Triumph 1300
Encyclopedia
The Triumph 1300 was a medium/small 4-door saloon car made in Coventry
, England by Standard Triumph
under the control of Leyland Motors. Produced from 1965 and intended as a replacement to the popular Triumph Herald
, it was re-engineered in the 1970s to become the Dolomite range.
The Triumph 1300 was introduced at the London Motor Show in October 1965. It was a compact luxury 4-door saloon with a body designed by Michelotti in a style similar to the larger Triumph 2000
. It was intended by Standard-Triumph (and Leyland, their parent organisation) as a successor to the popular Triumph Herald
range.
(FWD) design. Their major rival was BMC
, who was at the time producing three FWD model ranges including the Mini
and the best-selling Austin 1100 series; it was hoped by Leyland that some of the 1100s phenomenal success would rub off on the new Triumph. Triumph decided to adopt a different layout to BMC however, placing the engine above the gearbox in a front-back configuration (but not sharing the same oil) rather than BMC's transverse engine
layout. This resulted in a tall profile for the engine/gearbox combination which limited styling options. The engine was the same 1296 cc unit as used in the Triumph Herald 13/60. (the engine had originated in 1953 in the Standard Eight
in 803 cc form) A conventional OHV four-cylinder
unit, it developed 61 hp with the single Stromberg carburettor (also as used in the Herald 13/60) and was mated to a 4-speed all-synchromesh gearbox
. Front suspension was by double wishbone layout, attached to a shock-absorber/spring unit, and the rear suspension by semi-trailing arms and coil springs like the 2000.
" formation. The rear seat had a centre armrest which could be folded up when not in use.
, which featured twin SU carburetors and in this configuration provided an advertised 75 hp The car was identified by discreet "TC" badges. Top speed was significantly higher than the 1300 at a claimed 90 mph (145 km/h)., and acceleration times were cut by 11 percent to a 0–50 mph (80 km/h) time of 11.5 seconds. A road test a few months later significantly improved on the company's performance claims, achieving a maximum speed of 93 mph (150 km/h) and 0–50 mph (80 km/h) time of 10.5 seconds. With the car then retailing for a recommended UK price of £909, the road test concluded that "the 1300 TC costs only £41 more than the original model, and is a very good bargain indeed".
. The engine was enlarged to 1493 cc, providing a useful increase in torque, but a decrease in overall power and worse fuel consumption. The front end was cleaned up considerably, and the rear redesigned with longer tail, providing a useful increase in boot space. Production of the FWD Triumphs came to an end in 1973.
In many ways, the Triumph 1300 was a failed venture for Triumph and Leyland, as management resource was focused on finding replacements for successful but aging Austin-Morris models. Their Triumph badged 'in-house' competitor failed to achieve anything like the sales figures of the BMC small FWD cars
, though it should be pointed out that the BMC 1100 range featured several badge-engineered
variants. Moreover, the front wheel drive configuration failed to realise the handling and roadholding advantages that Triumph had hoped for, and the tall profile limited other uses for the FWD drivetrain, such as in the Spitfire. The 1300 was well-made and sold reasonably well in the small luxury sector, but after its direct successor
was quietly switched to rear wheel drive in 1973, Triumph never produced another FWD car: even more significantly, from 1970 the 1300 was re-engineered as a rear-wheel drive car and went on to form the core of Triumph's compact range as the 1300 cc Triumph Toledo
(launched in 1971) and the larger engined Triumph Dolomite
released in 1972 . Like all Standard-Triumph offerings, DIY servicing was simple: the clutch plate could be replaced from inside the car and unlike the Mini-based vehicles, changing CV joints was a three-spanner operation. It takes its place in history as being the only production car made in Britain to begin life as a front-wheel drive, and end it as a rear-wheel drive until Leyland's successor, MG Rover repeated the trick in turning the Rover 75 into the MG ZT 260. The 1300 was assembled in Israel by the local partner of Standard-Trimph International, Autocars Co. of Tirat Carmel. However, due to the Israeli government ridiculous policy with regard to car assembly, Triumph was forced to introduce this vehicle in a 1493cc version, already in early 1968, and two years ahead of this engine's introduction in the UK. In fact, it was not until another Israeli assembler, Illin Industries, had shut down his operations, before Triumph could assemble the 1300 in Israel. One curious design offshoot of the 1300 was the "Pony" jeep-like farm vahicle, later re-named "Dragoon". The Pony was exclusively offered for Autocars within the joint venture contract, but very few units were actually produced in Israel, as of 1968. The same 4WD-design was used in a rally version of the Triumph 1300. The rally project enjoyed some success before crashing and rolling in 1969. The 4WD Triumph 1300 was subsequently abandoned.
Although the FWD 1300 was something of a disappointment, the basic design went on to provide Triumph with a popular small car until the end of Dolomite production in 1980 and as such delivered an outstanding return on their original investment.
The Triumph 1300 has a following today in the UK classic car movement, though some parts are now scarce and the number of surviving cars not especially high.
Coventry
Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
, England by Standard Triumph
Triumph Motor Company
The Triumph Motor Company was a British car and motor manufacturing company. The Triumph marque is owned currently by BMW. The marque had its origins in 1885 when Siegfried Bettmann of Nuremberg initiated S. Bettmann & Co and started importing bicycles from Europe and selling them with his own...
under the control of Leyland Motors. Produced from 1965 and intended as a replacement to the popular Triumph Herald
Triumph Herald
The Triumph Herald was a small two-door car introduced in 1959 by the Standard-Triumph Company of Coventry. Body design was by the Italian stylist Michelotti and the car was offered in saloon, convertible, coupé, van, and estate models....
, it was re-engineered in the 1970s to become the Dolomite range.
The Triumph 1300 was introduced at the London Motor Show in October 1965. It was a compact luxury 4-door saloon with a body designed by Michelotti in a style similar to the larger Triumph 2000
Triumph 2000
The Triumph 2000 is a mid-sized, rear wheel drive automobile which was produced in Coventry by the Triumph Motor Company between 1963 and 1977. Larger-engined models, known as the Triumph 2.5 PI and Triumph 2500 were also produced.-Engine:...
. It was intended by Standard-Triumph (and Leyland, their parent organisation) as a successor to the popular Triumph Herald
Triumph Herald
The Triumph Herald was a small two-door car introduced in 1959 by the Standard-Triumph Company of Coventry. Body design was by the Italian stylist Michelotti and the car was offered in saloon, convertible, coupé, van, and estate models....
range.
Equipment
The 1300 was Leyland's first front-wheel driveFront-wheel drive
Front-wheel drive is a form of engine/transmission layout used in motor vehicles, where the engine drives the front wheels only. Most modern front-wheel drive vehicles feature a transverse engine, rather than the conventional longitudinal engine arrangement generally found in rear-wheel drive and...
(FWD) design. Their major rival was BMC
British Motor Corporation
The British Motor Corporation, or commonly known as BMC was a vehicle manufacturer from United Kingdom, formed by the merger of the Austin Motor Company and the Nuffield Organisation in 1952...
, who was at the time producing three FWD model ranges including the Mini
Mini
The Mini is a small car that was made by the British Motor Corporation and its successors from 1959 until 2000. The original is considered a British icon of the 1960s, and its space-saving front-wheel-drive layout influenced a generation of car-makers...
and the best-selling Austin 1100 series; it was hoped by Leyland that some of the 1100s phenomenal success would rub off on the new Triumph. Triumph decided to adopt a different layout to BMC however, placing the engine above the gearbox in a front-back configuration (but not sharing the same oil) rather than BMC's transverse engine
Transverse engine
A transverse engine is an engine mounted in a vehicle so that the engine's crankshaft axis is perpendicular to the long axis of the vehicle. Many modern front wheel drive vehicles use this engine mounting configuration...
layout. This resulted in a tall profile for the engine/gearbox combination which limited styling options. The engine was the same 1296 cc unit as used in the Triumph Herald 13/60. (the engine had originated in 1953 in the Standard Eight
Standard Eight
The Flying Eight was the smallest member of the Standard Flying family.Introduced in 1938 or 1939 , the Flying Eight featured, in its saloon form, the "streamlined" body of the little Standard Flying Nine which had appeared in 1937...
in 803 cc form) A conventional OHV four-cylinder
Straight-4
The inline-four engine or straight-four engine is an internal combustion engine with all four cylinders mounted in a straight line, or plane along the crankcase. The single bank of cylinders may be oriented in either a vertical or an inclined plane with all the pistons driving a common crankshaft....
unit, it developed 61 hp with the single Stromberg carburettor (also as used in the Herald 13/60) and was mated to a 4-speed all-synchromesh gearbox
Manual transmission
A manual transmission, also known as a manual gearbox or standard transmission is a type of transmission used in motor vehicle applications...
. Front suspension was by double wishbone layout, attached to a shock-absorber/spring unit, and the rear suspension by semi-trailing arms and coil springs like the 2000.
Styling
Styling was somewhat unusual—partly dictated by the tall engine/gearbox—with a strong family resemblance to the Triumph 2000. The front was a "squashed" version of the 2000 with single headlamps, and the rear had an almost "chopped-off" look with a very short and stubby boot. The roof had a pronounced lip above the rear window. The car was available only as a four-door saloon.Interior
The interior was well-appointed with full instrumentation in a wooden dashboard, wooden door cappings, adjustable steering column and comfortable seats with ventilated PVC upholstery. There was through-flow ventilation with outlets under the rear roof lip. The car was fairly roomy, and aside from a slightly baulky gearchange, easy to drive with very reasonable performance. Standard equipment was generous and included thick carpeting but no heated backlight. Although not reclining, the front seats were remarkably versatile and could be easily adjusted for height and rake. The steering column was adjustable not only up and down but back and forth as well. From a safety angle the door handles were recessed and could not be caught on clothing and the (awkward to operate) window winders were spring-loaded and similarly recessed. The instrument panel had a speedometer, fuel gauge, temperature gauge, ammeter and a comprehensive cluster of warning lights arranged in a "pie chartPie chart
A pie chart is a circular chart divided into sectors, illustrating proportion. In a pie chart, the arc length of each sector , is proportional to the quantity it represents. When angles are measured with 1 turn as unit then a number of percent is identified with the same number of centiturns...
" formation. The rear seat had a centre armrest which could be folded up when not in use.
1300TC
For 1968 the 1300TC joined the basic model. The TC used the engine then fitted in the Triumph SpitfireTriumph Spitfire
The Triumph Spitfire is a small English two-seat sports car, introduced at the London Motor Show in 1962. The vehicle was based on a design produced for Standard-Triumph in 1957 by Italian designer Giovanni Michelotti...
, which featured twin SU carburetors and in this configuration provided an advertised 75 hp The car was identified by discreet "TC" badges. Top speed was significantly higher than the 1300 at a claimed 90 mph (145 km/h)., and acceleration times were cut by 11 percent to a 0–50 mph (80 km/h) time of 11.5 seconds. A road test a few months later significantly improved on the company's performance claims, achieving a maximum speed of 93 mph (150 km/h) and 0–50 mph (80 km/h) time of 10.5 seconds. With the car then retailing for a recommended UK price of £909, the road test concluded that "the 1300 TC costs only £41 more than the original model, and is a very good bargain indeed".
Estate model
An estate version of the 1300 reached the concept stages, but was never produced due to budgetary constraints.Replacement
In August 1970 the 1300 and 1300TC were replaced by the Triumph 1500Triumph 1500
The Triumph 1500 was a small front-wheel drive automobile produced by Standard-Triumph from 1970 to 1976.Whilst retaining the front-wheel drive of the Triumph 1300, the body featured a restyled nose, a lengthened tail, twin headlights, horizontally mounted rear light clusters and a larger boot...
. The engine was enlarged to 1493 cc, providing a useful increase in torque, but a decrease in overall power and worse fuel consumption. The front end was cleaned up considerably, and the rear redesigned with longer tail, providing a useful increase in boot space. Production of the FWD Triumphs came to an end in 1973.
Aftermath
BMC ADO16
ADO16 is the codename for the development of what became the Morris 1100, a small family car built by the British Motor Corporation and, later, British Leyland...
, though it should be pointed out that the BMC 1100 range featured several badge-engineered
Badge engineering
Badge engineering is an ironic term that describes the rebadging of one product as another...
variants. Moreover, the front wheel drive configuration failed to realise the handling and roadholding advantages that Triumph had hoped for, and the tall profile limited other uses for the FWD drivetrain, such as in the Spitfire. The 1300 was well-made and sold reasonably well in the small luxury sector, but after its direct successor
Triumph 1500
The Triumph 1500 was a small front-wheel drive automobile produced by Standard-Triumph from 1970 to 1976.Whilst retaining the front-wheel drive of the Triumph 1300, the body featured a restyled nose, a lengthened tail, twin headlights, horizontally mounted rear light clusters and a larger boot...
was quietly switched to rear wheel drive in 1973, Triumph never produced another FWD car: even more significantly, from 1970 the 1300 was re-engineered as a rear-wheel drive car and went on to form the core of Triumph's compact range as the 1300 cc Triumph Toledo
Triumph Toledo
The Triumph Toledo was a compact car introduced in August 1970 as a cheaper version of the Triumph 1300, which was at the same time replaced by the Triumph 1500. The Toledo shared the 1500's new front with a split grille, but instead of the 1500's twin round headlamps, it had single rectangular...
(launched in 1971) and the larger engined Triumph Dolomite
Triumph Dolomite
The Triumph Dolomite was a popular small saloon car produced by the Triumph Motor Company division of the British Leyland Corporation in Canley, Coventry between October 1972 and August 1980.-History:...
released in 1972 . Like all Standard-Triumph offerings, DIY servicing was simple: the clutch plate could be replaced from inside the car and unlike the Mini-based vehicles, changing CV joints was a three-spanner operation. It takes its place in history as being the only production car made in Britain to begin life as a front-wheel drive, and end it as a rear-wheel drive until Leyland's successor, MG Rover repeated the trick in turning the Rover 75 into the MG ZT 260. The 1300 was assembled in Israel by the local partner of Standard-Trimph International, Autocars Co. of Tirat Carmel. However, due to the Israeli government ridiculous policy with regard to car assembly, Triumph was forced to introduce this vehicle in a 1493cc version, already in early 1968, and two years ahead of this engine's introduction in the UK. In fact, it was not until another Israeli assembler, Illin Industries, had shut down his operations, before Triumph could assemble the 1300 in Israel. One curious design offshoot of the 1300 was the "Pony" jeep-like farm vahicle, later re-named "Dragoon". The Pony was exclusively offered for Autocars within the joint venture contract, but very few units were actually produced in Israel, as of 1968. The same 4WD-design was used in a rally version of the Triumph 1300. The rally project enjoyed some success before crashing and rolling in 1969. The 4WD Triumph 1300 was subsequently abandoned.
Although the FWD 1300 was something of a disappointment, the basic design went on to provide Triumph with a popular small car until the end of Dolomite production in 1980 and as such delivered an outstanding return on their original investment.
The Triumph 1300 has a following today in the UK classic car movement, though some parts are now scarce and the number of surviving cars not especially high.