Memory Lane Triumph Stag

Triumph Stag (1970-1977)

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Sports Tourer 2+2

The Triumph Stag is a 2+2 sports tourer built between 1970 and 1977 with a total of 25,877 produced. The original Stag used a 2.0 six cylinder engine which was intended to be bored out to 2.5 litres, but this car finished up with a V8 3.0 litre which sounded like a proper sports car. However, this engine proved problematic partly because of poor engineering and partly because engine designers at British Leyland lacked experience building V8 engines. As a consequence several issues burdened the fabulous 2+2 tourer such as main bearing failure and timing chain early replacement (less then 25,000 miles). For a V8 engine it also only produced a lacklustre 145 bhp, bit I suppose that was sufficient enough in the seventies. The engine was developed together with Saab based on two SOHC units. These were two Saab 99 engines built back to back with alloy heads. Also it used either a manual or automatic transmission, the manual being a four speed with overdrive on third and fourth gears. The manual was capable of a 177 mph topspeed and 0-60 in 9.3 seconds. Together with power steering as standard this made for a smooth, comnfortable brisk ride. There is no doubt the Stag succeeded as a head turner. On the inside the interior was very like an old Jaguar with plenty of wood veneer around the dash plus lots of dials. Possessing a distinctive appearance of quality won it many fans and with the roof down on a sunny day it excelled at looking like the ultimate open top. However, the Stag is a heavy car and having a large engine meant it was not economical. Among other issues it also suffered with an overheating problem that was not easy to resolve. The primary reason given was that the water pump was set above the engine. This meant if the engine grew hot in slow moving trafficthe coolant would escape via the expansion bottle. Apparently, there were also quality issues with ill fitting engine components. Back in 1970 a Stag with soft-top would set you back £1,995 or with a hard top £2,041. That was a lot of money back then so if you have an original Stag and experience engine problems it’s not uncommon to find many other owners changed their V8 for that of the Rover. They’re fairly identical in weight, size and power, the Rover has around 157 bhp. However, what the Rover V8 possesses is reliability when in good condition. Today the Stag can fetch anything between £15K to £40K. I believe this to be a worthy classic car for its looks, sounds and disctintiveness among rivals.

Triumph Stag Specification
Cost new (1970)£1,996 / Top Asking Price Nov. 2023: £32,107 (Mint)
EngineV8 2997 cc 145 bhp
PerformanceMax 117 mph 0-60=9.3 secs
Fuel Consumption24 mpg
Road TaxExempt but apply for historic status thru’ DVLA
​HOW MANY STILL MOTORING IN THE UK?
Recorded by TransmissionNumber
ManualLicensed: 3999
ManualSORN: 1491
AutomaticLicensed: 2009
AutomaticSORN: 809

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