1978 Triumph Stag Mk III Auto

First registered to a Mrs Gilbert of Fulham in March 1978, this late model Triumph Stag has a 3-speed Borg-Warner automatic gearbox and both low ownership and mileage.

The Stag spent 15 years in and around Fulham clocking up 24k miles before moving to its second owner in Surrey between Guildford and Dorking. He added about 13k miles and then the third owner from the Croydon area put fewer than 2000 miles on the car in just under 10 years ownership.

It then spent a few years in the hands of Fine and Classic Automobiles of Bristol, who undertook some restorative work, repairing and repainting some of the panels, fitting new wheels and tyres and generally preparing it for sale both mechanically and cosmetically.

The last fourth owner, a serious collector from Oxfordshire, bought the car from them in July 2014 at the same time as a very low mileage Ferrari. He wasn’t intending to buy the Stag but apparently the lady that he was with liked the colour and it got added to the deal.

Since then though, he’s kept it with his collection in a glass-fronted car house. Aside from running it up occasionally it had next to no use until our vendor acquired the car from him, along with some others he was moving on, and recommissioned it ready for sale.

The exterior - painted in Inca Yellow - is in superb condition having been given a light restoration around 1,000 miles ago, prior to seven years in dry storage. There’s a small patch of corrosion on the bottom of the nearside rear wheel arch, some micro blistering on the boot lid, light scratching on the rear panel where the hard top sits and a little bubbling on the hard top’s rear pillars - but for a 43 year old British Leyland car, this Stag looks very good indeed.

The chrome fittings and trims around the car - and there are many of them - look very strong and bright too, with little or no pitting evident. The black body stripes are also tidy and undamaged having been renewed in 2011.

The black fabric hood seems to be in good condition with just a few wrinkles and creasing on the rear window from being folded but appears undamaged and fits well, folding away neatly under the rear cover. The removable body-coloured hard top adds a degree more protection to the car and extends the use of the car beyond the summer months.

The Stag sits on original style 14-inch alloy wheels, which were replaced in 2012 and still present in a very good condition. All are fitted with Continental ContiEcoContact tyres which also look in good order.

The car’s interior appears in near perfect condition, with no signs of wear across what we believe is the original black vinyl upholstery and trim. The seat facings front and rear have a weave-pattern embossed into the vinyl which may not ventilate in quite the same way as perforated leather but would certainly feel slightly cooler to touch on a baking hot day.

Up front the vinyl dash top has no splits or cracks and the wood dash panel below seems in good, original condition with what look like a couple of hairline cracks across the glove box. A later Blaupunkt Boston radio cassette has been fitted into the dash and connected to 4 Pioneer speakers and a powered antenna on the rear nearside wing.

The black carpets look clean and intact, with rubber floor mats in the front footwells. Up above the hard top headlining is unmarked and taut and the padded vinyl covering on the T-bar also looks in good order.

Under the bonnet, all looks very clean and tidy with what we understand to be the car’s original engine and gearbox. Everything mechanical has been recently refreshed including full service, uprated radiator, new alternator, battery and belts.

The undersides of the car appear clean and undamaged and in a wholly original condition with no signs of previous welding or corrosion, beyond the light surface rust on the odd suspension or steering component. There’s good underseal coverage and the exhaust appears undamaged and in good order.

Inside the boot, the carpet and linings are very clean and undamaged and underneath a floorboard are a full size spare alloy, wheel brace and jack. The metal floor seems in good order with no serious rust in evidence.

Although now exempt by virtue of its age, this car is MoT'd until July 2022. An MoT gives an independent, third-party assessment of the car’s condition, which not only provides reassurance to the owner and any subsequent purchasers but is also invaluable in the event of a bump when negotiating with the police and any interested insurance companies.

The large history file includes old paper MoT certificates from 1992 through to 2014 and numerous invoices for servicing, repairs and parts from 1986 to 2014 when it was sold to its fourth owner. The mileages recorded validate the current low mileage of less than 40k, having covered fewer than 10k miles in the last 25 years.

The vendor has recommissioned the car and there is a recent invoice from Beacon Hill Engineering in West Sussex for cam cover gaskets, gearbox oil change, uprated radiator, new alternator and a service.

The car also comes with several keys, an old style V5 (as well as new) and its original handbooks and plastic wallet.

There are few nicer ways to enjoy an English summer (assuming we get one) than in an archetypal British convertible sports car and, although never common when new, the Stag has been a popular sight at car shows for three or four decades and has strong and stable values.

There are many aftermarket parts available for the Stag – it’s a very well-supported model – but this means they tend to be restored with non-standard features. All well and good but when you look at any other classic car, it’s not the modified and modernised ones that become more desirable, it’s the time-warp originals like this one.

This Stag is almost immaculate aesthetically and is faultless to drive - maybe running a touch rich but with extremely good power delivery. It is rare to see a Stag in such original condition, never having had its engine swapped out nor any welding done.

You’ll have to look hard to find another low-mileage survivor as good as this one, especially in such a lovely stand out colour, so we think it will sell for between £20,000 and £30,000.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with the seller in Billingshurst, West Sussex. To arrange an appointment please use the ‘Contact Seller’ button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.