Triumph Stag
The Triumph Stag was styled by the Italian designer Giovanni Michelotti. The car started as a styling experiment cut and shaped from fro a 1963-64 pre-production 2000 saloon, also styled by Giovanni Michelotti. His agreement was, if Harry Webster, Director of Engineering at Triumph, liked the design, Triumph could use the prototype as the basis of a new model. Webster loved the design and took the prototype back to England. The end result, a two-door drop head, had little in common with the styling of its progenitor 2000, but retained the suspension and drive line. Triumph liked the Michelotti design so much that they propagated the styling lines of the Stag into the new T2000/T2500 saloon and estate model lines of the 1970’s.
The Stag went into production with Triumphs new 3 Litre V8 engine fitted with twin Stromberg 175CDSE carburettors rather than the troublesome mechanical fuel injection in order to meet the strict US emission standards.
The car was launched to the public one year later than planned in 1970 and remained in production until 1977.
This particular Stag had been in long term family ownership and although it was in fair mechanical condition there was a great degree of body corrosion that needed to be attended to, plus at some point the car had had a poor respray done and was looking a little sorry for itself.
The collective family owners took the decision to have the car sympathetically restored which would include a colour change but retain the interior trim colour and also retain as much of the original chrome, trim and other components as possible.
Both front wings, front panel, both sills, both door skins, both rear wing repair panels and the lower rear panel were replaced with all other remaining panels being repaired which also included extensive repairs to the hard top. Both the boot area and the under bonnet were tidied up prior to the car being completely repainted in the families chosen colour. The cars soft top frame was repaired and the cover replaced complete with new carpets, drivers seat cover and door trim panels after which we carried out a full service and mechanical check over prior to being submitted for its MOT.
After successful road testing the car had an extensive valet before being handed over to its enthusiastic owners who can now look forward to many more years of happy classic car motoring.