Car of the month Sept 2014 - Triumph Stag

In 1970, Triumph gave the sporting family man the chance to feel the wind in what was left of his hair while his kids created havoc on the back seats. The Michelotti-designed car was equipped with a 3.0-litre V8 engine that developed a reputation for unreliability, with some owners resorting to fitting a Rover V8 unit in its place. 

This conversion is now frowned upon, and to get yourself accepted in Stag circles you'll need an original-engined car rather like this one at Spring Garage, in Leicestershire.

With two owners from new and just under 46,000 miles on the clock, this car looks great and drives brilliantly. The recent respray was carried out when the Carmine Red paint faded, but the panels beneath are original and unwelded.

Inside, the brown vinyl seats and trim are excellent and the multitude of dials and switches work as they should. Of particular interest here, given the engine's notorious reputation for overheating, is the temperature gauge - which remains steady in all driving conditions.

- Ben Field 

Envisioned as a luxury sports car, the Triumph Stag was designed to compete directly with the Mercedes-Benz SL class models. All Stags were four-seater convertible coupés, but for structural rigidity – and to meet new American rollover standards of the time – the Stag required a B-pillar "roll bar" hoop connected to the windscreen frame by a T-bar. A removable hardtop was a popular factory option for the early Stags, and was later supplied as a standard fitment. 

Pic from Wikipedia

PERFORMANCE

Automatic gearbox mutes of-the-line acceleration, but torguey engine delivers plenty of mid-range power once on the move.

HANDLING

Comfortable ride. A little body roll in the corners, but this is more of a tourerthan an out-and-out performance vehicle. Brakes a bit spongy.

ENGINE

Runs smoothly. Oil pressure correct at 45psi. Coolant temperature keeps steady.

TRANSMISSION

Flawless automatic changes enhance the Stag's smooth cruising nature.

STRUCTURE

No welding torch has ever been near this car. Floor pans still have original factory paint on them. Very solid indeed.

BODYWORK

The recent resp0ray is of a very high standard. No signs anywhere of bubbling suggests that the new paint isn't covering up rust.

EXTERIOR TRIM

Chrome work is complete and in very good order. Original wheels have never been kerbed.

INTERIOR

Trim is excellent throughout. All electrical items, including windows, are fully functional.

HISTORY

Service history and many bills from new, including original bill of sale. Thick bundle of MoTs help to verify mileage.

VERDICT

A great example of this popular sports tourer. 

 1972 Stage - pic from Wikipedia

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What's in a name?

The 70s, a decade of naff trouserwear, dodgy disco tunes and fabulous car names. In fact, sometimes it seems as if the 70s stole all the great ones.
Today's car makers are saddled with barrel-scraping constructions like Mondeo, Insight or Kizashi, or simply opt out with letters or numbers. Frankly, 70s man would be appalled.
Back in the era of fuel shortages and long hair a trip to the showroom was a journey into automotive poetry. Avenger, Interceptor, Stag, Spitfire all names that just ooze pure hairy chested, get-in-the-motor machismo. Frankly, if you could buy a Vauxhall Interceptor now or a BMW Stag now, you would wouldn't you?
Sure, the 70s also gave us less illustrious names like Allegro, Marina and Princess but surely even these names, while not ideally matched to the cars they were nailed to, are infinitely preferable to the dull medley of numbers and meaningless conflagrations we are forced to endure nowadays?
Here, for the record, are my favourites from the 70s:
Interceptor - unsurpassed, the Nobel Prize of car nomenclature

Stag - if you must drive a v8 convertible you could hardly call it anything else

Granada - before cheap package tours, could an executive car name be more glamorous for aspiring boardroom dreamers?

Scirocco - German engineering meets Italian style, plus a wind-based name that just works. So well they eventually realised and brought it back

To get the Interceptor or Stag experience you can hire either from us from £195. Visit www.greatescapecars.co.uk or call 01527 893733. 15% off during October 2012.

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Monte Carlo or Bust in a Triumph Stag

A Triumph Stag may not at first glance seem the most sensible choice for a leisurely international sortie down to Monte Carlo, given its reputation for unreliability and shoddy build quality.  But those in the know have proven otherwise, as a recent trip by Great Escape Classic Car Hire's own Triumph Stag hire car proves.
The Great Escape car recently took part in a rally from Beaulieu to Monte Carlo in the company of several other classic cars.  It acquitted itself superbly, completing the 950 mile route without fault and receiving considerable praise from the customers who drove it.  The car covered several hundred miles each day, its long legged four speed overdrive manual gearbox coping well with the French roads.
Despite the Triumph Stag's reputation, Great Escape recommended the car to the customer for the route because of the design's innate suitability.  The Stag is a rare thing in the classic car world - a spacious convertible with four proper seats, a good size boot and GT refinements including comfortable seats, a good driving position and a quiet driving experience.  What hampered the Stag from success in period was poor build quality and reliability caused by the badly designed engine.  Great Escape has addressed these problems on its Triumph Stag hire car by completing an engine rebuild, including sensible upgrades to address the inherent weakness of overheating, and a full bodywork overhaul with new chromework and a new roof.  This investment is coupled to a strict maintenance regime because the Stag needs a very exact coolant mix to remain reliable, as well as regular and frequent servicing.  The result is a reliable car that is durable and up to the rigours of a long distance rally.
Aside from the investment in the car's mechanicals and bodywork, Great Escape did not have to do much to prepare the car for the rally.  The Triumph Stag was serviced in advance and then subject to a safety check on Great Escape's workshop ramp, which did not reveal any problems.
The Triumph Stag became a byword for all that was bad about the British motor industry in the 1970s.  Launched several years too late and competing against the bulletproof Mercedes R107 SL, the Stag suffered from poor development, lack of investment and variable building quality.  Like Marlon Brando, it could've been a contender, but instead was another British Leyland own goal with sales falling well below initial predictions.  The main problem concerned its 3 litre V8 engine, which was effectively a marriage of two 1500cc 4 cylinder Triumph engines.  The design suffered from inherent overheating problems which, coupled with extremely bad production standards (some cars still had casting sand left in the sumps), meant the Stag struggled to compete against upmarket rivals from Mercedes and BMW.
Now, 35 years after the last Triumph Stag left the production line, the model is beginning to find its feet in the classic car world thanks to a dawning realisation of its fundamental attributes.  Good cars are reliable thanks to a useful network of parts suppliers who have developed effective fixes for the car's many shortcomings when new.
Great Escape Classic Car Hire has two Triumph Stags available to hire in the UK, one in the Cotswolds and one in Yorkshire.  You can find out more by calling 01527 893733 or visit http://www.greatescapecars.co.uk.  Book either car during October 2012 and save 15% off the hire price.

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