Triumph Herald

The Triumph Herald has always been my all time favourite car. Most people have their absolute favourite and this one is mine.

It's such a pretty car - I love the looks, I love the sound. I like all the versions and iterations - the 1200, the 12/50, the 13/60, the coupé, the courier van, the estate, the saloon and, of course, the convertible. As someone who loves open-top motoring the convertible Herald is the idea of heaven for me.

I did end up buying one in 1987 for £975. Bear in mind that Heralds at the time were still being used as donors for some kit cars and hadn't reached the classic status they have now (although they were getting there). It was a red 13/60 convertible that had been 'restored.' It had - badly! It had had a quick poor red paint job - he'd even painted over the white rubber bumpers. There was rust in some of the outriggers. He'd put in a Spitfire engine and fitted Spitfire wheels.

I loved it - but the wheels caught on the body work when cornering so I put normal Herald wheels on. I had the outriggers replaced. The problem was we still only had the single small wooden garage that had the kit car chassis in there so the Herald was living outside in all weathers which didn't do her any good. On top of that she was taking too much time - time I needed to be spending on the kit car build so in the end I, very reluctantly, sold her (for a bit more than I had paid for her). I do still miss her ...

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As time went by I never thought I'd manage to get another one, but then in 2019 I saw a royal blue convertible being flagged up in one of the Herald forums I was in. The story was that the owner had died some time before and his widow needed rid so her son-in-law was selling it.

I went to go and visit - the car hadn't been restored, it was solid. There were chips and dings in the paintwork but the chassis was solid, the engine ran like a Swiss watch and the paintwork blemishes just added to the patina. She hadn't been out in the wet for twenty years. It was a good honest car and the lines were straight and the price was fair. I was in love! She had been bought from new in the Midlands by a woman. She then sold it to a gentleman who bought it for his wife who was pregnant with her first child. The car then became the family car and went on holidays and was a daily runner. Later on as the family grew the car stayed in the family and was loved and cherished but became a high-days and holidays car.

I don't plan to restore her or anything - it is just now my responsibility to look after her and maintain her. I love the fact she is in such original condition. She needed a name so I asked the guy who I bought it off what his mother-in-law's name was so that the car could maintain the link to her family - and so she is called Maggie. Fortunately my photography is far better now so I get much better photos of this car than I did of my other one!