Lot Ended
Description
1971 Triumph Stag Mk1
Rover 3.5 V8 conversion;
manual overdrive; wire wheels; recently unearthed from a period in storage;
use and improve
"If one car sums up all that was good and bad about the
British car industry, then it must be the Triumph Stag. Where it was good it was
brilliant; and where it was bad it was terrible."
As the excellent Honest John website makes clear, the
Michelotti-designed Stag was one of the most charismatic sports tourers ever
produced on these shores but it was also bedevilled with typical 1970s build
quality issues, particularly where the engine was concerned which was prone to
catastrophic overheating.
Within two years of its launch, several companies had
sprung up offering engine transplants, the V6 Ford and Rover V8 units being the
most common alternatives. Had the internal politics at BL not prevented the use
of the lovely Buick-derived Rover 3.5-litre V8, the story of the Stag would have
been very different, its elegance, practicality and sophistication adding up to
a winning package that has long made it one of Britain’s best loved classic
cars.
First registered in March 1971, this early Stag Mk1 Manual
Overdrive appears to have received a Rover V8 engine transplant some years ago,
an invoice from 2007 showing that it was already in place then when a new Facet
electronic fuel pump was fitted along with a new coil and a replacement
alternator. The power bulge in the bonnet is there to clear the carbs on the
taller Rover engine.
Other than that there is no real history with the car
apart from an old MOT from 1990 at which point the mileage was recorded as
45,159, a figure which has since risen to 60,475 miles. An online MOT history
check shows that it has a current MOT valid until 23rd April this
year although it has not had another MOT since at least 2006 so it has clearly
been in storage for the last 15 years at least.
Riding on after-market wire wheels, it is no show queen
but appears to be in fair condition overall, as you can see in the photos. Being
offered here at a very reasonable guide price, it would doubtless benefit from a
good service before being pressed back into regular use and could be smartened
up over time as desired.
For more information contact James on 07970 309907 or
email [email protected]
* All charges are subject to VAT