The Triumph Stag has recently been brought to the attention of a wider audience due to its regular appearance on TV.  Dennis Waterman plays Gerry Standing in the TV detective series "New Tricks", a programme about a group of retired policeman working in a cold case squad.  Being retired and having excellent taste, he drives a beautiful green Triumph Stag. Fortunately Dennis Waterman has left his "Sweeney" and "Minder" days behind him and the car tends not to get involved in car chases, and hopefully will survive the series unscathed.

 

Early Triumph Stags had problems with their engines overheating and the cylinder heads warping.  These problems were resolved by re-designing some of the cooling channels, installing a more efficient radiator and using better anti-freeze.  Even though Triumph fixed the engine problems, they had harmed the reputation so much that it killed off the car leading to it acquiring the nickname 'Triumph Snag'.  Some owners swapped the engine either for the Triumph 6 cylinder 2.5 pi engine that was fitted to the 2.5 PI Saloon or for the more robust, more reliable, Rover V8 engine.  Now that the Stag is regarded as a true classic, cars with non standard engines are worth less than cars with the genuine Triumph Stag V8 engine.

 

The Triumph Stag is more of a Grand Tourer than an out and out sports car, its 145 BHP engine taking it to a maximum speed of 118 mph at around 22 mpg.  The majority of the Stags (about 75%) were fitted with automatic gearboxes, but ours is one of the more desirable cars fitted with a manual gearbox with overdrive.  Our Stag had only two owners before we bought it and covered very little mileage during its previous ten years during which time it was extremely well looked after.  As the Stag was the luxury end of the Triumph car range this is the only car on our classic fleet that has electric windows and power assisted steering. 

 

Finished in white with tan trim, the Stag is ideal for touring for four adults, or to fill with a bride and her bridesmaids!  There is even enough room in the front of car to accommodate a bride wearing a full size bridal gown.

 

The BBC Holiday Programme is renowned for presenting unusual ideas for holidays both abroad and at home in the UK.  

  

The 4th March 2002 programme included a 'mother's day treat' with Jayne Middlemiss taking our Triumph Stag for a 'chocoholic' tour around The Cotswolds. 

 

Her tour took in the fantastic view from the top of the tower at Broadway, a pint of locally brewed Cotswold Way beer in the Volunteer pub in Chipping Campden, a visit to the Perfumery in Bourton on the Water and Stratford upon Avon racecourse. 

 

But the whole weekend was centred around the famous 'Pudding Club' restaurant at the Three Ways House Hotel in Mickleton.

 

   

As with all of our cars we have a policy of continuous improvement, and in 2003 we replaced the hood with one in black mohair with a beige interior.  This not only improves the weather proofing but lightens up the interior of the car when the hood is raised.  In 2004 we replaced the carpet. 

 

These cars were never rust proofed when new, so inevitably suffer from rust to some extent.  Although our car was in good condition when we bought it, over the past six years or so, a few rust bubbles appeared.  So in January 2007 we had new door skins fitted, some repair sections welded in to the wheel arches and a full respray.

   

We also took the opportunity to fit proper seat belts in the rear seats. When the Stags were built they only had lap belts in the rear seats, we have fitted proper 3 point inertia seat belts.  Not only are they now more comfortable and safer than before, but if you have a child seat that fits into an inertia seat belt, you can now bring the kids along as well.  We have also kept one lap belt in the centre of the rear seat so that it is possible to have three passengers in the back, as long as they are all small.

  

Over the years we have rebuilt the engine in stages.  Following a leak in one of the head gaskets we had both cylinder heads replaced in 2002, complete with hardened valve seats so it runs on unleaded petrol. 

 

In 2009 the oil pressure warning light started flashing at idle speed although it was OK when running. Never a good sign, so the car went straight into the garage to be checked out and the oil pressure was definitely low.  They removed and dismantled the engine to check it out.  The crankshaft has been re-ground and re-fitted with over-sized bearings. 

 

The engine block was in perfect condition, so the bores were just de-glazed and cleaned.  The pistons were all in good condition so were re-fitted with new piston rings.  The heads were dismantled, decoked and re-assembled and the re-build was completed by fitting a completely new set of timing chains and sprockets.

 

If you are thinking of buying a Stag, not only can we advise on what to look for in terms of body condition but we can also advise you on the mechanical side of the car.

 

Car	Daily Rate (9am to 8pm)	4 Day Rate	7 Day Rate	Insurance Excess
Triumph Stag Convertible (4 seats)	£195	£585	£975	£750

 

Additional Driver (any car)	£20 per Day
Picnic - We provide picnics to order, in a hamper with a waterproof picnic rug. Fresh seasonal food is included using local produce where possible. For obvious reasons we will not provide alcohol.	£35 for a Picnic for 2 People

 

For daily, weekend and weekly hire rates for all of our cars, see the section on Hire Charges.