1974 Triumph Stag

With just four previous keepers, this charmingly original manual Triumph Stag has fewer than 56,000 miles on the odometer and is being offered with no reserve.

Recently repatriated after more than a decade in Spain, the dry climate has helped preserve it in remarkable condition, which means none of the rust, rot, and bodged welding we see on so many examples.

The current owner bought the car eighteen months ago following the sad passing of Mr. Smith, the man who had owned the car since 1986 (a copy of his purchase receipt can be seen in the Gallery). Mr. Smith worked as an engineer / pattern maker before having the eminently sensible idea to emigrate to Spain with his beloved Stag.

So, you won’t be surprised to hear that the car comes with a good wedge of old invoices and receipts, all backed up with the reassuring knowledge that the car has spent the majority of its life in the care of a proper old-school engineer who employed his considerable skills to maintain it properly both before and after his retirement.

The bodywork is in very good order being solid and apparently original, something the owner partly attributes to the liberal application of Waxoyl and decent underseal at a number of times in its life; the underbonnet area, for example, is still thickly coated in the stuff, which might not have done much for the car’s aesthetics but it hasn’t half stopped the BL-quality, mid-seventies steel from rusting! A section of the offside inner wing has been cleaned with white spirit to show that there are no nasties underneath.

It has also clearly benefitted from a full respray in its past, probably at least 15-20 years ago. This was a high-quality job but there are a quite a few sections with microblisters and the odd crack in the paintwork from its time in storage (please see photos), so we’d suggest it will need another spell in a paint booth at some point. However - and we do need to stress this – this work would be for cosmetic reasons only; the vehicle’s structure is utterly solid with good panel gaps and straight panels, even though there are a few small areas of surface rust that will need take attention at the same time.

In the same way, whilst the underside is very solid, and appears to have never had any welding at all, the underseal has dried out and flaked off in a few places. A weekend with a wire brush and a pot of decent underseal would be a great use of your time and would guarantee that the Stag stays this solid and looking good for the next 44 years.

The chromework – including the handmade Stag emblem on the wind deflector, which is in itself a testament to the engineering skills of the previous owner - is in generally good condition, but there is some minor pitting here and there. The alloy wheels are all in similarly good order and are shod with matching tyres, all of which have a decent depth of tread.

The car comes fitted with a new premium mohair roof, which is in excellent condition. A separate hard-top is also included in the purchase price, although it does have a dent in it above the windscreen edge. However, this could probably be sorted at relatively little cost if it were to be consigned to the bodyshop at the same time as the rest of the car.

The interior is in very respectable condition, with the black vinyl seats remaining supportive and comfortable. They are also free of rips, tears and scuffs, as are the door cards. The wood veneer is in very good, original condition, although it is cracked in a few places.

Otherwise it’s all good news: if you’re looking for a tidy car that you can use without worry then this is the car for you; it might be quite old, but then so is Helen Mirren, and she continues to look fantastic….

Oh, and it’s fitted with a very eighties’ Audioline ‘FM-rated, noiseless’ aerial and twin-spindle Sharp radio cassette, complete with synthesizer. It doesn’t work(!), but it’s a lovely period touch and could probably be repaired cheaply enough or even replaced with a more period-authentic radio from somewhere like eBay.

The V8 engine is mated to a four-speed (plus overdrive) manual gearbox, both of which work exactly as they should. The engine – which is original bar the fitment of a Lumenition electronic ignition system - appears to be in very good health with the owner telling us that it “starts instantly and runs beautifully” accompanied, of course, by that addictive V8 rumble and bass exhaust note.

(Interestingly, it doesn’t leak oil or overheat, which the enthusiast will recognise is fairly unusual and is indicative of an engine that has received more than its fair share of love and attention over the years.)

The vehicle was extensively (and expensively…) refurbished in 2002, immediately prior to being driven to Spain. The work undertaken, which took 180 man hours to complete, was too extensive to detail here but briefly comprised some bodywork plus attention to the bottom end of the engine, as well as the gearbox, steering, suspension and braking systems. Please see the old invoices in the ‘Records’ section for full details.

More recent work includes work to the front end including poly-bushed suspension and the installation of a new steering rack. The current owner also spent a four-figure sum in October 2017 on a mechanical refresh, including the brakes and further work on the suspension system.

The engine bay itself is more functional than pretty; we can see the new owner spending a very satisfying weekend removing the black Waxoyl before detailing the components (if that takes your fancy!)

Please visit the documents section of this listing’s ‘Gallery’ where you will find copies of invoices, old MOTs, expired tax discs, and other paperwork to support our claim that this car has an impressively comprehensive service history. The low mileage cannot quite be guaranteed, but the paperwork that does exist, plus the car’s condition do strongly suggest it is good.

It also comes with a number of books to help the new owner maintain the car in the manner to which it has become accustomed; you might lack Mr Smith’s technical proficiency but the Stag is a simple car at heart and a decent socket set and the supplied workshop manual should see even the most ham-fisted of owners through an annual service.

While the classic car markets continues to fluctuate as a result of the whims and vagaries of investor collectors who can’t seem to decide where to place their money, the Stag continues to perform very well indeed, showing unspectacular but steady growth over the past few years.

And, with the price of the very best cars now reaching the mid-twenties, this ‘no reserve’ car offers the chance to get into a very good example for considerably less than that; remember, the first bid is a potentially winning bid, so don’t be shy! Rather than fix an estimate, we’ll let our knowledgable bidders decide the final price, but we expect it not to remain in four figures…

Of course, it does need ultimately some paintwork but solid, original cars of this sort are becoming rarer and rarer as the market fragments into concours queens and tatty runabouts; this car straddles the two and would form the basis for a very satisfying long-term rolling restoration – and while past performance is no guarantee of future growth, we’d be surprised if the new owner didn’t do very well out of the car in the long-term.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this car can be seen here at Patina HQ in Abingdon; 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’.

If needed, please remember we have a network of trusted suppliers we work with regularly and can recommend: Thames Valley Car Storage for storing your car, AnyVan for transporting it, and Footman James for classic car insurance.