Triumph Vitesse
The Triumph Vitesse was a compact 6-cylinder car built by Standard-Triumph from 1962-71. The car was styled by Michelotti, and was available in saloon and convertible variants.
The Vitesse 6
The Triumph Vitesse was introduced in April 1962 as a 6-cylinder performance version of the Triumph Herald small saloon. The Herald had been introduced in 1959 and was an attractive 2-door car styled by the Italian deigner Michelotti. By the early 1960s, however, Triumph began to give thought to a sports saloon based on the Herald and using their 6-cylinder engine. Michelotti was again approached for styling, and he came up with a car that used almost all body panels from the Herald, combined with a new front end with a clean 4-headlamp grille.
Triumph fitted a 1596cc version of their traditional straight-six in the Vitesse, eqiupped with twin Solex carburettors. The gearbox was beefed up and offered with optional overdrive. Front disc brakes were standard as were larger rear brake drums, and the Herald fuel tank was enlarged. The front suspension featured uprated springs to cope with the extra weight of the new engine, but the rear suspension was basically stock Herald, a swing-axle transverse-leaf system which quickly proved inadequate for the relatively powerful Vitesse. The chassis was basically the same as the Herald, and the Vitesse was available in convertible and saloon forms; a coupe never got beyond the prototype stage.
The interior was much improved over the Herald; wooden door cappings were added to the wooden dashboard, and the car feautured better seats and door trims. Optional extras included a sunroof on saloon models. Exterior trim was also improved, with a reversing light, chrome side flashes and alloy bumpers (replacing the white plastic Herald design).
A year or so after the car's launch, the Vitesse received its first facelift; the dashboard was revised with a full range of instruments instead of the single Herald-type dial, and the engine was uprated and fitted with twin Stomberg carburettors. Power output went up to 70bhp, enough to provide a useful perfomance boost and making the car a much more flexible performer.
The Vitesse 6 sold extremely well for Triumph, and was by some way the most popular Vitesse sold during the model's lifetime. The car was well-liked for its perfomance and reasonable fuel economy, as well as the well appointed interior. The car had few rivals for the price: able to perform as well as many sports cars but with room for a family. The convertible in particular was virtually unique in the markeptplace and another genuine 4-seater convertible would not reappear from a British manufacturer until the Triumph Stag several years further down the line.
The Vitesse 2-Litre
In 1966 Triumph uprgraded the engine to 1998cc, in line with the new Triumph GT6 coupe, and relaunched the car as the Vitesse 2-Litre. Power was increased to 95bhp, endowing the new car with a 0-60mph time of around 13 seconds. The performance increase was welcome, but it highlighted the severe deficiencies of the rear suspension, also noted on the new GT6 and the Triumph Spitfire. There were detail modifications for the 2-litre, including a stronger gearbox and uprated brakes.
The Vitesse MK2
The Vitesse MK2 was launched in 1968 as the final update to the Vitesse range. Essentially intended to be Triumph's answer to growing critiscism of the rear suspension, the MK2 was fitted with a completely redesigned layout using Rotolex rear couplings. This system, also shared with the new GT6 MKII, tamed the wayward handling for good and endowed the Vitesse with firm, progressive roadholding.
There were other improvements; the engine was tweaked once more to provide 105bhp, cutting the 0-60 time to just over 11 seconds and providing a top speed easily in excess of 100mph. The exterior featured a new grille, wheeltrims and alloy rear panel and the interior was upgraded once more in order to share some parts with the new Herald 13/60. A new colour range was offered for the MK2 models.
This was the ultimate Vitesse, a saloon or convertible with performance easily better than an MGB or Sunbeam Alpine sports car but with four proper seats and a decent boot. Handling was delightful, and the 2-litre engine smooth and sweet. The Vitesse sold well until its withdrawal in 1971, a year before the new Triumph Dolomite saloon entered the performance luxury sector for Triumph, and two years before the Dolomite Sprint variant added another high-performance sports saloon to the range.
Today, the Triumph Vitesse is a sought-after car by enthusiasts; Parts supply is excellent, and the cars have a reputation for bullet-proof mechanics. The Vitesse 1600 - espcecially the early Solex-carburettored machines - has been somewhat forgotten, and these cars are now becoming scarce. Most popular are the MK2 cars for their power and handling, and convertibles in particlular continue to be in high demand. Club support is excellent, and the Vitesse represents a practical performance 4-seater.
Production Figures
Vitesse 1600: Saloon, 22814: Convertible, 8447.
Vitesse 2-Litre: Saloon, 7328: Convertible, 3502.
Vitesse MK2: Saloon, 5649: Convertible, 3472.
http://www.clubtriumph.org.uk
Shadowfactory 20:14, 17 Nov 2004 (UTC)
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