Period Photos of Triumphs

[Iain T]

The vicar at school who tried to turn us into good Christians drove a blue Vitesse 6 convertible. It sounded lovely! My first Triumph love affair😍

Iain 

[rlubikey]

Mike, Atlas restoration has stalled since 2018. Maybe there will be some progress getting it on the road later this year. I'll post here when I do.

Cheers, Richard

[Chris Longhurst]

5 hours ago, Mike Costigan said:

Still plenty to come, Richard; good to see you've got a Standard Atlas, I've owned a couple in the past and loved them - I cannot access the Standard Motor Club links, any chance of starting a thread on this forum?

https://www.standardmotorclub.org.uk/

I think they set up a new server - this may work (although I preferred the old site!)

[Mike Costigan]

Thanks, Chris. That accesses the club website, but Richard's Atlas link is in the Members Only section, from which interested mere mortals are banned.

[Pete Lewis]

posted this befroe  

my Mum at Standard  pre war circa 1938  ( rear right ) 

in the comptometer office ??

Pete

[Colin Lindsay]

16 hours ago, Mike Costigan said:

Thanks, Chris. That accesses the club website, but Richard's Atlas link is in the Members Only section, from which interested mere mortals are banned.

They came into possession of a part I needed for the Herald, but wouldn't sell unless I joined the club; only fair, I suppose, they're supporting their own cars and their members but it wasn't worth the extra expense just to buy a gearbox part. It made it (theoretically) cheaper to have the part remade.

[Adrian]

Hi Chaps

I don't want to appear disinterested but, I feel that whilst historic pictures of our cars are of interest (especially  if you own them! and it is important not to loose the history), BUT, I'd be more interested in the mundane connection individuals had with 'their' cars. I'D like to see what you did with YOUR cars or indeed the connections you had with your parents cars?.

No offence!!!

[Mike Costigan]

9 hours ago, Adrian said:

Hi Chaps

I don't want to appear disinterested but, I feel that whilst historic pictures of our cars are of interest (especially  if you own them! and it is important not to loose the history), BUT, I'd be more interested in the mundane connection individuals had with 'their' cars. I'D like to see what you did with YOUR cars or indeed the connections you had with your parents cars?.

No offence!!!

No offence taken, Adrian, but as Mathew suggests, this isn't the topic for family photos... so I've started a separate thread for just those just for you!

[Mike Costigan]

Three photos, one car, today.

P Astbury and B Harper in their Vitesse on the 1962 RAC Rally. I have it identified as being Red and White, but cannot find where I got that info, so maybe it was, maybe it wasn't!

[rlubikey]

On 09/03/2022 at 14:56, Mike Costigan said:

Number 34 is the Vitesse of Vic Elford and Terry Hunter (insurance salesman Elford looking very dapper accompanied by Hunter:

 

Mike, looking at that bonnet with the extra top section reminds me ... do you happen to have a photo of Harry Webster's 6-cylinder Herald before Michelotti's Vitesse bonnet?

There's a photograph of the "Kenilworth Dragster" with a Vitesse bonnet in Graham Robson's Herald & Vitesse book (pp 88). But I feel sure I've read somewhere that the prototype department modified a Herald bonnet prior to the Vitesse project, while he was simply using it as his personal transport.

Cheers, Richard

[Mike Costigan]

Sorry, Richard, the photo in Graham's book is the only one I've seen.

[Mike Costigan]

Back to Spitfires for today's post.

ADU 467B was built alongside the Works Spitfires for the SMART organisation, financed jointly by Stirling Moss, BP Oil and the Standard-Triumph Publicity Department. Driven by Stirling's secretary, Val Pirie, it retained the 'bubble-top' body even after the Works cars gained the fastback body style.

In the 1964 Alpine Rally Val Pirie and Yvonne Hilton retired after crashing out:

The 1964 RAC Rally was no better, Val and Susan Reeve again crashing out of the event:

Another non-finish in the 1965 Monte Carlo rally when Val and Susan ran out of time after a series of punctures:

 

[Mike Costigan]

Back to early Heralds, today. Three shots from a photographic session at Canley, presumably around April 1959 (note the lack of foliage on the poplar trees). WRW 404 was famously used on the 'Turn Left for Tangiers' proving run, but at the time of its African adventure it was painted Signal Red, whereas here it is painted Coffee. Initially I thought it was just a case of using a number plate that was lying around in the factory, but the car in this photo appears to still have the roof-mounted short-wave radio aerial as fitted to the Africa car. Alpine Mauve was a popular colour for early coupes off the production line so it's not possible to identify which car we have here.

 

[Colin Lindsay]

So THAT'S why they needed a bonnet handle. Always wondered.

[Chris Longhurst]

I think you are correct Mike - I wrote an article for the Courier a few years back to review the 2 later saloon prototypes. I think that LHD WRW 404 was also used by The Motor for their road test (although the interior shots in their article are of a RHD car).

Text to the article attached along with a couple of shots of my 1/32nd resin models (the bonnet handles are modified door handles from the 1/32nd Airfix Herald kit!).

A busy time for two Herald prototype saloons.docx

[Mike Costigan]

Three shots of 5 VC on the 1962 RAC Rally today; driven by Jean-Jacques Thuner and John Gretener they finished 9th overall - the highest-placed Triumph:

 

[Mike Costigan]

The 1959 RAC Rally started on the seafront at Blackpool at midday on Tuesday 16th November; the route took competitors northwards through Yorkshire and into the night through the Lake District, onwards into the Highlands of Scotland for another night section on Wednesday, then back south into Wales for Thursday night, finishing at the Crystal Palace circuit on Friday afternoon - no overnight breaks, just the occasional one hour service halt which might include the opportunity to grab a meal, and several 'special tests' which might provide a brief respite whilst waiting to compete - modern WRC events don't know the meaning of relentless pressure!

Here are three photos of Heralds; first an unidentified saloon, 2 LTE, probably in the north of England (can anyone identify the location?):

Next we have a service halt, again location unidentified, with Keith Ballisat's Works entry, YRW 267, receiving attention and a privately-entered saloon, 77 GMB, behind:

And here's Tiny Lewis' TL5 at the start of the final test, a 5-lap race around the Crystal Palace circuit; 139 is the DKW of Wolfgang Levy and Stuart Turner, which finished 8th overall:

[Mike Costigan]

XHP 245 was an early Herald, Commission Number Y383, Engine Number Y327E, registered on 16th March 1959 and used by the Company as a Press Car.

In November 1959 it was loaned to Cyril Corbishley and, prepared by the Competition Department, he competed in a number of major rallies, starting with the 1959 RAC Rally. Here are three photos of the car on the 1960 Monte Carlo Rally, when Corbishley, navigated by Peter Roberts, was the highest-placed Herald, beating the Works team; Corbishley and Roberts finished 25th overall, the best Works car was Tiny Lewis and Tony Nash in 57th.

En-route in northern France:

Heading into the Alps with snow on the ground:

On the harbour-front at Monte Carlo: 

[Colin Lindsay]

If I can add one that's slightly removed from Triumph rallies now - no idea where I got the photo but as usual I was looking for something else and found it!

The Standard Atlas production line...

[Mike Costigan]

Wonderful! That looks like it dates from around 1962/63, as those are badged as Leyland 15s (a rebadged Atlas Major with the Vanguard engine).

[Pete Lewis]

11 minutes ago, Mike Costigan said:

Atlas Major with the Vanguard engine

altogether better than the orininal 948 which was seriously underpowered,

well you would never get caught speeding unless down hill 

Pete

 

[rlubikey]

34 minutes ago, Pete Lewis said:

well you would never get caught speeding unless down hill 

Even then it's difficult, the Atlas being "brick" shaped. It's not exactly aerodynamic.

I can confirm that the top speed of the 948cc Atlas "Minor" is indeed 52mph, foot to the floor and the engine screaming for mercy. But the slightest incline and the speed falls rapidly. 45mph ... 40mph ... suddenly you feel very vulnerable on a motorway with everyone else shooting past!

We've built a 1650cc engine (a stroked 1500) to give my Atlas a bit more ooomph. Well, about double the oomph actually.

Keep these pictures coming.

Cheers, Richard

PS: I've asked the Moderators if they would move my Atlas thread to a public part of the Standard forum. But "No Answer", came the stern reply! So I guess I'll have to move it myself, brick by brick so-to-speak. I'll keep you informed.

[Chris Longhurst]

I was watching Talking Pictures TV last night (Freeview 82) and there was a 'Look at Life' called 'Against the Clock' featuring the 1960 RAC rally - I did not spot any Triumphs but it was 'blink & you will miss it' documentary!

I think this link will take you to TPTV-Encore (streaming) - worth a watch for 10 minutes of old car fun.

https://www.tptvencore.co.uk/Video/Look-At-Life-Against-the-Clock?id=e0edf162-712c-4488-9f5f-2b827765ba01

 

[Mike Costigan]

Richard, I agree the motorway is not a happy hunting ground for an Atlas, but my 948 would hold a steady 45mph up hill and down dale. I don't think we ever took it much over 50mph (admittedly I'm talking speedo readings, this was long before gps existed) but it was the road-holding rather than revs that limited speed.

[Works Spitfires]

We have done thousands of motorway miles in our Atlas's (Atlas'i?).  Our van was 'uprated' sometime earlier in its life with a 1147 engine, and I changed the diff ratio for a 4.11. It was this van that we nearly managed to complete a RBRR a few years ago (knackered halfshaft bearing 100 miles before the finish). It pulls 60mph on the motorway no problem.

We built a 1660 engine for our camper (offset ground crank, TR6 pistons, federal head), changed the diff ratio to 4.11, and added overdrive. That cruises at 65-70mph on the motorway. We go away in it at least a couple of times a year, and it has been to Cornwall several times, Northumberland, Wales, etc.