Triumph Herald Brabham - A light heart for heavy feet
04/25/2025
If the maximum 39 bhp was not enough for you, you could hand in your Triumph Herald from 1962 at 248 Hook Road, Chessington, Surrey. For 375 British pounds, Jack Brabham Motors Ltd. exchanged the OHV iron block for a Coventry-Climax FWE 1200 - the 83 bhp light-alloy engine that was also used in the Lotus Elite.
The two-time Formula 1 world champion had previously tested the conversion on his own brown and white coupé and exhibited the result, which reached speeds of over 160 km/h, at the 1960/61 Racing Car Show in London. During the test drives, people were not only impressed by the acceleration, but also by the handling, as the change from iron to aluminum also meant 20 kg less weight on the front axle.
A rear transverse spring with variable rate, adjustable Armstrong dampers and disc brakes on the front axle once again significantly improved road holding and driving safety - for an extra charge, of course. The price for the conversion included harder brake pads, larger wheel brake cylinders, 5.60 tires, a new clutch and a radiator with an electric fan.
In order to better monitor the well-being of the donor heart, Brabham also donated an oil pressure gauge and a water thermometer. However, amenities such as a wooden steering wheel, seat belts or additional noise insulation had to be paid for separately. The gearbox and rear axle ratio remained unchanged, although the "long" 4.10 axle of the Herald 1200 was recommended for the older models.
What could not be improved so easily, however, was the aerodynamics. While the Climax Herald was on a par with the Lotus in terms of performance up to around 70 mph (approx. 110 km/h), it increasingly lost ground above that. Nevertheless, the Brabham-Triumph was still fast enough to drive the owners of expensive luxury sports cars crazy on narrow English country roads.
In Switzerland, the conversion cost 5450 francs - in addition to the 7250 francs for the Herald and the 250 francs for the obligatory disc brakes. The Herald Climax exhibited in Geneva in 1962 was even test-driven by Automobil Revue, which - contrary to its otherwise rather benevolent nature - was less than enthusiastic about the overpowered small car.
According to current counts, eleven examples were built, including a station wagon. There is also a modern replica. Even if the creator was not supported, the idea itself seemed to find favor with the Leyland board. In the same year, the Triumph Vitesse made the Brabham Herald superfluous.
