Pick of the Day: 1971 Triumph Stag

In the collector car market, I tend to look for cars that have either been overlooked or largely forgotten. As a result, over the years I have owned Bristols, Jensens, Volvo P1800s and the like, usually buying them before they were on the radar of other collectors.

One of the cars I have looked at over the years is the Triumph Stag. The Stag was a Triumph car that was designed to move the company up market, sort of a British alternative to the Mercedes R107 SL cars. The Stag featured a V8 engine under the hood, a first for Triumph, and convertible top that incorporated a t-bar reinforcement for added structural integrity and offered an optional hard top. The interior was also more upscale and was a true GT car as opposed to the usual small sportscars that the company had been building since the 1950s with the introduction of theTR2. The styling was done by the great Giovanni Michelotti and the car looked great. It was also featured in the James Bond film “Diamonds are Forever” when it was driven by Sean Connery in the scene where he assumes the identity of diamond smuggler Peter Franks to meet up with Pussy Galore.

The Stag did have some issues, though, as the car was not fully developed when it was released and suffered overheating issues due to inadequate cooling which led to blown head gaskets. Happily, over the years Stag owners have worked to find solutions to these issues and today a good Stag that has had the various upgrades applied to it can be a truly great V8 powered British GT car.

The Pick of the day is one of these cars, a 1971 Triumph Stag finished in Pimento Red with a saddle interior.

This Stag is offered by a dealer in Morgantown, Pennsylvania and is a great example of how to post a car for sale on our site. The seller has provided a very complete photo gallery and detailed descriptions of each part of the car.

The exterior of the car is described as having a body that is very straight, with nice gaps, a paint respray in the correct factory Pimento Red color with no rust or inclusions, but it is said to show some dings and scratches. The car is shod with Triumph factory alloy wheels that have center hubs badged with a stag.

The interior is stated to be in leather, though I think it is in the correct factory vinyl which is correct for this car. The carpets are also correct and in good shape but could use a good detail. All instruments work as they should, and the car has an aftermarket radio installed.

Mechanically the seller describes the car as starting easily with a smooth idle and will effortlessly cruise down the interstate. They add that the handling and braking are good as well. The top is said to go up and down easily and is in like new condition.

They close the ad stating that this is a very nicely preserved original version of the Stag that has been owned since almost new from their consigner who cared for the car, and always had properly maintained. 

If you are looking for something a bit different and want a V8 powered GT car that is not the typical Mercedes SL, then this Stag might be just the ticket. No, a Triumph Stag will not offer the reliability of the Mercedes but it much more unique and interesting. The fact that it is equipped with a 4-speed manual gearbox will add to the fun of driving it and might make it a bit more interesting to drive than the Mercedes as well. The price is also nice as this Stag is being offered for sale at a very fair asking price of only $21,000. That is not a lot of money for this level of exclusivity and potential fun.

To view this listing on ClassicCars.com, see Pick of the Day.