MEET THE OWNER – BEN SPEARS AND HIS TRIUMPH VITESSE 2-LITRE MK.I
By Andrew Roberts |
10th February, 2021
When Standard-Triumph planned the Vitesse, they intended its grille and quad headlamps to distinguish it from its cheaper stablemate. However, this has not prevented members of the public from greeting Ben’s 1967 example with ‘Wow - that’s a lovely Triumph Herald!’. The reality is OLM 668 E is a dashing car with a very distinct appeal. ‘How soon are you going to become a Vitesse man?’ asked one advertisement, urging the young up-and-coming estate agent to call GROsvenor 6050 for more details.
The Herald debuted in 1959, and shortly afterwards, Canley began work on a higher-powered version. The Vitesse debuted on 25th May 1962, and it was initially powered by a 1.6-litre version of the Standard Vanguard’s six-cylinder engine. By 1966 the “Vitesse 2-Litre” boasted the 1,998cc unit from the new Triumph GT6, combined with improved transmission and brakes.
Canley liked to describe the 2-Litre Mk. I as ‘The Two Seater Beater and the latest Vitesse indeed looked ideal for the Spitfire owner who now required transport with a rear seat. It was also perfect for a Herald owner who demanded more performance. The publicity made much of ‘0-60 in 12.6 seconds’, the ‘deep-pile carpets’ and ‘leather on the steering wheel’ – i.e. this was a car for the would-be Jackie Stewart. The standard equipment included a reversing lamp; a tachometer and a petrol tank reserve, although Ben has not yet used the last-named.
Production of the original 2-Litre amounted to just 7,328 units before the Mk. II succeeded it in 1968. The final Vitesse departed Canley in July 1971, a few months before Triumph launched its Dolomite successor at the London Motor Show. Ben came by his Mk. I in 2010, attracted by ‘its looks and straight-six sound’. At that time, OLM’s condition was ‘solid but in need of TLC - it been off the road for 15 years’.
Some original 2-Litre owners found that the larger engine highlighted the sometimes “interesting” road manners of the Vitesse; Mr. Spears describes the handling as ‘wayward - borderline lethal’. However, the Webasto sliding roof gives the Triumph the joint appeal of a saloon and a drophead. There was also that famous turning circle which, as Ben notes, ‘scrubs the tyres!’.
Perhaps most importantly, to look at OLM today is to remember how in 1967 the Vitesse was the only locally-built compact six-cylinder two-door saloon. In terms of four-cylinder cars, the potential 2-Litre owner might have looked at the Vauxhall Viva HB Brabham which was undeniably handsome but a somewhat different sort of machine. Meanwhile, the MGB GT was a 2+2 at best and the very agreeable Sunbeam Rapier Mk. V was both larger and slightly dated by the late 1960s.
As the brochure stated – ‘the new Triumph Vitesse is strictly non-conformist’. It was a car blending Italian tailoring with a distinctively British appeal – and equally suited to a trip to Silverstone or donning a flat hat and driving gloves for a trip to the post office.
WITH THANKS TO: Ben Spears
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