SALOON SELECTIVES

If you told a Triumph dealer in 1965 that less than two decades later the famous name would have been last seen on a British-built Honda, they would probably have regarded you as an eccentric.

- ANDREW ROBERTS

Some 60 years ago, the marque aspired to be the British equivalent of Alfa Romeo, BMW or Lancia - and it had just launched its first front-wheel-drive car.

The Triumph 1300 established a dynasty of models that included myriad engine changes, two body lengths and even front- and rear-wheel drive. In tribute, we have assembled four key members of the range in Coventry, the home of the brand.

In 1962, Standard-Triumph - as the concern was then known - began work on the new Project Ajax as a replacement for the Herald. Just two years later, there was a change of plan as management decided the older model would remain in production. Herald sales were improving, so the Ajax would create its own niche. Triumph's director of engineering, Harry Webster, told Autocar in 1966 that it was “for a special market – for the man who can't afford caviar but doesn't want to live by bread alone”. The future 1300 would bridge the gap between the Herald and the 2000, and it would be the first front-wheel-drive car to wear a Triumph badge. Webster said he had wanted to use the layout since 1949, adding: “When the 2000 was being considered, FWD drawings were made.” Front-wheel drive allowed the 1300 to have “the longest-possible wheelbase within an established overall length”.

The 1300's 1296cc ‘four’ was from the Spitfire, and Webster opted for a north-south layout. Building the powerplant and transmission in a single unit meant that the new model would require a minimum of factory space. Designer Giovanni Michelotti devised the coachwork following Webster's packaging diagram and instructions to establish a visual link with the 2000, so customers would associate the two.