1967 Bond Equipe

Bond Equipe 2-litre (Coupe/Convertible), 1967-1970

The Bond Equipe 2-litre was in production from 1967 to 1970. Styled in house, it is a front-engine, rear wheel drive sports coupe and roadster seating two adults and two children.

Launched as a more upmarket alternative to the Equipe GT4S, the 2-litre used the underpinnings of the Triumph Vitesse, rather than the Herald of previous Equipes. This meant a six cylinder two litre engine, a separate chassis, and a plush interior adorned with a new fibreglass shell. Unlike any of the small Triumphs that shared the same fundamental underpinnings, it retailed at over £1000, making it an alternative for MGB and Austin Healey 3000 buyers rather than for the Triumphs upon which it was based. New to the range alongside the coupe would be a convertible model. In 1968 the Equipe was updated into the 2-litre MkII, alongside similar revisions to the Triumph upon which it was based to make the rear suspension more predictable. These would include Rotoflex couplings in the rear suspension that would, alongside lower wishbones, reduce the propensity to tuck-under during cornering when lifting off.

While a Mk3 model was under development, the Bond Equipe ceased production in 1970 after 1432 had been built - accounting for more than one in every three Equipes built in total. It was a casualty of Bond's buyout by Reliant, which closed the factory and ended production of both the Equipe and 875 microcar in favour of the new, Tamworth-built Bond Bug wedge. This would be the last car to be sold under the Bond name.

The Bond would have been too expensive new to compete with the Triumph Vitesse and GT6 which shared is underpinnings. However, these are equally good cars today if you're looking for a small six. Likewise the Triumph 2000 - a shade more than the Bond, but a larger and more comfortable car. An MGB GT would have been around the same money new and also offered a semi sporting two door coupe. If unusual Triumph based cars are your thing, the same money would have got you an Amphicar in 1967. Today if you want a fibreglass sports GT, consider a Reliant Scimitar.