Thats what Jeremy called it. "The best car British Leyland ever made".
After I drove my sons Stag I just had to have one. In March 2008 I acquired DR J, an Inca Yellow 1972, Mk 1 1/2 Stag from a lawyer in Tunbridge Wells. He had had it 'restored to order' in 1996 and since then it had only done 6000 miles. The engine seemed good, the bodywork reasonable, it was all in period not having been modified out of character, and affordable. A perfect bit of 1970's nostalgia, whats more it was road tax free.
Dr J at 'Camp Paton in the heart of Normandy!
In the year that we have owned it (I say we because the Mrs loves it too), we have explored B road road England far more extensively than Robbie, 4000 miles in all, and had loads of fun. A dash to Brands Hatch with the Stag owners club, the Goodwood Revival, a midweek break to Lyme Regis, and a four day tour of the Cherbourg Peninsular based at the excellent Hotel de France et Fushias in St Vaast. In that time, after some initial tweaking of the ignition and carbs (yes! you can do it yourself), and fixing the wipers, it has run faultlessly. You lope along in 70's comfort to the the throaty beat of the V8. Admiring glances and head twisting from passers by and modern sports car drivers are the norm. Comments like " I wish my car sounded like that!" come again and again. The yellow Stag puts people in a good mood, it brings genuine smiles to lips, and its just a great drive
You tend to avoid motorways (too noisy with the top down) and seek out quiet cross country routes which seldom extend journey times more than 15%. For instance yesterday on the way back from Brands we turned off the M25 at the A3 went cross country to Bracknell and when we got there a Maserati passed us which had previously passed us on the M25 back near the M23, so its sometimes quicker by Stag on the byways!
The overdrive is great. With a flick of the switch on the gearstick you lope along to a moderated beat, the 3 litre V8 is torquey and strong with plenty of power to keep up with today's traffic, and returns a genuine 25mpg. As its a historic vehicle the insurance costs just £130. With the Stags two extra seats in the back, you can thrill occasional passengers, and the voluminous boot makes it a genuine grand tourer that puts most many modern sporty ragtops to shame.
If you are a tinkerer, there are plenty of pleasurable possibilities. You can do your own servicing, no computers needed. So far I have restuffed the seats, refurbed the dashboard, disassembled and cleaned the window lift switches and got the windows working smoothly and there is plenty left to do. Some people spend thousands, but I am happiest just driving.
Yesterday Brands Hatch came around again with 30+ Stags meeting at Clackets Lane Services early and driving to the track in a loose convoy.
Stags for 3 miles!
It was the Historic Superprix with F1 cars from the 1970/80 period, formula Fords, F5000, Junior, sports cars and 1960's saloons racing. 50 Stags parked up together and we enjoyed an idylic English day with thrilling racing. At lunchtime after practice had finished 40 Stags took to the course for a couple of laps..... Magic!!!
The video!
I can recomend the Triumph Stag. Jeremy was right it was BL's best car, a great Grand Tourer and loads more fun than any Eurobox. Properly serviced and looked after its a reliable, cheap and rewarding classic to own. There are many horror stories about the Stag's V8, but simple precautionary regular maintenance and an electric fan sorts the problems. You are stuck with the fundemental lower quality of 70's car manufacture, but that is no problem to anyone with a bit of energy and an inclination to tinker. I am looking forward to many more happy years of rewarding motoring with the Stag.
