{"id":2835,"date":"2009-03-11T02:39:00","date_gmt":"2009-03-11T06:39:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.kitfoster.com\/carport\/2009\/03\/lesser-triumphs\/"},"modified":"2010-12-30T12:00:57","modified_gmt":"2010-12-30T17:00:57","slug":"lesser-triumphs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.kitfoster.com\/carport\/2009\/03\/lesser-triumphs\/","title":{"rendered":"Lesser Triumphs"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Triumph<\/a><\/p>\n

Except for avid bikers<\/a>, to most Americans the word “Triumph” calls to mind a nifty little TR-2<\/a>, 3<\/a>, 4<\/a> or 6<\/a>. (There was no TR-5<\/a> here; our version of the six-cylinder TR-4 was the carbureted TR-250<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

In fact, the name was seldom found on ordinary passenger cars.Even in the cars’ British homeland, the company’s name “Standard” being used instead. Notable exceptions were the 1800 and 2000 roadsters<\/a> of 1946-49, with their twin dickie (rumble) seats<\/a> with pop-up windscreen<\/a>, and the razor edge Renown saloon<\/a>. A small razor edge<\/a>, the Mayflower<\/a>, was developed with Americans in mind, but they minded very much and bought few, though a convertible version<\/a> might have helped.<\/p>\n

With the success of the sports cars in America and the boom of imports in 1958, the Standard Triumph Motor Company<\/a> decided to try sedans and station wagons here, selling versions of the Standard Ten as the Triumph Sedan<\/a> and Triumph Estate<\/a>. It was an attractive little car, of unibody<\/a> construction and powered by a 948 cc four<\/a> that owed much to the “big TRs” engine. That fact was TR-2<\/a>much touted in the TR-2<\/a>literature, in which the sporting sibling was usually featured<\/a>. The interior<\/a> was pretty basic, and the seating<\/a>, despite the claims, was not very comfortable. I can tell you from experience that the old folks<\/a> in this illustration are really pretty cramped, and that poor child<\/a> in the back is romping around unrestrained, without even a seat to sit on. Later, the company started to call it the Triumph Ten, then finally the TR-10, but despite (or because of) some pretty dismal advertising<\/a> the car never caught on.<\/p>\n

I hadn’t realized it, but some Americans had seen the car before. The New York dealer, Fergus Motors<\/a>, had offered a “Vanguard Cadet<\/a>” in the mid-1950s that was a rebadged Standard Eight<\/a>, predecessor of the Ten. “Vanguard” was the name of the larger Standard sedan<\/a>, also sold here, apparently, along with the Renown.<\/p>\n

After a couple of years the Ten was succeeded by the Triumph Herald<\/a>, a modest success, which begat the small sports Spitfire<\/a>, a competitor to the Austin-Healey Sprite and a success story of its own. There was a brief attempt to market a larger sedan here, the 2000<\/a>, in the mid-1960s, probably in response to the Rover<\/a> 2000TC<\/a> sports sedan, but despite a six-cylinder engine<\/a> and a TC<\/a> version of its own, the 2000 soon retreated to its homeland.<\/p>\n

In Britain, meanwhile, the heir apparent to the Herald, the 1300<\/a>, had been born. Of front-wheel drive design and with an engine of that cubic capacity, the 1300 was a lively little car, and handled well – Jill’s Mum had one and I liked it very much.<\/p>\n

Standard-Triumph, and successor British Leyland<\/a>, got a lot of mileage out of that 1300 shell. It was upgraded to 1500 power, then converted to rear-wheel drive as the cheaper Toledo<\/a>. In 1972, with more upmarket appointments, it became the Dolomite<\/a>. Sumptuous seats<\/a>, wood dashboard<\/a> and available automatic transmission<\/a> added convenience and prestige, and a new 1850 cc slant four engine<\/a>, cousin to the Saab<\/a> 99<\/a> powerplant<\/a>, gave more power. My mother-in-law had several of these, good cars generally. She really liked the wood dashboards.<\/p>\n

The ultimate Dolomite was the 16-valve<\/a> sohc Sprint<\/a>, built through 1980. The final Triumph sedan was the Acclaim<\/a>, based on the Honda Ballade<\/a>, in turn related to the second-generation Civic<\/a>. Many people claim it was no Triumph at all.<\/p>\n

My father<\/a> had a 1960 Triumph Ten Estate<\/a>. He ran a small printing business, and the convenient cargo capability<\/a> of the Triumph was a great asset. It ran well enough, but it rusted badly. Eventually he pushed it under the barn. About 15 years later, I located a Canadian collector who wanted it, so we exhumed<\/a> it and three generations of Fosters got it ready to travel<\/a>. I assume it made it to Ontario, but I’ve never heard if the ambitious restoration the fellow planned ever took place.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Except for avid bikers, to most Americans the word “Triumph” calls to mind a nifty little TR-2, 3, 4 or 6. (There was no TR-5 here; our version of the six-cylinder TR-4 was the carbureted TR-250.) In fact, the name was seldom found on ordinary passenger cars.Even in the cars’ British homeland, the company’s name….<\/span>
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