The word ‘labyrinthine’ best describes the story of the Dolomite family. It is a narrative that encompasses different body lengths, two or four doors, a myriad of engine choices, and both front-wheel-drive and rear-wheel-drive. It also breaks new ground, the 1300 being the first FWD Triumph and the Sprint with its innovative 16-valve engine once being lauded as the British sports saloon du jour. As a result, the range often serves as a reminder of when Triumph aspired to be the UK’s answer to BMW or Lancia.
Standard-Triumph initiated the Ajax project (that would eventually become the Dolomite family) in 1962 as a Herald replacement, but by 1964 and with the arrival of the more powerful 1200 having boosted Herald sales, they decided the Ajax project should take a more upmarket form. Management at Canley briefed Giovanni Michelotti to create a scaled-down 2000. The director of engineering, Harry Webster later told the press: ‘We felt we had to do this new car in the same image, and that was our guiding principle all along.’
Webster had also wanted to use front-wheel-drive since the 1950s, and combining this with a north-south layout for the 1296cc engine meant keeping the tight turning circle which had become something of a Triumph hallmark. As with BMC’s ADO16 family, he decided to locate the engine over the gearbox, but in this case with the two units having separate rather than shared oil. The resulting Triumph 1300 debuted in September 1965 for £796/12s/11d. On the surface this was fairly expensive, but the specification included wood veneer fascia and door cappings, a rear folding armrest and a multiadjustable driver’s seat. Other clever details were a steering
