Myth And Rumour

The Stag may have suffered a poor reputation when new, but in the 21st century it’s one of Britain’s most popular classics – and justifiably so. We take a look at the pros and cons of investing in Triumph’s sporting flagship.

- Paul Guinness

One of the biggest quirks of the classic car movement is that some of the models most maligned when new go on to become hugely revered in later life. It’s almost as though the many issues that plagued the car on both the new and used markets get conveniently forgotten once the same machine passes into the realms of classic motoring. And that’s certainly the case with the Triumph Stag.

This was one of the earliest models from British Leyland, with the first Stags reaching Triumph showrooms in June 1970. But, of course, it had been in development since long before the coming together of Leyland Motors (the owner of Triumph) and British Motor Holdings (which comprised the old BMC marques) in 1968 to create British Leyland Motor Corporation Ltd. That’s partly why the Stag ended up with a bespoke 3-litre V8 engine of Triumph design, rather than sharing a powerplant from elsewhere within the Leyland line-up.

The Stag received plenty of praise upon its debut, with press and public alike hailing its handsome styling (with obvious links to Triumph’s Mk2 six-cylinder saloon range), its clever T-bar roof design, its glorious-sounding powerplant and its effortless cruising capability. This was the most upmarket sports car that Triumph had ever produced – and it was surely destined for success.