Triumph Stag (1970 – 1977) Review

Triumph Stag (1970 – 1977) At A Glance

4/5

+Wonderful soundtrack, great styling, brilliant parts support, and room for four.

-Make sure any engine rebuilds or body restorations have been done properly

If one car sums up all that was good and bad about the British car industry, then it must be the Triumph Stag. Where it was good, it was brilliant; and where it was bad - it was terrible. Achingly desirable to look at, and with a sountrack to die for, the Stag had the world at its feet. And yet - it stumbled at the hurdles marked ‘development budget’ and ‘build quality.’

The good news today is that all the teething troubles are well known and a large proportion of surviving Stags have been put together properly, with specialist knowledge. That leaves us free to enjoy the best bits of the Stag without worrying (too much) about when the engine is going to grenade.

It's now a strong and refined grand tourer that’s simple and cheap to maintain and has one of the best exhaust notes this side of a street rod event. Common with a three-speed auto, but the manual/overdrive version is preferred, and not just because it uses less fuel.

Ask Honest John

I'm selling my 1972 Triumph Stag, what's it worth?

"How much can I get for my 1972 Triumph Stag?"
The value of your Triumph Stag very much depends on its history, its condition but also what someone is prepared to pay for it. To get an idea of its value we would suggest looking at other comparable examples for sale. You can search for Triumph Stags at the Honest John Classics page here: https://classics.honestjohn.co.uk/classic-cars-for-sale/
Answered by David Ross

Can I MoT my car even though it is exempt?

"I have a 1975 Triumph Stag and would like to have it MoT’d for safety reasons. It is MoT exempt but if it fails can I still use it legally on the road? I asked my local MoT garage and they didn’t know! "
Although your Triumph is MoT exempt, it still has to be kept in a roadworthy condition. If you take it in for an MoT and it fails, it has then been declared unroadworthy, so although it may still show on the DVLA's database as MoT exempt it would be illegal to drive on the road. It would also invalidate your car insurance.
Answered by David Ross

Could you suggest a relatively easy to maintain and economic to fix modern classic?

"Having sold my two classic Triumphs, I'm at the age where I'm having difficulty in doing full maintenance jobs but still appreciate driving and owning a classic car as my hobby. Is there a car that I could purchase that gives me the thrill of a "classic car feel" and turns heads but is (relatively) easy to maintain whilst, if needed, incur low(er) garage costs for those jobs I am unable to tackle? I have a car for everyday travel and not too keen on a Morgan due to its harsh ride, so could you another two-seater soft top? I have about £40,000 to spend."
It's going to be tricky to tick all these boxes. If you want something that turns heads, that normally means a premium model such as a Porsche. In which case, you'd be expected to have anything but the most basic oil and filter it serviced at a specialist. Plus, if you're after mod cons like power steering, air-con, decent stereo (and soundproofing) then you're looking at cars that are a bit more complicated. If you're after something that's easy to get in and out of and doesn't have harsh ride, then you may have to think outside the box. You could go for something traditional such as a Triumph Stag (assuming you want to keep it Triumph), which is still very much a classic two-seater with a great engine. Alternatively, look at 911 ownership for a bit of wow-factor, and a decent compromise between mod cons and specialist servicing... and don't discount the later Jaguar XJ-S. We know plenty of people who own Honda S2000s and are terrifically happy with them - stunning performance and reliability (see also Nissan 350Z). Sightly left of centre coupe options to consider - BMW 8-Series and Mazda RX-7 or RX-8 if you're feeling brave, Toyota Supra. We'd also have a look at hot hatches - cars like the Mk1 Golf GTi and Peugeot 205 GTI are excellent to drive, have reasonably mod cons, and can be maintained at home... they also have plenty of wow-factor. Perhaps something like a TVR Griffith would also suit you.
Answered by Keith Moody

How much is my Triumph Stag worth?

"My 1973 Triumph Stag is off the road at the moment, so it is difficult to get an agreed value for insurance purposes. It is not in the best condition, so I think using the market value might be reasonable if it got stolen. My question is, what would the insurance company assess its market value as? "
Your insurer should be able to offer you a guide price, but as a rough idea a project would be about £2.5k, a runner in need of TLC about £6k a good one in the classifieds about £12k while an excellent example at a dealer could be more than £18k. If you need a specific valuation, any of the Triumph Clubs will be able to help.
Answered by Keith Moody
More Questions

What does a Triumph Stag (1970 – 1977) cost?