FRINGE manufacturers in Britain were often quick to lock on to the potential of certain mainstream designs that were coming onto the market in the 1960s
One such was Bond, well known as makers of economy three-wheelers which saw the technology of the Triumph Herald/Vitesse design as a transport of delight to new horizons of prosperity.
The company began its marriage with Triumph with Equipe GT. Utilising the Herald chassis and doors with four-cylinder power from the Triumph Spitfire sports car, the Equipe GT used the latest know-how in glass fibre and the end result was a two-plus-two coupe which had good looks - if a little short on performance.
Its price was a steep at £787 in 1964, bearing in mind that the six-cylinder basic Triumph Vitesse and Spitfire sports cars were cheaper.
But between 1963 and 1970, more than 2,956 examples of the GT4 and GT4S were made but the real star of the show was the Equipe 2-litre which released the true potential of the Vitesse chassis, using the new and more powerful two-litre six-cylinder engine.
Initial drawings were commissioned from Trevor Fiore, formerly of TVR and the new design used the pressed steel floor and scuttle assembly from the Vitesse, modified with a larger more swept back windscreen frame.
Although the doors used modified Triumph shells, with new specially manufactured pressed-steel skins there was little indication of the car's Triumph links.
Now the Equipe had 100mph in its sights and was considered a reasonable performance proposition with a then respectable 0-60 mph time of 11.5 seconds.
The driver and passengers enjoyed new specially designed bucket seats at the front and optional extras included Laycock-de-Normanville overdrive, which had been used by Triumph, centre-lock wire wheels and a radio fitted in a new centre console.
Although by no means cheap at £1095, the new Equipe predictably began to overshadow its four-cylinder cousin and production of the GT4S was scaled down.
But the Achilles' heel was the tricky rear suspension set up it inherited from the Vitesse and as sales grew criticism mounted over its handling abilities when cornering at speed.
Triumph had already devised modifications and Bond kept up to date with these and announced the Mk II Equipe 2-litre.
But the real star of the show appeared in 1968. The new Equipe 2-litre convertible attracted a lot of attention and became one of the most shought after Equipe models.
Bond was later taken over by Reliant and the final Equipes rolled off the production line in August 1970.
The Reliant-built Equipes were not up the standard of the Bond models and Triumph dealers who sold them were faced with complaints and the Preston factory later closed.