1973 Triumph STAG

Groovylicious is the only way to describe this wonderfully period Magenta Triumph Stag! And yes, this is a factory colour and yes, it does look as wonderful in the flesh as it does in the pictures, so why not be bold? After all, if you’re going to buy a classic sports car from the seventies, why wouldn’t you choose one that fully reflects the spirit of the day?

The current owner has had the car for around three-and-a-half years, during which time he has comprehensively restored the car’s bodywork, including the fitment of new floor pans, a new driver’s side wing and door, and a new rear quarter panel. 

The whole car was then carefully prepared before being completely resprayed in Magenta and finished with twin gold pinstripes down the sides. The result is stunning and a real crowd-pleaser wherever it goes. 

The roof was also replaced shortly before the current owner bought the car, and is still in excellent condition.

The guiding ethos here was careful preservation, and we’re pleased to report that the black vinyl interior is all original bar the carpets and boot lining, both of which are new. 

However, the years had started to take their toll in a couple of places, and so one front seat headrest has been carefully recovered and the seats themselves have had new foam to restore their shape and support. Happily, the seat covers were still in good condition and were reused to preserve the car’s patina, something we heartily approve of

The Triumph Stag’s one significant weakness is its engine, which has a habit of overheating thanks to a cooling system that was borderline at best, even when new. 

While the problems can be resolved, many owners have preferred to fit the ultra-reliable Rover V8 engine from the SD1 instead as a cost-effective and highly successful alternative. This is exactly what a previous owner has done with this example and the result is neat and unobtrusive; this is what it would look like if Triumph had fitted the engine at the factory.

So, while the car’s engine is not original the Rover V8 works and works very well - and given that there are few engines as readily and cheaply tuneable as this, it will provide a solid base for an owner for which usability and performance are more important than slavishly adhering to factory originality. 

The gearbox and overdrive have also been reconditioned and the car has been fully rewired. 

The only slight niggle is an oil weep from a rocker cover gasket. The owner will try to resolve it before the auction ends.

The car comes with bills and invoices going back to 1992, and all the old MOTs going back to 1989.

Speaking of which, the online MOT history shows that the only MOT failure point during the past decade was the headlamp aim and one indicator not working. That’s pretty remarkable, isn’t it? 

A Magenta Stag with a Rover V8 could be seen as something of a hard sell and we’d agree that this isn’t a car for the shy enthusiast with an obsession with originality. 

And yet, the quality of the car and the work that has been undertaken is outstanding in every way and if you’re going to buy a period car, few offer the chance to recreate the spirit of the age as well as this beautiful Triumph Stag does.

The owner is only selling because he needs the garage space for another (Triumph Stag-shaped) project and while the sale isn’t urgent, it is necessary and the guide price of £11-13,000 has been set accordingly and represents good value in our opinion considering the current trajectory of Stag values.

The reserve is set lower than this, as is always the case with our auctions.

The car can be viewed in Cornwall, please us the 'Contact Seller' button above to view.