Triumph Vitesse History

The Vitesse (1962) was effectively a Herald fitted with a small Triumph straight-six, turning the modest small car into a quick, refined compact. It launched with a 1596 cc six and slanted twin-headlamp front, sharing the Herald's separate chassis and bolt-together body.

The Vitesse 2-litre (1966) raised capacity to 1998 cc and power accordingly; later Mk 2 cars (1968 on) revised the rear suspension to tame the swing-axle handling. The six-cylinder engine and chassis it shared went on to power the GT6 coupe.