Triumph Herald Buyer's Guide
The Herald was Triumph's clever answer to unitary construction it could not yet afford: a Michelotti-styled small saloon on a separate chassis with bolt-on panels, a famously tight 25-foot turning circle and, in convertible form, one of the cheapest proper four-seat open classics in Britain. Our single sold result, a 1967 car at £9,919, is strong Herald money and almost certainly reflects an excellent example; run-of-the-mill cars trade well below the best.
Know your versions
One family, 1959–1971, defined by engine. The original 948 (35bhp, 1959–1961) is the historic curiosity, with the short-lived 948 Convertible the rarest of the mainstream cars. The 1200 (39bhp, 1961–1970) is the volume Herald, offered as saloon, convertible, estate and even a van, and the estate is now genuinely scarce. The 13/60 (1967–1971) is the one to drive: 61bhp from the 1,296cc engine, a single-headlamp version of the Vitesse bonnet, and enough performance to keep up with modern traffic, just. Convertibles command the premiums; the factory-built ones have proper hood mechanisms and are worth seeking over saloon-to-convertible conversions, which exist because the separate chassis makes the cut tempting.
What to pay
One sale in our records: £9,919 for a 1967 Triumph Herald in March 2026, a price consistent with a very good car, most likely a convertible or a top-flight 13/60. A 1967 Herald Convertible is currently catalogued with us without a published estimate. With a single data point we will not sketch tiers; nationally the gap between a usable saloon and a concours convertible is wide, and our result sits toward the top of it.
What goes wrong
The chassis is the car. Outriggers rot first, then the main rails around the rear spring mount and the front suspension mountings; because every panel unbolts, a Herald can look immaculate above a scrap chassis, so inspect from below before anything else. Replacement chassis sections and even complete new frames are available, which is why basket cases still get saved. Front trunnions need oiling (EP90, not grease) or the vertical links fail. The rear swing axle on standard cars produces the famous tuck-under at the limit; at Herald power levels it rarely matters, and a swing-spring conversion cures it. Engines are simple pushrod units that run forever on basic care; gearboxes get noisy in first but soldier on. Check convertible hood frames and the fit of doors on open cars, since a sagging chassis shows up there first.
Our view
A 13/60 convertible on a sound chassis is the Herald to own: four seats in the sun, every part available from club suppliers, and maintenance a competent owner can do entirely at home. Our £9,919 result shows the best cars have real value now, but the Herald's charm is that the entry point below that remains modest. Buy the chassis, not the paint, and it will outlast you.
