Triumph Stag

There are fewer British cars that speak more eloquently of the automotive culture of Britain in the 1970’s than the Triumph Stag.

The burly, rakish, cool but unreliable Michelotti-designed brute was more than the sum of its butch parts. Having evolved from the relatively lumpen Sweeneymobile that was the Triumph 2000 – the whole Playboy stance of the Stag reeked of Old Spice – but as the marketing campaign highlighted with a triple option of targa, soft and hard top – it also was rather revolutionary for the UK car market in its adaptability. And hey – it came with Triumph’s own V8 engine – even if it was a siamese 2×4 cylinder unit!

The notoriously shoddy finish and workmanship of British Leyland era manufacturing meant that the cars suffer terribly from rust and reliability issues – but know this: every English summer there will be a Stag patrolling the country lanes. What more appropriate car is there to nip down to the country pub for a swift half of lager and lime?