Triumph Stag/ Not for Sale

Model: Triumph Stag

Price:

Engine: 3 litre V8

HP: 145 bhp

Gears: 4 + overdrive

0-62mph: 9.7 seconds

Top speed: 120 mph

The Stag was originally conceived in the mid 1960's when Giovanni Michelotti used the successful six-cylinder Triumph 2000/2.5 saloon-car to create a sports model. Michelotti intended the convertible to be a one-off to be shown at motor shows. The Triumph Director of Engineering 'Harry Webster' was so impressed by the finished product at a show in Turin, he set about having the car produced, but on a shortened wheelbase. At that stage, the 2.5 litre fuel-injected six-cylinder engine powering the Triumph TR5/TR6 was to be the power plant, with the launch set for 1968.

Triumph were developing a new family of engines for use in the 1970's. A four-cylinder overhead camshaft unit was eventually used in the Saab 99s, Dolomite saloons and the TR7 sports car. A V8 derivative which was effectively two four cylinder engines set at 90 degrees to one another on a common crankshaft was also developed. The engine finally picked to power the Stag became the V8 at 3 litres. This led to the transmission, brakes, suspension and wheels being uprated to match the extra power. The Stag finally went on sale in the autumn of 1970.

The early cars proved to be unreliable with the main problem being, the engine was prone to blowing cylinder gaskets and stretching timing chains. The reliability problems led to a sales slump in the United States which in turn led to the Stag being withdrawn from the US market at the end of 1973.

Overdrive became standard on manual transmission models in 1972. There were upgrades in 1973 and 1975 including cast alloy road wheels and tinted glass.

The troublesome Stag V8 engine that probably caused the cars early demise was never used in any other Triumph or British Leyland model. The light-alloy Rover V8 proved to be cheaper to build and more reliable to service. With specialist today now able to build thoroughly satisfactory Stag V8 engines, there is an ever increasing interest in this legendary Grand Touring car as a modern classic.