Flawed Diamond

1977 Triumph Stag

When the new Triumph Stag was announced in the UK it was welcomed as a significant addition to the current range of sports and GT cars produced by British manufacturers, including Jaguar, MG and Lotus to mention but three. The design of the Triumph Stag provided something a little different to most of its competitors in that it provided that “wind in the hair” sports car experience, as well as seating for four adults with relative comfort. More usually, two-door, 2+2 designed cars were restricted to the driver and a front-seated passenger—the two rear seats with very little, if any, leg room were usually only able to accommodate two small children, a sideways seated adult or just a space for luggage. However, the Stag wasn’t just for the UK. Triumph—or rather British Leyland—aimed this car directly at the U.S. market to spearhead its export fleet for American customers.