Lot number | 12 |
---|---|
Hammer value | £2,700 |
Description | Triumph 1300 Saloon |
Registration | BPX 278G |
Year | 1969 |
Colour | Blue |
Engine size | 1,296 cc |
Chassis No. | RD 80336DL |
Engine No. | RD 80281HE |
Triumph introduced their front-wheel drive 1300 at the 1965 London show. Styled by Michelotti, it resembled a small Triumph 2000, incorporating a tasteful upmarket wood trim interior designed to appeal to Triumph’s traditional middle class clientele.
Taking a rather different approach to its Austin and Morris counterparts, the engine was mounted north/south with the gearbox sitting underneath. Using separate oil compartments, it was a neat and practical solution, maintenance being particularly easy, although it was at the expense of a rather high bonnet line.
The 1,296cc engine was carried over from the Herald 13/60, 113,000 eventually finding customers before it morphed into the Toledo in 1971, its similarly styled, if more conventional rear wheel drive replacement.
This lovely, original 1969 example was purchased new by a lady who kept if for 20 years. The vendor, who has now owned it for the last 12 years, has overhauled the engine and rebuilt the gearbox, concentrating on preventative maintenance as much as necessary repair. Showing just 62,000 miles on the clock, the car is supplied with a large file of receipts, a workshop manual, parts book and the original handbook.
These small Triumphs are now very rare, with just 192 currently registered on the roads of Britain, few of which will be in such nice original condition. This tax exempt example is MOTd until April 2015 and we are told drives as well as it looks.