US-specification Triumph Herald 13/60

Front views of the US-spec Triumph Herald 13/60. More images of the blue and yellow cars below.

Valencia Blue convertible

white convertible

A sedan, albeit sans roof.

I first found out about these cars from a brief mention in Mike Costigan's wonderful Herald/Vitesse guide. Then I (and a few others had the distinct pleasure of viewing an incredibly original example in Portland, Maine, at the 1999 Vintage Triumph Register Annual Convention.

At risk of boring some of you, I must quickly mention how this came about. The owner of the car heard about the Triumph convention and dropped by, asking around about Heralds. Soon she was introduced to me, as VTR's Herald consultant. She was, understandably, quite curious about her car and had all the usual questions about obtaining parts (such as the white rubber bumpers missing from her car), etc. I was just as curious, the car being a model not normally sold in the US, although I figured some previous owner had brought in one from England. No, it was left hand steering. OK, perhaps some previous owner had brought it in from Belgium or elsewhere on the continent. No, that wasn't quite it, either, as I soon came to find out.

Anyway, she was convinced to bring the car to the Saturday Concours display. It was then I discovered that this was, indeed, a true US-specification 1969 model Triumph Herald 13/60, one of the "Puerto Rican" cars Costigan writes about in his book.

The car sports a number of unique features, compared to "normal" 13/60 specification:

These cars carried unique "GH" commission number and equally unique "FF" engine prefix, for what is essentially a Federal-spec, emission-controlled, dual SU carb'ed, 1296 Spitfire Mk3 engine. "Normal" 13/60 models sported a single Stromberg CD150 carburetor.

US emissions specification 1296cc Spitfire engine

US-spec, Spitfire-style 1296 engine -- "FF" prefix!

1GH240LCV -- Top Left: unique side lamp treatment; Top Right: Lucas side reflectors (amber front, red rear) required by US safety standards of the time. Bottom Left: dual number plate lamps and add-on reversing lamp; Bottom Right: another rear three-quarter view. (A 1200 convertible is to the right.)

unique front side and flasher lamp treatment

side reflector/marker required for US in 1969

Rear view of US-spec 13/60. Click on this photo to see a larger version.

Rear view of US-spec 13/60. Click on this photo to see a larger version.

The outside of the car shows "modifications" as well to meet US standards of the time, such as small side reflectors (Lucas, as found on 1969 US Spitfire Mk3 as well) and "conventional" sealed-beam headlamps. Other variances in lighting include separate front side and flasher lamps set into body-colored plinth covering the opening for the usual lamp. This may have been a common feature of other Belgian-assembled 13/60s, as there is some vague documentation of the side lamp (TR4-style) as a German-spec. part in the 13/60 Spare Parts Catalogue. The flasher lamp is the same as that used on the rear of the Mk3 Spitfire. Both fit on a painted plinth covering the hole for the "normal" Herald side-flasher lamp.

At the rear, the car uses TWO of the older-style number plate lamp and plinth, again as specified for the German market Herald 13/60. There is also a single Lucas L661 reverse lamp mounted on the center of the rear valence, below the white rubber bumper.

Two views of the headrest arrangement on the US-spec. Triumph Herald 13/60 (left, center). Compare to the folding headrests on the early US-spec. TR6 (right)!

13/60 US-required headrest for the 1969 model year, shown in upright position. Click for a larger image. 13/60 US-required headrest for the 1969 model year, shown in folded position. Click for a larger image. TR6 US-required headrest for the 1969 model year. Compare overall shape and hardward with that on the 13/60. Click for a larger image.

Also as required by US government standards for the 1969 model year, the car sports front seat headrests. Unlike the highback seats found in US-spec Spitfire Mk3s, these Heralds used the folding headrest as found on the early US-spec TR6, adapted to Herald 13/60 seats.

Left: under-bonnet photo shows bulkhead sans heater, not needed in tropical markets. Right: You might be able to make out the blanking plate in the dash center, where a heater control would have been installed.

Another view of the engine area; note lack of heater. Click for a larger version. View of the dash; click for a larger version, where you might be able to make out the lack of heater controls.

As the Caribbean was apparently the intended destination of the car, there is no heater. Appropriate blanking plates are fitted on the bulkhead (where the heater assembly would mount) and on the dash (where the heater control knobs would be fitted).

I know of four of these cars, and I have images of three of them on this page and on the Database "Gallery" page. At least one other (hopefully still extant in the hands of a VTR member)...maybe two if you count the photos I have (below) of a 13/60 in Cuba -- possibly another of the "GH" cars!

1G240LCV, formerly Valencia Blue and now green Herald 13/60 convertible; click for a larger version.

Triumph Herald 13/60 spotted in Cuba around 1999. Click for a larger version.

Triumph Herald 13/60 spotted in Cuba around 1999. Click for a larger version.

A GE-series LHD Herald 13/60 convertible; click for a larger version.

A GE-series LHD Herald 13/60 convertible; click for a larger version.
The Valencia Blue car above has since had a color change and has been partially restored. Above (left and center): Two views of a Herald 13/60 spotted in Cuba circa 1999. Unfortunately, the pictures are not quite clear enough to determine whether this might be a "GH" or "Puerto-Rican specification" Herald 13/60, or if it was just a normal production "GE" series Herald 13/60 originally destined for a similar tropical market. The latter seems likely, since the first picture appears to show the "normal" side/flasher lamps in front. Above (left) is a LHD "GE" series Herald 13/60 originally built in Coventry and first delivered to Nassau, Bahamas. It lacked a heater when first built. The car is currently in California, having been restored (right).

1969 Triumph Herald 13/60 sedan. Click for a larger version.

1969 Triumph Herald 13/60 sedan. Click for a larger version.

1969 Triumph Herald 13/60 sedan. Click for a larger version.

1969 Triumph Herald 13/60 sedan. Click for a larger version.

1969 Triumph Herald 13/60 sedan. Click for a larger version.

1969 Triumph Herald 13/60 sedan. Click for a larger version.

1969 Triumph Herald 13/60 sedan. Click for a larger version.

1969 Triumph Herald 13/60 sedan. Click for a larger version.

1969 Triumph Herald 13/60 sedan. Click for a larger version.

Above: Views of a GH-series Herald 13/60 sedan -- 1GH355LDL -- still in Puerto Rico! It appears to remain mostly original (except for the carburetor and alternator shown, what appears to be a modern radio mounted in the inset switch panel and possibly other small details -- oh, and the roof is missing). Interestingly, this car does not have the folding headrests shown in the Valencia Blue convertible above Perhaps, due to some odd twist in legislation, they were not required in a closed car in this instance? However, it does have the unique front side and flasher lamp treatment, as well as the dual rear license plate lamps, and you can just make out the required commission number tag on the lower part of the LH windshield post.

If you have any further information on any of these "GH" or earlier "GG" series Heralds, please contact me!

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revised 8/18/04 and 3/28/08 with more pictures and information; last reviewed and updated 2/22/13 and August 29, 2015