchros and damaged gears from those who never mastered the "double-declutching" necessary to engage a non-synchro first gear while moving. Don't be fooled, though, by a sloppy shift lever. A $20 bushing kit will quickly cure that problem, as it will on the GT6 and pre-1975 Spitfires.
With the 1600cc cars, the transmission was very similar to the Herald, but with different gearing. If you encounter a non- running Sports 6/Vitesse 1600, there's a fair chance that the transmission is in poor shape (from being marginally able to cope with the six). There is also a fair chance that it is missing completely; early Vitesse gearboxes were often pirated by racers of Spitfires, the Vitesse ratios serving as an ideal "close- ratio" gearbox for racing!
- Brakes: The electrical and hydraulic systems of these cars will show no surprises for those familiar with other Triumphs or indeed any other British-made cars. The rear brakes of the Herald are, for all intents and purposes, identical to those of the Spitfire. The same holds true for the front disk brakes. As parts changed on the Spitfire (such as the larger calipers used from the Mk.3 Spitfire on), they changed as well on the Herald. Similarly, the brake parts used on the Vitesse/Sports 6 parallel those used on the GT6 models. Interchangeability is even found front-to-rear in a sense: if you encounter trouble locating a front brake drum for a Herald, look for a rear drum from a GT6!
- Chassis/Frame: One of the most critical parts of any car is, of course, the chassis; the Herald/Vitesse line is no exception. The frame is especially critical on these cars in that their construction and strength are based on large sections of the bodyshell bolted to each other and to the frame, unlike the largely welded-up bodyshells found on most other Triumphs. Unfortunately, these cars seem to have been extraordinarily susceptible to rust in the chassis, especially in areas where salt was used during the winter.
Any Herald or Sports 6 chassis should be checked carefully for rust, which usually appears first in the rear frame extensions that support the trunk. Next, and even more critical, are the outriggers and side rails (which appear much as the names suggest) off the main backbone. The rearmost outriggers often disintegrate, taking with them the radius arm mount for the rear axles. Needless to say, this leads to handling unpredictable at best, deadly at worst!
Due no doubt to the great popularity the Heralds and Vitesses still enjoy in England, many repair pieces are available for the chassis. Unfortunately for those of us in North America, one is more likely to encounter a Herald or Vitesse with chassis repairs that are well-intended, but perhaps lacking in strength or quality, or one in dire need of repair (see story in TVT #57). Proper repairs ideally require quality NOS or reproduction pieces, body removal from the chassis, careful fitting and alignment and quality welding of the pieces.
But will your kids like it?
Like most other Triumphs, Heralds and Vitesses truly come from an earlier, simpler time. Even at its introduction in 1959, the Herald was at once quite advanced (independent rear suspension, reduced maintenance, etc.) but archaic (separate frame at a time when many builders of small cars were turning to unibody construction). Thirty-five years later, the cars seem absolutely primitive compared to most current economy cars. Certainly the earliest Heralds in particular are not ideal for long-distance travel on the Interstate.
It probably is best to look upon them the way many of their original owners did -- as second cars: the Convertible offering a bit of sportiness over the family station wagon or four-door sedan, but with enough room for two adults and two children; the Saloon offering economical, reasonable closed comfort for four (not to mention the practicality of the large trunk and, on 948 models, a fold-down rear seatback offering a long and almost-flat load area); or the Sports 6, with the six-cylinder smoothness, if not the all-out horsepower, that most contemporary American cars offered, in a distinctive, small package.
It is a certainty that you won't see yourself coming and going, even at a car meet. Likely as not, Heralds and Vitesses will be outnumbered even at Triumph meets by Mayflowers, long- door TR2s and documented ex-works competition cars. That's part of the fun. It's also a safe bet that you won't put your children through medical school with profits from the eventual sale of your Herald or Sports 6. But it's quite likely that you will enjoy driving "the economy car made by sports-car engineers" and knowing that you're helping to preserve a part of Triumph history as unique and important as the sports cars.
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