• Imported from Austria in early 2022

 • Original home-market rhd

 • In excellent running condition

Summer is coming and the best way to enjoy it is with a classic convertible. In our opinion, the four- or five-seater convertible had its heyday in the 1950s and ’60s, when glamorous styling with chrome flashes and vivid two-tone colour schemes made ordinary family cars a treat for the eyes, and never more so than when they were cruising along a sun-drenched seafront, with strains of Merseybeat from a café jukebox carried along in the salty breeze.

Many British manufacturers were imitating America’s slightly brash automobiles, but Triumph wanted something subtler and more exotic when it commissioned Italy’s Giovanni Michelotti to style the new-for-1959 Herald, named after Standard-Triumph’s managing director’s luxury yacht. The result was something quite different from its rivals – an altogether cleaner design – but still possessing all the important details like pert fins, glittering trim and joyous pastel colours.

Initially, it had a strong 948cc engine which placed it in the same league as the new Austin A40 Farina and Ford Anglia, but the best was to come with the arrival of the 13/60 at the 1967 London Motor Show. Its 1296cc engine produced 61bhp and gave much-improved performance. Today, the 13/60 commends itself not only as an extremely good-looking car but one which will happily keep up with modern traffic and reliably transport your whole family on its summer holidays.

 • No early history is known, but the Herald is believed to have been with a Somerset-based enthusiast in the late 1990s and in more recent years it ended up in Austria

 • The vendor drove it to London from Graz earlier in the year

 • The car has a NOVA certificate and its respective V5C document.

 • Also included with the car is a collection of literature including editions of The Courier, the magazine of the Triumph Sports Six Club, from 1998 and 1999, the Practical Classics Triumph Herald/Vitesse Restoration book and Triumph Herald 1959-1971, a compilation of period road tests published by Brooklands Books

 • Upholstery believed to be original

 • Aftermarket wood-rimmed sports steering wheel

 • Period radio installed

Considering the black vinyl upholstery in this car is believed to be original, it really is in remarkable condition. Apart from a few small marks on the seats it has scarcely suffered at all over its 54-year life. Both the seats and door cards are excellent. The woodgrain dash is also superb; apart from a small chip in the wood at the end on the passenger side, it is very hard to fault. A period-correct Beltek radio is a very desirable feature, although we don’t know if it is in working order.

There is some patina on some of the trim items, like the door furnishings and the instrument bezels, but it is only light and doesn’t detract from the car’s appearance at all. The wood-rimmed Lecarra sports steering wheel is a much newer aftermarket item and so is the matching gear knob, hence they are both in excellent, like-new condition. We would also mention that, as a result of the car’s time in Austria, its original speedometer has been replaced with an export-market equivalent with readings in kilometres and km/h.

The thick carpets offer good sound insulation and look to us to be in very good order, although they may benefit from a quick clean. The clutch pedal’s rubber cover has been taken off but should be straightforward to reattach. Inside the boot, the luggage space is clean, the boot floor is very solid and the spare wheel is present in good condition.

 • Very clean and solid underneath

 • Supplied with a full tonneau cover

 • Fibreglass bonnet

Resplendent in an attractive white, this Herald is especially well presented. It is in very good condition all-round, with just a few small blemishes in the paint, and it is obvious that it has been well looked-after. All the trim is largely very good, although there are some marks on the stainless steel side trim and a light patina over some of the chrome.

The chrome on one of the front overriders is beginning to flake away, and one of the rear overriders looks to have been scraped slightly, but the rest of the chrome is otherwise in lovely condition with just some light pitting, like most cars of a similar age. The bumpers are plastic-covered, and are also in excellent condition with some very minor marks.

What impresses us most with the car is the condition of the wheels. They are positively immaculate, without any faults that we could see. The paint is so good that we are inclined to suspect that they have been very recently refurbished. The tyres look to us to be quite new as well.

Purists may not be pleased to note that, at some stage, the Herald has been fitted with a fibreglass bonnet, but if you intend to use the car a lot, you might look favourably upon it since it weighs very little and will never rust. Another practical improvement is the luggage rack on the boot, a handy addition for your summer excursions to the Isle of Wight or Great Yarmouth.

The hood is in very good condition and is complemented with a neat tonneau cover which conceals it when lowered, as well as a larger tonneau cover for the whole interior. All the glass is in generally good order, although there are some light scratches on the windows.

 • Driven 900 miles from Graz to London earlier this year without any trouble

 • Excellent spares availability from Triumph Sports Six Club, Rimmer Bros. and other suppliers

 • Exceptionally clean engine

We mentioned that the wheels looked to have been recently refurbished and it looks like the engine has been, too. Since the paint on the rocker cover and air filter housing is so good, we’d hazard a guess that, at some point in the last few years, the engine was given a cosmetic renovation, if not more extensive works.

If there were any doubts as to the mechanical condition of the car, the fact that the vendor drove it home for 900 miles from Austria earlier this year ought to testify that it’s in pretty good health. When we went out in the Triumph, we were satisfied that drove and stopped well and found the ride quality very good.

Having just been reimported, it has obviously been a long time since the car last received an MoT and, unfortunately, there is no record of works which have been carried out. While it may be that you find something to tinker with at first, we feel quite sure that this car that is ready to be used and enjoyed without needing much attention.

The Triumph Herald was one of Britain’s great family cars of the 1960s, stylish on the surface with a strong, reliable engine underneath. Even 63 years after its launch, it remains a car you really can use every day, and you’ll turn heads and have some fun while doing so. The popularity of the Herald in period and today means that spares are easy to source and there’s excellent club support.

The 13/60 convertible is what many would consider to be the best combination of engine and body style, and this example is a wonderful, well-presented example which is ready to jump in and use. There can be few better classics with which to enjoy the coming months, so find some Kodachrome sunglasses and hit the road.

This item is sold on an ‘As is Where is’ basis. The condition of this item is the opinion of the seller and may differ from your own opinion. Photos and listing descriptions are for guidance purposes only*.** Car & Classic do not warrant listing accuracy. Full inspection is recommended. Viewings are at the seller’s discretion. Buyer is responsible for delivery and collection of any item purchased.*