Triumph Herald 948 Saloon

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Launched at the Royal Albert Hall in April 1959, the Michelotti-styled Triumph Herald caused as much of a sensation as the Mini was to do four months later.

Fantastically light and airy, with up-to-the-minute razor-edge styling, it was world’s away from the frumpy Standard 8 that it replaced. Retaining a traditional ‘body on frame’ construction, it had a revolutionary hinged front end that allowed unparalled access to the engine bay and every panel (including the sills and roof) could be unbolted so that different body styles could be easily built on the same chassis.

The engine was the same well-proven 948cc ohv unit from the Standard Pennant as was the 4-speed manual gearbox. With 35bhp on tap it was no fireball but it could propel the Herald to a useful top speed of 70mph with 35mpg economy. Precise rack-and-pinion steering allied to minimal bodywork around the front wheelarch area gave the car a tight 25-foot turning circle making it a doddle to park and manoeuvre (the smallest turning circle of any production car). Suspension was by coil and wishbone at the front with a single transverse leaf spring swing axle at the rear.

Available in Saloon, Coupe and Convertible form, 85,122 were sold before it was replaced by the Herald 1200 in April 1961. Survivors are now rare and sought after, with just 236 Herald 948s still UK registered today.

Built in 1959 and first registered on 1st January 1960, this very early Herald 948 Saloon looks wonderful in a fresh coat of the original Signal Red and White paint. It retains the correct centre-bonnet pull handle, chrome headlamp surrounds and the original boot lid with the internal lamp fitted. The correct one-piece aluminium gearbox housing is also still fitted.

The black interior is from a later model and in good condition, while the correct minimalist single instrument dash has been spoodled up a bit with the addition of a more luxurious wooden front over the original poverty spec grey pressed fibreboard. The vendor states that “the chassis is excellent and free from any significant corrosion”. New engine and gearbox mountings have recently been fitted along with a new windscreen rubber and an alternator conversion.

The vendor further states that “the car runs and drives well with a very good and quiet engine” and reports that it flew through its MOT in June this year with no advisories recorded (although being a pre-1960 model it is, of course, MOT exempt). Only reluctantly for sale due to imminent loss of storage, this rare and charming early Herald is sure to turn heads wherever it goes.