1972 Triumph Stag

As this Stag requires the driver to change their own gears, it’s quite different in character to the automatic version. The auto suits a laid-back driver who’s happy to trundle along, enjoying the scenery. The manual Stag – such as this overdrive-equipped example – really can feel a whole lot sportier, if/when the mood takes you.

The manual transmission alters the whole character of the car, Triumph knew a thing or two about making a rewarding sports car and so pushing a Stag that little bit harder can prove hugely rewarding. If spirited driving is your thing though, we’d swap out the budget Joyroad tyres, fitted to this Stag, immediately.

Unfortunately, due to poor health, the vendor can no longer enjoy driving this Stag in either a casual or enthusiastic fashion, which is why it’s being offered for sale. The car comes with an MoT until 6 September 2024 – advisory notices for sill corrosion (nearside) plus rear suspension and front steering play, none of which the tester deemed excessive.

It seems, from the paperwork, that this Stag has been given remedial work, as and when it was required, rather than receiving the full bare metal rebuild in one hit. Though we can’t be sure of this, as there’s no evidence of paperwork prior to the mid-1980s, the car was subjected to some fairly substantial bodywork and welding in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Judging by its current condition, we’d say that this was likely the last time it saw a paint booth. The finish, though largely very presentable, is showing its 32-year vintage in several places. Having said that, its Sapphire Blue colour and black leather interior – plus matching black hood – all remain as Triumph supplied it, it even has a matching hardtop.

There’s some unsightly rust on the front and rear bumpers, but at least these are easy enough to remove and re-chrome. On the plus side, the body panels all look straight and the trim seems like it’s all there and wearing well. The paint really is the main detracting element of this Triumph with swirls visible on the boot lid and a reaction causing bubbles throughout; the worst of the latter affects the hardtop and nearside door. The nose and front wing tops also have some corrosion poking through. But, despite the above, the finish still holds up well enough to all but close scrutiny.

The cabin of this Triumph seems to have fared better. The vinyl covering the seats, door cards and dashtop all look in good shape. It’s largely the same with the easily distorted veneer, something of a Triumph cabin hallmark of course. There are some minor imperfections here and there, which are really little more than patina. There’s a small split to the vinyl seam on the base of the driver’s seat and a little peeling of the veneer’s lacquer around the gearstick base.

Door cards look in generally good order, though the nearside door card has come away from the door at the bottom, also showing a little damage to its top. The headrests seem to resemble deflated balloons, we’d guess they’re lacking some foam or padding, which should be easy enough to cure.

The carpets and the rest of the trim all appear to be in good order and a glance under the former shows nothing more troubling than what looks like surface rust. Under the pile and trim in the boot there’s a solid-looking fuel tank and an equally robust floor, though we did see some moisture pooling on the latter.

The original Triumph V8 engine remains powering this Stag – not a given as many troublesome original engines were replaced with Rover V8s. The engine bay looks highly original with plenty of stickers and only a few modern updates – Luminition electronic ignition being the most notable and welcome, a near £300 upgrade. Bulkhead and under-bonnet sound proofing look in good shape and we suspect that the latter is original, which makes its condition and adhesion all the more impressive.

The mass majority of the engine bay and its components still look clean and tidy with just a little surface corrosion on some sporadic fixings. It really looks very presentable under here, though we did spot what looks like an oil leak in the valley area of the V8 that’ll likely require investigating. There are also some scratches and a paint miss match on the inner wings, but they still appear solid. The car was recently put through an MoT and, after some remedial work, passed with only the advisories mentioned at the top.

The paperwork that accompanies this Stag is one of its top strengths. There’s a pile of invoices for continuing specialist care right back to the mid-1980s. Many thousands of pounds were spent on maintaining and improving this Triumph during this era and beyond with bills to prove it. Parts from James Paddock & Rimmer Bros can be seen in the noughties and, further back, receipts from Stag specialists SP Autos and The Stag Centre. 

Welding and curative repairs are charted from the late 1980s and early 1990s with bills for floor and outrigger repairs in ’88 and a more substantial (£2,317.25) repair to the bodywork in November 1990. All these metalwork jobs were carried out at SP, who was also tasked with the respray in 1991 at a cost of £3,766.

There’s also a British Motor Industry Heritage Trust certificate, issued in 2005, that proves the originality of this Stag, plus all its owner’s manuals, lots of old MoT certs (back to the 1990s) and tax disc (in the windscreen) from 1973.

The Stag is a perennially popular British classic. There’s no denying its appeal, great looks, nice burbling V8 engine and, in this example, a practical hardtop and the added driver engagement of a manual overdrive transmission. 

It’s doing it a disservice to describe it as a project, but if you’re after something you can enjoy and improve as you go, then this Triumph does make a very strong case for itself. There might be a few cosmetics to address here – though none should really be considered mandatory – and this is Stag seems to be complete, highly original and ready to enjoy.

We think it’ll fetch between £11,000 - £15,000.

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