Was this separate chassis body design a clever feature or a fatal flaw?

The Standard Herald was somewhat different from cars of its era in the Indian market for its separate chassis and body design. Making this design choice affected the performance, maintenance and longevity of the vehicle. That, on the one hand, made it easier to replace body panels when there was damage, perhaps making some element of the repair or maintenance easier. It also gave a degree of flexibility in the body style, in theory allowing for different body types on the same chassis. However, this design also added more potential squeaks and rattles points that could develop over time on rough Indian roads. Apart from that the separate chassis made it weigh more than today's unibody constructions, which possibly decreases fuel efficiency and performance. Given the conditions under which 1960s-70s India's roads were, and the durability concerns of Indian car buyers at the time, the question is can this design choice be seen as innovative and beneficial, or did it end up becoming a part of the Herald's problem?