Period Photos of Triumphs

[Mike Costigan]

I just revisited the pics and was going to add them - I reckon they're twin reversing lights.

[Colin Lindsay]

That's a very nifty setup! Do you or anyone else have a closer shot of them? 

[steveo]

Have got one more photo of the rear of the car, think the lights are the Lucus style ( like mini indicators ) with chrome rings, must have been cheap back in the day ( or on it when he got it ! ) as grandad was not known for splashing out on goodies !

[PeteH]

The Caravan Looks a lot like the old "Bluebird", my Aunt had?, The exterior was Painted HARDBOARD!. Daft as It seems, Aluminium was in short supply aparently, even though the war was over?. No insulation, Gas Mantle lighting, Parrafin stove, cooking and heating, had many a holliday in that as a kid.

My First thought was that Herald will never tow that `van. But I note no Tow bar anyway!. And they do look like "bullseye" Lamps, They where on early mini`s, and Moggie`s too, as well as a lot of other early cars, Landrovers too I think?, so maybe someone went round the scrappy?.

Pete

[Colin Lindsay]

I like that idea, Pete... I've a few of those in a box in the roofspace and as my current O/D gearbox has a reversing light switch it's something to plan for the future.

As for the caravan.... I'd love to stay in a gas lamp / cooker / heat caravan such as we stayed in for a week in the early 1970s. Probably quite an expense for my parents in those days but the thought of no electric and no distractions really appeals...

[Mike Costigan]

Three shots of Annie Soisbault's YWK 534 on the 1960 Monte Carlo Rally. Famously the car started with Annie's pet leopard in the back - it can just be seen in the first picture; later in the rally the leopard was reported as looking rather worse for wear!

 

[PeteH]

Mike nowadays the animal rights police would have been baying for blood on cruelty grounds 😹

Pete

[Chris Longhurst]

I think the 'leopard' was a cheetah - I still would not want that in the back of the car!

 

[Colin Lindsay]

1 hour ago, PeteH said:

Mike nowadays the animal rights police would have been baying for blood on cruelty grounds 😹

Pete

Don't tell them about the Tiger in the Tank then...

[Mike Costigan]

Quite correct, Chris.

Note to self: engage brain before posting next time!

[Chris Longhurst]

Not a period photo as such but an illustration from the Oct 1963 'Paint Colour Pamphlet' of the rustproofing and paint sequence for the Herald.

 

[Mike Costigan]

Seeing Unkel Kunkel's thread on the Michelotti-designed bus reminded me I have these Michelotti drawings which may not be familiar:

The first two are his early Zobo designs which Harry Webster dismissed as 'too dumpy', whilst the third is the final design which we can all recognise.

 

[steveo]

23 hours ago, Chris Longhurst said:

Not a period photo as such but an illustration from the Oct 1963 'Paint Colour Pamphlet' of the rustproofing and paint sequence for the Herald.

Rustproofing ? I think they missed my car that day !

[Colin Lindsay]

1 hour ago, steveo said:

Rustproofing ? I think they missed my car that day !

Rustproofing? You need proof that your car is going to rust?

[Badwolf]

When I got my Spitfire it was twelve years old. Ziebart rustproofing sticker on the windscreen. Hardly a panel without rust, some more rust than metal. What exactly was the Ziebart process, was it designed to hold back the rust or speed it up? Having shown her the photos of the original state of the car, Lady BW can't believe the amount of rust damage on a twelve year old vehicle, even a soft top. Maybe it was just a sticker that was supposed to frighten to rust away, like those security signs, you know the ones 'Klingon security guard these premises'!

 

 

 

 

[Colin Lindsay]

They used to drill holes then fill them with nice little studs:

[PeteH]

26 minutes ago, Badwolf said:

'Klingon

As kid`s,That had a whole different context to it. And was the source of much hilarity, when the word re-appeared in Star Trek. 😂. More so when some band came out with a song "Star Trekin".

Pete.

[Badwolf]

I have the 12" version of Star Trekkin by The Firm somewhere.... I really do need some sort of help!

[thescrapman]

On 02/05/2022 at 19:17, Badwolf said:

When I got my Spitfire it was twelve years old. Ziebart rustproofing sticker on the windscreen. Hardly a panel without rust, some more rust than metal. What exactly was the Ziebart process, was it designed to hold back the rust or speed it up? Having shown her the photos of the original state of the car, Lady BW can't believe the amount of rust damage on a twelve year old vehicle, even a soft top. Maybe it was just a sticker that was supposed to frighten to rust away, like those security signs, you know the ones 'Klingon security guard these premises'!

 

 

 

 

30 years ago when I used o trawl scrapyards you always avoided the cars with Ziebart stickers as they'd would be the most rotten 

I assume they would block the drain channels with the wax.

[Mike Costigan]

Three shots of the Mike Sutcliffe/Roy Fidler TR4, 6VC, on the 1962 RAC Rally:

 

[Chris Longhurst]

Picture 1 of a Dealer postcard from 1959. The car is the LHD saloon WVC 934 (prototype X619) which was built in mid-1958; you may need a magnifying glass to see the #plate! On the back of the card (Picture 2) is a dealer invite to take the car in for an inspection and the Halifax dealers address. The card was posted on the 29 Nov 1959 & date stamped by the dealer/garage on the 30th - quick delivery for 2 old pence!

Also included (Picture 3) is an image of the back of another car (same garage) posted on 26th Nov 1959 and received on the 30th. The card has a 3d stamp - I think the owner overpaid & in my mind, at that time, postcards were cheaper & the 3d stamp was for letters.

 

[Mike Costigan]

Three photos from the 1960 Monte Carlo Rally today; the Paris-registered coupe of Gilbert Albadi and Bernard Salmon at the Paris start:

The same car looking well-travel stained on the harbour front in Monaco at the end of the rally:

Also at Monaco at the end of the rally, the Works-entered coupe YWK 534 of Annie Soisbault and Annie Speirs:

[Chris Longhurst]

A few more pictures of the ubiquitous LHD saloon WVC 934; although Herald Coupe production started in mid Jan 1959 production of saloons did not commence until mid. March. This may be the reason for the 1958 prototype being used in early publicity shots.

1. On an advert

2. On a book cover

3-6 Screenshots from a launch film (BMIT)

[Chris Longhurst]

TH Coupe prototype X597 (VRW589) is the less well known sibling of the more famous Black & Silver coupe X608 (VRW 582). As far as I can tell it was assembled in Italy & shipped to Iberia in spring 1958 for testing. A still B&W photo can be seen in Picture 1.

I've also included some (rather blurry) screen-grabs from colour footage. Some time ago I looked at Picture 2 (BMIHT DVD) closely with a bit of 'digital manipulation' and convinced myself it was very dark blue. I recently found some footage on the 'Triumph Saloons DVD extras' (screen-grabs Pictures 3 & 4) and all I can see is black. If anyone else wants to examine the screen-grabs closely I would value their opinion on the dark colour.

For completion I have included & B&W photo of the silver & black coupe VRW 582 (Picture 5).

 

[Colin Lindsay]

Do any of those early prototypes survive? 

Here's a more 'domestic' situation... decimalisation has just arrived and the young lady is telling the Vitesse driver that he'd better buy fuel now as the price is going to go up quite a bit by 2022.