My wife loves horse power, yet she is not much of a Petrol Head. However, she does drive a cute Mini Cooper but her absolutely favourite car is a burgundy coloured Triumph Stag.
As a kid my pal’s Dad had a Triumph 2.5 PI, with which he used, sorry other road users, to tow a caravan. Temperamental would probably be the best description of this car’s mechanics. Along with the guy ropes and tent pegs he’d carry a heavy rubber hammer. The normal assumption would be that this hammer would be used to see home the awning pegs – oh no…In an act of naked frustration this charming architect would administer the Petrol Injection system of his 2.5 a sound thwack – with the rubber hammer – in order to re-engage it to its primary purpose – to pump petrol!
The Triumph Stag – a 2+2 Convertible – launched in 1970, was spared the engine and fuel injection system of the PI and it was clad in well designed Italian loveliness. For me there were relatively few style icons of the 1970’s, certainly compared to the previous decade, but I am delighted to celebrate the Triumph Stag.
The Stag was blessed with a Triumph 3.0 litre V8 – increased to accommodate the then new and stringent US emission regulations – and in a production run lasting until 1978 nearly 26,000 were made and many were exported. It is believed that as many as 9000 survive today.
The Stag was designed by Italian, Giovanni Michelotti, who’s reputation had already been cemented in the UK with the Triumph Herald, the GT6 and the Spitfire. His target was to compete with the sports models of Mercedes Benz. Harry Webster, Triumph’s then Director of Engineering, had given Michelotti a Triumph 2000 – the antecedent of the 2.5 PI – in the mid-1960’s an the Stag was conceived as a styling experiment with this car – common ancestry was noticeable and much of the Stag lines were incorporated into later Triumph 2000 models.
In 1978 the Stag was “replaced ” by the unattractive Triumph TR7. The Triumph trademark is currently owned by BMW which was acquired in 1994 when BMW bought The Rover Group. BMW have retained the Triumph brand along with Mini and Riley. The Triumph brand last saw the light of day in 1984 isn’t it time for another successful revival?
In an era of close links between TV/Film business and the car industry it comes as no surprise that James Bond in “Diamonds Are Forever” relieves a diamond smuggler of his 1970 Triumph Stag. See here the car with its clear nod in the direction of the Ford Mustang with its “Stag” grill logo. See here our earlier piece on the iconic Ford Mustang – Ford Mustang
If you’d like to add a version of this splendid Bond car to your collection please link on the following AMAZON link –james bond 007 diamonds are forever triumph stag yellow film scene car 1.43 scale diecast model
The iconic Haynes Manual will get its own standalone Aestheticons’ post – but for now you may like to buy a copy of this classic publication that dissects the Triumph Stag.
Please click here for the AMAZON link – Triumph Stag (70 – 78) Haynes Repair Manual
How about the accompanying T Shirt? –Haynes Workshop Manual 0441 Triumph Stag Black Men’s T-Shirt
Adding a Triumph Stag mug to your collection is a winner – click here – Triumph Stag Mug with Caption: “Life isn’t complete without a Triumph Stag” Mug ideal gift
Or how about the simple line drawn Triumph Stag T shirt, a great present for female fans:
Triumph Stag Black Women’s T-Shirt Size 10 (M) (White Print)
and for blokes
T34 Triumph Stag Brown/Hazelnut Men’s T-Shirt XXL (Black Print)
And don’t forget the kids!
T34 Triumph Stag Red Kids’ T-Shirt 11-12 Years (Black Print)
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Image credits with grateful thanks to Thoroughbred Cars and Haynes Manual
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Love the Stag Mark, if only the teething problems with the engine had been sorted (cylinder head gasket and cooling) then it could have been a real challenger to Merc’s and BMW coupes. Couple of inaccuracies. First is that the Stag was not replaced by the TR7. The TR7 was designed as a replacement for the TR6, Second is that the Stag styling cues matched those of the revamped 2000/2500 range, which came out a year earlier than it did, Michelotti of course designed both the original and restyled 2000s (Project Zebu). Minor quibbles I appreciate, but I’m an anorak 🙂
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Thanks John for the corrections I will amend to ensure we are accurate.
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