TRIUMPH HERALD & VITESSE

NUMBER BUILT: 500,000 +

WHAT IS IT? Again, wouldn’t you like a sedan that has the heart of a sports car? That’s the allure of the Triumph Herald and its upmarket sibling, the Vitesse, which both share a chassis layout with the Spitfire.

The Herald came first, making its debut for 1959 and eventually coming in coupe, sedan, convertible and even estate body styles. The Vitesse followed for 1962, and here’s where things got fun: An inline-six replaced the Herald’s rather basic four. Triumph also gave the Vitesse a more aggressive face, one featuring four headlamps that slope in toward the grille.

Triumph made a lot of these cars, though not many were imported stateside. The American-market Vitesse carried the Sports 6 nameplate, but it couldn’t compete against the booming pony car market. Worldwide sales lasted through 1971.

PLUSES: Simple body-on-frame construction plus a flip-forward nose helps restoration and repairs. While the body parts can be rare in the U.S., the Spitfire mechanicals are still common. The cockpit isn’t wide, but there’s room to share the experience.

MINUSES: That same body-on-frame construction also makes for rattles and cowl shake. Specialists cater more to Triumph sports car owners, so some Vitesse parts like interior and trim are getting hard to find.

COMMON EQUIVALENT: An American pony car is really a different animal, so perhaps we should think of the Vitesse as a family-sized GT6.

FINAL WORDS: The Herald and Vitesse offer unique looks with a practical shape. Overdrive and other upgrades are just a mouse click away.

SUNBEAM ALPINE

NUMBER BUILT: 69,251

WHAT IS IT? In 1959 the Rootes Group introduced the Alpine, their answer to the popular sports cars from MG and Triumph. This was a sophisticated, well-appointed true sports touring car based on unibody construction. It was built to a higher spec, too, featuring a more luxurious interior as well as a tighter body.

One thing, though: Its 1500cc engine didn’t exactly deliver exhilarating performance, although by the time the model run ended in 1968, displacement would eventually reach 1725cc.

PLUSES: Unibody construction, plus build quality and attention to detail that were far and above the competition. Another bonus: major tail fins through 1963.

MINUSES: The top mechanism is fussy, and the cars can rust. We’d also call the chassis a little unsophisticated. Thanks to the Tiger, some parts are now getting expensive; also, that premium, complicated bodywork can be expensive to restore.

COMMON EQUIVALENT: MGB, Triumph TR4, Austin Healey 100-4.

FINAL WORDS: In a sea of MGs and Triumphs, a fintail Alpine is a rare sight.