Triumph

At the London Motor Show in October 1965 the Triumph 1300 was introduced. Its body was designed by Michelotti in a style similar to the larger Triumph 2000. It was intended as a replacement for the popular Triumph Herald which remained in production nevertheless. In 1968 the 1300 TC was intoduced, fitted with the Spitfire engine which gave the car a significantly higher top speed than the base model. An estate version of the 1300 reached the concept stages, but was never produced due to budgetary constraints. In many ways, the 1300 was a failed venture for Triumph as management resources from parent company Leyland were focused on finding replacements for the successful but ageing Austin-Morris models. It was replaced by the Triumph 1500, though it was also re-engineered in the early 1970s to provide the basis for the Toledo and Dolomite ranges.