MIDLANDS DUEL

This Classic Rivals is arguably harder to call than others because both the Triumph Stag and the Reliant Scimitar GTC have much in common – literally, where the hood frame is concerned.

Both were four-seater British convertibles, with the Scimitar picking up in 1980 where the Stag had left off almost three years earlier.

Their design pedigrees are impeccable: in this case, Michelotti went against Ogle, although neither car was a pure breed. The Stag was a shortened 2000/2500 (albeit with a bespoke engine), while the Scimitar was a parts bin special which brought tried and tested components together. Triumph and Reliant were never the most flushed with cash either, which stifled future development of their models; nor could they sell enough cars to recoup earlier investment, as markets were wary of reliability issues (Stag) or simply uninterested at the asking price (Scimitar GTC).

It would have been fascinating to see these cars compete against another when new; but with