Triumph 1300/1500

For their time, the Triumph’s interiors were a real cut above the rest and are still fairly civilised and even feature an adjust

Engines are all derived from Herald. Crank end float is a common problem

Model In Depth...

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  Triumph 1300/1500 (FWD)

  Rating: 6 / 10

  Price: £200-£1200

  Read more »

Frontal treatments differ with single have the nicest interiors in terms headlamps for 1300/Toledo ranges

Inner and outer sill rust can be bad and door bottoms crumble away

Front wings rot here and at the front. More worrying is inner wing tin worm

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What is a Triumph 1300/1500 or Toledo?

A good question, but a complex one to answer. These attractive but sober looking little cars were posh alternatives to Austin 1300s and Ford Escorts, and were sold in a confusing variety of body styles and mechanical configurations, although they all shared a certain endearing, and rather British charm, if not the dash or cachet of their biggerengined Dolomite stablemates.

History

The original 1300, dating from 1965 was a handsome little four-door, styled by Italian design studio Michelotti. Looking like a downsized 2000, it featured an in-line, front-drive power train, a near flat floorpan and a plushly appointed The original 1300, dating from 1965
was a handsome little four-door, styled by Italian design studio Michelotti. Looking like a downsized 2000, it featured an in-line, front-drive power train, a near flat floorpan and a plushly appointed.

When the 1970s dawned Triumph dropped the 1300 badge and gave the car’s hull a major restyle, and began to employ it in a bewildering array of guises.

The Herald-replacing Toledo was the first of this new family. With a spartan interior and drum brakes, this was sold both in four and for the first time two-door guises. Its nose and stubby tail were re-modelled, and confusingly, this car was now rear-wheel driven. Slotting in above that was the 1300’s actual replacement badged the 1500, with another new nose featuring quad headlamps, longer boot, revised rear lamp clusters, bumpers, etc, and an all new very tasteful interior and dash layout.

There were mechanical upgrades, a power hike to 61bhp, and still front drive, even though a derivative of the less space efficient rear drive floor pan was employed for this car, presumably for cost reasons? To complete the model range mish mash, from 1971, this long tailed body was also used in the more powerful, 1850 and Sprint Dolomites, but these were all rear driven.

As the 1970s progressed the Toledo gained front disc brakes, and petered out in about 1976. Its replacement, once again known as the 1300, kept the Toledo’s single square headlamps, but switched to the long-tailed body with rearwheel drive. Meanwhile in 1974 the 1500 ditched its out-on-a-limb front-drive power train, going for the simpler, in line, rear drive set up plus a Spitfire-sourced engine. This was known as the 1500TC. Options now included overdrive. As the 1970s drew to a close, these by now venerable cars were re-christened Dolomite 1300 and 1500, and survived as products of the turbulent British Leyland combine until 1979 – with a few registered the following year.

Driving

All the small engined Triumphs have one thing in common, charm. They’re genteel, civilised and nice to use, with comfortable seats, commanding, upright driving positions, slim pillars for a clear view of the road. The front drive cars have precise, slightly dead steering and moderately floppy gear selectors, worked by a cranked lever.

The rear drive cars effectively make use of the Herald/Spitfire engine and transmission combo, and that makes them very easy and forgiving to drive, with tidy handling. WIth the choice of rear and front drives why not AWD? Well, Triumph toyed with this in 1969 in a special rallycross 1300 and very quick it was too.

The original 1300s probably have the nicest interiors in terms of quality, but all of them are comfortable and reasonably roomy. None are balls of fire performance wise, although the TC 1300s and later 1500s are probably the most user friendly, whilst overdrive equipped examples of the more common rear drive models are the ones to go for today if you want to keep pace with traffic in peace.

Prices

Go back a decade and these cars were still common sites on the road. No longer. A mix of old age, lack of wider classic cachet, and in the case of the rear drive versions, lots of parts that could be appropriated for the more collectable Dolomite Sprints, Spitfires and Heralds (viz, overdrive units) has seen a steep decline in numbers, but without a corresponding increase in values.

Ironically the most collectable versions were the most basic when new. Toledos are now thin on the ground, and good ones can fetch £1200 plus. Scruffy 1300s and 1500 are worth a couple of hundred quid, decent ones go for about £500/£600, whilst even immaculate ones struggle to make four figures. These cars were much favoured by older, retired drivers, and it’s still possible to find cherished, low mileage cars for well under a grand if you look hard enough.