2997cc V8
4 Speed Manual with Overdrive
Front Engined Rear Wheel Drive
Hydraulic Front Discs, Rear Drums
145 bhp 167 Ft-Lb
Exterior Metallic Blue Interior Light Blue
Probably no other car exemplified the collapse of the British car industry more than the Triumph Stag. The Stag was designed to allow Triumph to build a car that would be a direct competitor for the Mercedes Benz SL cars, which was a significant shift upmarket for the brand. British Leyland, which owned Triumph at the time, had developed a slant 4 cylinder engine for Saab, which also appeared in the TR7 with the intention of it becoming a V8 as well. There, were concessions that they made to fit the Saab application, however, which required the water pump to be mounted high on the block, which was the first step towards the Stag’s downfall. In V8 form, the engine was 3 liters, had excellent sound, and ran smoothly, but the design required the heads to be mounted by a row of studs and a row of bolts each at different angles, making it tricky to torque down properly. Added to that, the company set a 7500 mile service interval in order to compete with the well built reliable Mercedes. The problem was, often the car would not make it 7500 miles before the car would overheat and a head gasket would fail. This may be in part due to the torquing problem or may have been due to issues of sand remaining in the engine castings, and the high water pump would cavitate with just about any loss of coolant exacerbating the problem. When it happened the heads would invariably warp and there was not enough material on them to machine them flat again, making the engine prone to self destructing. On top of the cooling issues, the timing chain was also weak and could cause problems. The reputation for unreliability, coupled with strikes and poor management issues creating additional quality control issues badly hurt sales, which, with the gas crisis of the 1960s, caused Triumph to stop
selling the Stag in the US market after 1973. It did continue to be sold in the UK and some other markets until 1977. The only other Triumph V8, the TR8, opted to use the Buick/Rover V8 rather than their own engine. This Triumph Stag still has its original engine and was restored by the previous owner, with The Sports Car Shop in Eugene, Oregon rebuilding the engine. Many of the initial problems with the Stag engine were solvable, with some addressed by 1973 with the Mk2 cars, and in the rebuild, the heads were torqued down repeatedly after various driving intervals to get them fully and properly seated. The body had also been repainted, with the previous owner opting to paint it a Mercedes Benz metallic blue colour instead of the original sapphire blue. I purchased the car from him when he and his wife were moving and thus losing garage space, forcing them to let one of their classics go. I’d previously admired the car so he reached out to me when he decided to sell it. As a sorted, functional, restored car, the Stag is actually a great driver. Most of the issues that lead to its bad reputation have all been addressed and the car is a very comfortable GT cruiser. The engine has a fantastic sound, and excellent performance for its size. Suspension is essentially the same as the contemporary TR6, with a trailing arm rear suspension which can occasionally create an odd “hop” caused by the sliding drive shafts when accelerating around a corner under load. Steering is power assisted and is probably the biggest flaw in driveability as the assistance is overboosted, leading to little feedback to the driver. Other than that, it is a stylish, useable V8 powered GT car.
