TRIUMPH STAG
When Giovanni Michelotti took a Triumph 2000 saloon and created a one-off convertible show car, there were no plans to put it into production until Triumph’s boss, Harry Webster, saw it. Webster was so enamoured of the creation that he insisted Triumph should take it and develop it for production. Initially planned to be launched with Triumph’s straight-six engine, a top of the range model was also planned using a new V8 engine which the company was developing.
In the end, the six-cylinder version never materialised. The new model, known as the Stag, was launched in June 1970 and lasted for seven years, with a number of revisions and a modest production run of 25,939 units. The specification of the Stag is reasonably modern by classic standards, with power-assisted rack-and-pinion steering, servo-assisted disc/drum brakes, coil-sprung suspension with telescopic dampers and a 2997cc V8 mated to either a four-speed manual gearbox (often with overdrive) or a three-speed Borg Warner automatic.
Practicality
The Stag is quite a large, heavy car, much more a Grand Tourer than a sports car. At 4.44m (roughly 14.5 feet) long, it’s 40cm longer than an MGB and roughly the same length as a BMW E30 3 Series. It is however relatively slim at 1.61m (5ft 3.5in), which is only some 9cm wider than an MGB, so it can fit inside a single garage, although the long doors that provide access to the rear seats may be difficult to fully open.
The car is surprisingly heavy at 1215kg (2675lb) with a manual gearbox and 1289kg (2835lb) for an auto, possibly thanks to the all-steel monocoque body and cast-iron engine block, but also due to the additional structural strengthening required for an open-top. Thankfully, the V8
