Triumph Staaaaag | Clarkson's Car Years | BBC Studios

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Jeremy Clarkson has his say about the wonders and worries of the Triumph Stag. Apparently, it sounds better if you stay on the vowel!
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[@maxhamer]

This STAAAAAG would go along with my JAAAAAAAAG

[@forward876]

Careful...I have a Jaaaag and I did have an eye on the Staaaag at one point too

[@AbsolutelyStaggered]

@@forward876 I just sold my Jaaaaaaaaag and have just bought a Staaaaaaaaag

[@frankabels5761]

​@@AbsolutelyStaggeredand are you happy with your staaag?

[@AbsolutelyStaggered]

@@frankabels5761 My Staaaaaaaag has now been fully restored. It’s very rare LHD USA specked car that I’ve fitted a Triumph 2500TC engine, Ferrari Dino rims and a custom deep metal flake red paint job. However my Staaaaaaag is now for sale

[@amightyatom]

One of the best sounding exhaust notes ever

[@hugogreen4916]

Until you tried revving it. All hoarse roar and no real go

[@LaurieWilliams-lk8fc]

People talk about the nice sound the Stag V8 made, but if you look at the exhaust manifolds you can see why the sound was so throbby - short pipes along a manifold tube very close to the engine. Atrocious manifolds, but perhaps all that would fit.

[@MrDodgedollar]

@@hugogreen4916 not true if in good order

[@Hello_there_obi]

what the hell went wrong? Two words: British Leyland.

[@spaceinaspace8452]

Wasted Potential

[@barryphillips7327]

Got it in one! Trade Unions did not help, strikes were common!

[@ld8341]

@@barryphillips7327 This was a management decision, now't to do with the workers, though later strikes arguably put the many-headed BL Medusa out of its misery.

[@polygamous1]

According to newspaper reports BL spend £32Millions to designed n build the Marina, n Colin Chapman spend £20,000 admittedly earlier on in the 60s to design n Build the Best sports car of its day n still a Fantastic sports car ever, If BL spend a fraction of that money n commissioned Mr Chapman (for me the greatest engineer of his era) to designed n Build their new Marina they would a had another great car to rival even the Rover 2000TC the car the Beat ALL European cars voted the Best sports saloon car for 2 years Running in Europe n the USA, believe me I was a delivery driver them days n the Rover was far better than the BMW 2000TI n in the went the Rover would have left the BMW for dead, there is something very British here designed something Better than anyone else, do nothing about it till everyone else overtakes you same with the mini n so many other examples sad but true

[@starguy321]

Britain’s car industry was far too big for Britain’s size in 1950, it was always going to get smaller. Britain’s car manufacturers didn’t internationalise their production in the 1970s either after entry into the EEC. GM and Ford, who long had investments in Britain, did quite well in the 1970s and 1980s because they had production lines and supply chains across Europe, with GM swapping cars between Opel and Vauxhall for example. BL and its successors tried to make solely British cars and it didn’t really work out. The same thing would have happened to France too if the French government had allowed its car companies to be sold off to foreign owners. The British government allowed British Leyland to be broken up and bought up by international capital, only seeking Rover to British Airways as a cop out. Remember, it wasn’t in the 1970s that BL died, it was in the 1980s. The British car industry was always meant to get much smaller in the 1970s, but it wasn’t meant to die in the 1980s

[@matt2585]

the moment he said they had access to the buick engine, you just know eventually hes going to tell you, 'no, they didn't use it'

[@sutherlandA1]

Rover was purchased by Leyland in 1967 but the Stag and its engine had been in development since 1964 so I'd say they decided that it was too far along to cancel and change by then

[@MrDodgedollar]

Ashley Sutherland that’s correct, and there were worries about selling back to America with the license and also to satisfy anticipated supply demands ( which never materialised).. The rover engine could have been fitted, but the car was still a luxury niche cabriolet and the “volume sales” were pure fantasy!... To not fully develop and test the TV8 was folly.. To not “allow” the TV8 and other combinations ( sprint) to be sold in the saloon and estate car was also questionable ... The decision to combine Rover with Triumph and subsequently BL was very questionable in hindsight! All poor decisions that lead obsolescence and the history books

[@stephenarbon2227]

@@MrDodgedollar The discontinued small V8 engine design & tooling was virtually given to Rover by GM, but came with a restriction that it never being sold in the US. So with the Stag being a sports car and needing US market to have enough volume, they had to use another engine. [although they might have been able to pay a licensing fee?].

[@thecianinator]

@@sutherlandA1 dang ol sunk cost fallacy

[@moochincrawdad]

Triumph had so much potential in the 70s - such a waste 😞

[@isaacsrandomvideos667]

moochincrawdad they went crap in the 80s.

[@SpitfireFortyFour]

British Leyland ruined pretty much every marque they touched :(

[@topbanana4013]

every car they made in the 70s fell apart like spitfire 1500 and tr7 cheap parts all over the floor would fall out of tr7. 70s was the beginning of the end for triumph cars they was poorly made

[@topbanana4013]

@@isaacsrandomvideos667 and 70s

[@murphymoe753]

Triumph did well with Tr2/3. then rust took over

[@bluebus270]

Mechanics apart, the Stag was aesthetically beautiful, right up there with the E-type. It still is to me.

[@stewarth8390]

Completely agree! I was an apprentice and got lumped with doing valve clearances, cam replacement etc…. It was a whole new world of perseverance and patience lol

[@elpistolero9394]

Mate...

[@redreuben5260]

Nup, e type is a class above this thing.

[@topbanana4013]

stop talking utter crap up there with the e type ???? no it was never it was a pile of crap square lines rust bucket, they only thing it had in common with a jag was rust and much worse. 75 likes in 12 years tells the truth of this bucket . fukt it looks like a princess from front lol

[@Will_M600]

looks far better than the e type imo, overy overrated styling on the jag. e type lightweight however, thats a different story.

[@phatoofperformance6717]

I absolutely love this car and I've even been lucky enough to have ridden in one since my grandad owns one. The noise of the v8 is absolutely beautiful

[@carlbirtles4518]

Could have been better with the Rover V8.

[@cameronrichardson3108]

@@carlbirtles4518the engine isn’t as bad as people make out, overheating issues are sorted now fitting a header tank prevents an airlock or the pump running dry I can’t remember which and using coolant with a specific rust inhibitor. People saying the rover v8 is more powerful well there’s next to nothing in it

[@waltertaljaard1488]

The Stag was like a beautiful, pretty girl, who would hurt you by being unfaithful and ruin you by emptying out your bank account. But she WAS a stunning beauty!

[@appelpower1]

In spite of this car, the Triumph Spitfire still has the best sounding name in automotive history.

[@lewis72]

I'd have to disagree and say the Jensen Interceptor.

[@appelpower1]

Lewis72 'Interceptor' is a great name, but 'Jensen' sort of... isn't. 'Triumph Spitfire' is a better overall package in my opinion. But taste is, of course, subjective.

[@lewis72]

appelpower1 I really like the name "Jensen". It's, to me, the surname of an Eton School pupil, and so brings with it a whiff of upper -class, pomp & circumstance and a sense of occasion. Then, there is: "Aston Martin V8 Vantage." The first two names again bring a whiff of upper-class pomposity, with the second half enjoying alliteration along with the power of the word "Vantage".

[@appelpower1]

Lewis72 'Jensen' is also the name of an appalling chat show that used to air on Dutch TV, so that's my association. It's probably my fault. Almost every Aston has a great name, though. 'Vanquish' and 'Virage' are also very elegant. Heck, even their name for convertibles, 'Volante', is brilliant.

[@lewis72]

appelpower1 Ah, Didn't know about teh Dutch TV show but there is the F1 driver, Jensen Button, which also adds a bit of panache to the name. Yes, Aston names are good.

[@rontenn]

I know a guy with a 1975 Stag & he's never had the slightest problem with the Triumph engine. Never overheats,oil pressure perfect ,etc.etc. So not everyone has a problem with the Stag.

[@deanosaur808]

6000+ still on UK roads in 2022! The numbers are climbing each year. I think Jeremy is still stuck in the 1970s 😉

[@Jo_Wardy]

James bought one for the last grand tour ❤

[@WelshyM]

Funny that! My 1977 Stag has sailed through two MOT's and completed 4000 miles in the last two years. Even more scary she has her original Triumph V8 under the bonnet! Not bad for a 40 year old design eh?

[@deanosaur808]

And there are more on the road now than 30 years ago! 3700 in 1994, and over 6000 in 2022. Also 2300 SORN

[@ernestochang1744]

its the stig's CAR cousin, the staaaaag

[@ericgeorge5483]

I WOULD STILL BUY ONE......THOSE LOOKS...WOW!

[@Alan_Mac]

+Eric George I'd love a Stag if I could find one with an intact body. The 2nd most beautiful car after the e-type.

[@ericgeorge5483]

alan mac You are right, it is a stunning design and no mistake!!

[@twwtb]

Some have successfully transplanted the 3.5 into the Stag.

[@psk5746]

@@twwtb not required. Once the engine is remachined to correct the poor quality, all is fine

[@faruqdim7759]

the song were clarkson drives the stag its name is Bill Withers - Lovely Day

[@paulmoore394]

RIP

[@johnjeanb]

I own a 1973 Stag since 1975 (still have it) and that beautiful car gave me all opportunities to make friends with tow-trucks and garages. The engine was replaced by Triumph when less than 15 000 km under warranty. The power steering, overdrive, rear axle, fuel pump all gave way in the worse possible conditions (leaving me stranded at the worst possible places). Maintenance here in France was poor (little training, weak documentation, design changes all over the place) and never corrected design flaws: undersized timing chain, water cooling circuit not tight between the 2 cylinder heads, undersized cooling system (fit only for Scandinavia and north of England). Summary: a beautiful car made with quite poor material (metal used on the engine), based on unfinished design and assembled by often on strike workers.

[@LanceVance305]

Just bought a s reg with 25k on the clock. Silver stone auction

[@MrDodgedollar]

The build quality control was appalling

[@micahh9351]

It's a wonderful little car if it isn't in the shop. Good power, and looks quite nice.

[@norfunk]

This is so low resolution I feel like I'm watching something included with the free floppy disk given out amiga power in 1992!

[@vulcanproject]

I'm not a huge fan of the stag. However one part is amazing and that is the sound that engine makes. It is absolutely brilliant. Honestly that triumph V8 is one of the very very very best sounding V8s ever made to my ears. Which is enough for me to forgive it many other things.

[@No.Handle31]

It's shame it didn't live long. It was designed well then the bank manger comes in and cuts everything. Thank God that fate didn't happen to the Rover V8.

[@jimmyclarkson7128]

i agree, one of the best sounding engines ever

[@linus2877]

vulcanproject nice profile picture

[@hongdongjji5361]

my friend had one, and yes the motor was sound incredible. we drive to the coast and got all looks. when I moved he offered to sell it but I can't afford the price for transport. I remember this was best car ever for me.

[@sutherlandA1]

@@No.Handle31 was only used in the stag from 1970 til 1977

[@davidchadderton5904]

That was a rare almost logically sensible presentation, Jeremy. Congratulations. What could possibly go wrong? But it did.

[@admiralbeez8143]

5:36 the answer is simple. When the Stag was first conceived in 1964 and when the Triumph V8 was launched in 1968 Triumph had not yet merged with Rover.

[@MrDodgedollar]

The over head cam Engine series (including the V8) was conceived in1963/4… The Stag (cabriolet) was produced as a concept in 1966, the year that Leyland Motors bought Rover; In 1967 under UK government pressure Leyland motors merged with the much bigger BMC to form British Leyland Motor Corporation and Triumph successful chief engineer was poached to sort out Austin in 1968.. and the slide to Doom begins

[@AlejjSi]

@@MrDodgedollar Webster was only so so good, when he went to Austin-Morris, he failed dismally there, the Marina and Allegro were his doing, also he failed to rectify the Maxi aswell. The Triumph engines od the 70's were a total disaster and along with the Triumph name they also helped bring down Rover, because the six cylinder SD1s were hampered by all sorts of mechanical issues with the engines designed and made by Triumph. When Rover and triumph were united under BLMC, Spen King of Rover became the joint technical director and wanted Triumph to use the "Rover V8", but they told him that it wouldn't fit. But they were lying.

[@IH674Cumbria]

I have a stag with the totally original triumph v8. No modifications, no fancy radiators or fans or anything and it runs like a dream. Just service it as per the book, back flush rad and cooling system yearly and itll never give any bother. Mine doesn't anyway. I can go up through the lakes on the hottest of days sat in traffic for 15 mins at a time and the temp needle hardly moves. I do agree the rover is a better engine but theres no way ill swap mine. Keeping it original.

[@johnburns4017]

*Use fully synthetic oil.* The larger radiator is a very good idea with an electric cooling fan.

[@partysteve42]

Clarkson is missing some of the story. The Stag was already under development when the amalgamation with Rover under BL happened. There was talk of switching to the 3500 V8, but it would have further delayed a car that had already experienced significant delay.

[@TraustiGeir]

This is a great episode, I never knew how disastrous the British Leyland saga was.

[@cirrus1964]

Well, I maybe am an exemption to the rule? I bought a 20 months old Stag way back in 1978. The price I paid then Fl 20.000,-- ( about € 8.500,--). It came with hardtop, Wolfrace wheels. I had it 4 almost 3 years. The only problem I had, was the power steering servo, it had a broken sealing ring (which was hard to locate). Some years late, I had several BMW 3 series cars, which almost bankrupted me. I'm sorry up to this very day, I sold the Stag, as well as my TR3, my first car.

[@ryanmiller2143]

My dad restored one when I was a kid in the 80s. It was a really cool car. I do remember it overheating a lot. I wish he still had it.

[@Athrunwong]

Who need SWAG when you have a STAAAAAG.

[@triumphstag1234]

I have had one for 30 odd years, fantastic car, way ahead of it's time. Some even had four wheel drive and abs before any other cars did!

[@lewis72]

The 4WD cars (only 2 built, I think), were demonstrators built by Fergusen Formula (the "FF" in Jensen FF). I think that Fergusen were trying to sell their 4WD system to higher volume manufacturers than Jensen. A 4WD Monza/Senator was also built, I think.

[@2000mk1]

@Buro Dackel Boring !!

[@richardthomas6890]

Probably the best sounding V8 ever to go into production in any car (in my opinion)😁

[@peterrenn6341]

Aston Martin (in my opinion;-)

[@LaurieWilliams-lk8fc]

People talk about the nice sound the Stag V8 made, but if you look at the exhaust manifolds you can see why the sound was so throbby - short pipes along a manifold tube very close to the engine. Atrocious manifolds, but perhaps all that would fit.

[@adityaabirama]

Thats car in James Bond Diamons Are Forever, use by Peter Frank 😀

[@hjp1hjp22]

Based on the Triumph 2000, or more appropriately the 2500 that began with a petrol injection engine (PI), that was unreliable and replaced with the twin carb (TC). The last 2500 saloon was the S.

[@LaurieWilliams-lk8fc]

Triumph PI engine was fine. I had one for years. Only thing that went wrong was a little nylon link inside the fuel metering unit breaking, easily fixed in a few minutes with a drop of superglue, never failed again.

[@barload]

nice looking one for that price - I had a similar incident when I bought mine in Cardiff and drove it back to Hertfordshire. Everything went well but then I couldn't start it again. I turned out the distributor cam had not been greased and and the octagonal shape had been ground down to round shape on the journey, so the points weren't opening. Fixed that the following week and I had a touble free car for years to come.

[@wickiezulu]

Given that Saab later developed a 250-300 hp 4-litre 32v Quad-Cam V8 distantly related to the 145 hp 3-litre Triumph V8, perhaps Triumph should have continued collaborating with Saab on both the Slant-4 and V8 engines.

[@heikopanzlaff3789]

or maybe with Yamaha ...

[@Reddsoldier]

I often fantasise about this. What if they'd combined the 16v head for the Slant 4 for the dolly sprint with the turbo that saab developed for it? To my mind that'd have made a Dolly that would've continued to run rings around BMW in the market.

[@Parknest]

I agree with the earlier comments on keeping the cooling system well maintained. The reason the Stag didn't have the Rover V8 was because the car and the engine were being developed long before the formation of BLMC in 1968 by which time too much money had been spent developing the Triumph V8 for it to be scrapped. The late Spen King was told the Rover V8 wouldn't fit and even if it did, BL couldn't manufacture enough engines to put them in Stags. Jezza was being a bit harsh on the Triumph V8. There wasn't really anything fundamentally wrong with it.

[@2000mk1]

@Buro Dackel Parknest is absolutely spot on !!

[@Farmer2492]

@Buro Dackel Its one of the easiest conversions you can do and thats to fit a way way more reliable Rover engine no mods to sump or cross member or suspension as the rover engine is lighter and if you change the diff you can get it doen to 2000 rpm at 100klmh

[@sutherlandA1]

The rover v8 not fitting in the engine bay was a myth so they didn't have to use a competitors engine, same thing happened at jaguar when British leyland suggested fitting the rover v8 in the upcoming xj40 but they deliberately made the engine bay only capable of fitting an inline engine which created headaches when developing the new XJ12

[@RDDHopsing77]

@Klippy Klop After watching "The Triumph Stag Story" video it seems you both are correct to varying degrees. The video gives a good explanation of why the Rover V8 wasn't used. Not straight forward and much of it had little to do with which motor was best. The bloke two houses up from me has a Stag in original condition. Blue with gold side stripes. He takes it for a drive every month or so. Not a very big car but even today looks magnificent. Great design.

[@stevedickson5853]

@Giggitee O'Yeah haven't many Stag owners had all the original Triumph V8 problems soughted out now, and are running so much more reliable, seen loads of vids when this is the case..and they actually sound better in my opinion anyway

[@f4udhorn]

I fixed my Staaaag. I put a small block 302 Ford in it with a 5 speed. 1982. The SBF is narrower than the 350 Chevy and fits much better!

[@mr-wx3lv]

A lot of diy petrol heads did put the rover v8 engine in their staaaaags...

[@1218omaroo]

Beautifully designed, reasonably engineered and poorly built. I loved my Staaaaaag.

[@dickJohnsonpeter]

I. Grandpa ma'am? Mr. Carfenharghen will be 5 mineral late sir.

[@bury_the_elite65294]

"...but it's OK because he's got a STAAAAAG!"

[@bizarroworld3902]

Surely someone has shoehorned a Rover V8 into the Stag in all this time.

[@-M0LE]

bizarro world yes lots of times

[@-M0LE]

bizarro world yes lots of times

[@SabotsLibres]

It's the standard replacement for a clapped out Stag engine...

[@johnburns4017]

Many are taking out the Rover V8 and reinstalling the Triumph engine with all mods installed making it go properly. Third party people knew the faults making mods for it.

[@bombadilian]

Loads of people have done it, but the owners club and long-term owners have long since sorted the issues with the original Triumph V8. Rover V8 conversions aren't worth as much as cars on the original engine either. Some people even had the gall to slide V6 Ford engines in them!

[@jaggass]

some say that this car was a work of art and when the company stuck their own engine in it that was a disaster waiting to happen. all we know is that its called the stag

[@obiwan042]

Subtle

[@johnburns4017]

The engine was rushed not being properly tested.

[@MrDodgedollar]

There were sticking their own engines in all their cars Michael... The Two problems were a rushed into production engine which needed 3000mile oil changes; They assumed 6000miles and ( timing chains) payed the price; The next was ( again down to lack of 100.000km test) airlock cooling system and the lack of appreciation of the need for corrosion inhibitors in the coolant- a Fecking disaster; The engine is a high revving symphony that pulls good, turns heads and gets gestures , shouts and waves that are distracting ( sometimes) .. But an fitting sound to a beautiful car- I know; I own one 🥰

[@jaggass]

@@MrDodgedollar Many people have put Rover V8's in them.

[@MrDodgedollar]

Michael David people did historically, I grant you that, along with Ford V6’s and Triumph straight sixes; I am a member of the owners club BTW and the reverse is happening but the whole engines are very rare and command thousands of pounds to get your hands on one but ; the car value goes up to compensate! The Stories/ rumours/ reputation is very very old News; When I bought mine I poured over the receipts and couldn’t understand why the engine had not been out for repair and the timing chains didn’t rattle (30,000 miles old) but, The oil had been changed about every 500 miles on average, and also the coolant dropped at least once; I bit of over kill but not 6000 miles as it says in the handbook- big Error on Triumph’s part- You will get away with 3000! these V8’s have a lot of internal moving parts ( water pump drive shaft 👀)... For the sake of £50 a time.. it is wise... and they are an occasional car to enjoy if you are sensible

[@thatcheapguy525]

did my apprenticeship on the Staaaaag. put the Rover V8 in it and the car badly understeers, eats diffs and doubles its fuel consumption. the Stag engine was good, it was just built and maintained badly. blue-print it, fit a few aftermarket mods and change the oil regularly and its a goodun. the bit I don't understand is why BL didn't offer two engine options, the Stag V8 and the tried and trusted Triumph 2.5 straight 6. the 6 went on to be re-engineered into the SD1 6 which would have given the car a lift in MK2 form. no issues with the parts either, all standard BL bold-in stuff. the even bigger strange decision is why BL stayed with the Buick V8 when they inherited the Daimler 2.5 & 4.5 V8s through Jaguar. these were very efficient engines and could have been used to ignite all kinds of cars across the BL range.

[@anthonyperkins7556]

When this episode was shown on uktv people, they cut out the bit 'would you like to come back to my place tonight my dear in my staaaaaaaaag, do some rutting'.

[@JohnKerr-bq3vo]

Luved my white Stag....for years...

[@TheTarrMan]

Some time people like to try to make thing's better, most of the time they fail. important thing is to keep trying in till its good and don't sell ONE in-till its perfect.

[@ashtielgreymark5465]

I own a 1974 stag, it is however unlike other stags. its a bit of a Frankenstein's monster. has the engine and transmission out of an old Holden, a 253 v8 (about 4.1L) with a turbo 700 gearbox. they both BARELY fit in it, in fact, there wasn't enough room to wire the reversing lights to go on when you select reverse, instead they are on a switch under the dash. the engine, bigger and more powerful than the original is also much heavier and makes the car front heavy so the rear has a tendency to lift up and overtake the front when braking hard in corners. you will not notice these dangers though, as it is deceptive in how safe it feels, it almost eggs you on to push it just a little harder, lulling you into a false sense of security before it decides it's your time to die. it does not help that the sound the engine makes is intoxicating, many times i have found myself way over the speed limit not realizing how fast i was going because i was too busy listening to the roar of that v8. oh, that 253 v8 that's in it isn't stock standard either. it produces way too much power and way too much torque for such a small and light car, that by the way, has very thin wheels. it frequently chirps its wheels when it changes up into second, (driving it in the rain could kill you if you are not careful) this always results in a startled passenger and/or me giggling like a little child that just heard their parent say a naughty word. this car is like a Venus fly trap to anyone who is unaware of its dangers. it most certainly could be the death of anyone else that drives it. I love my car, and i know that if anyone steals it they will die to it.

[@johnhogg9756]

There was actually nothing wrong with the engine design or cooling…. It was the manufacturing. They left casting sand inside them cos it wasn’t cleaned out properly and casting was poor. And it was always a single head that warped. Once the cooling system was cleaned out and a small mod made to take interior heater feed off both heads instead of one they were very reliable. So it was purely a manufacturing quality control and not a rubbish design. The stag engine was a nice high reving engine too compared to the rover, yes it weighed more which was a downside. Believe they were more economical too. Shame the factories couldn’t produce quality required.. and tbh would have been cool if they produced a 4l sprint headed version 😂

[@MrDodgedollar]

Totally Correct

[@Master_Ed]

Worst time to recommend this, now I can't decide between this and a triumph spitfire

[@TraustiGeir]

If you're a fan of the Marvel movies, it might interest you that a Spitfire was featured in Ant-Man.

[@coldhell3580]

What about the GT6?

[@Petersworld518]

"The spirit in the sky"

[@Flared]

My father had a Stag at 17 years old in the mid-70s (can you imagine the insurance costs for that today!). He still says its one of the best cars he has ever owned/driven and that it was girl magnet... Even if he did have to replace the radiator due to the engine overheating on him several times (there were no uprated radiators back then like they have now). One day I'd like to buy him one exactly the same as his was as a surprise if I can ever afford it.

[@MrDodgedollar]

Flared It was a blocked original radiator due to the casting sand and airlocks left in ( during factory build) - The original radiator specification was fine... or perhaps your dad didn’t make sure the coolant had the right level of antifreeze in the system all year round ( very common back in the day) 😄

[@tomf4547]

Ha, as an 18 year old in 1982 I couldn't believe I could afford the insurance! £240 I think

[@jaggass]

they are a few british owned car makers left. ascari, morgan,,caterham and mcclaren, lister, westfield etc but not mass produced though

[@Redstoneprime316]

michael jagger i think Mclaren and Morgan are the most common ones on that list.

[@twotone3070]

There has been a more recent independent video made about the history of the Stag and it is packed with more more detail, well worth a watch.

[@80sfordman]

Now the sad thing is that LTI (London Taxis International) is now owned by the Chinese (Geely).

[@MilesBellas]

Stag = beautiful, classic design

[@1949bug]

My 1985 Range Rover has one and its got a drink problem but I love it. Superb engine!

[@No.Handle31]

I love the Rover V8 I wish they still made it

[@britbazza3568]

They do still make the Rover V8 it's in Land Rovers, Range Rovers, Jaguars, and Morgan's to name but a few! These engines are all based on that 3.5 Buick engine of the 50s but eco freako warriors who've lobbied the Govt have had I'd surrounded by a load of emissions crap that tends to stifle the engine a fraction. I know I own a Landy V8 !

[@coldhell3580]

@@britbazza3568 they stopped building the Rover V8 in 2006. The new Jags and Range Rovers use the AJV8 engine. I think Morgan are using BMW V8 engines now.

[@britbazza3568]

@@coldhell3580 maybe after 2006 . The Land Rover I own is a Disco 2 4.0 V8 petrol which is still the old Buick V8 made in the 1950s that has just been bored out to a 4.0 from the original 3.5 the only difference being it has a load of fuel emissions rubbish attached

[@coldhell3580]

@@britbazza3568 they were in production for many years, in many capacities and are in many cars. Great engine, great noise. My mates got the 4.0 TVR, lovely engine note.

[@chandra7681]

went back from One For the Road. James really killed the STAAAAG

[@knowbodiesfull5768]

The mechanical issues on that Triumph were STAGgering, weren't they? 🤭. _(5/15/2022)_

[@davidrodgersNJ]

My dad had one, and I lucked into getting it when I was about 19. It drove like a DREAM, but sadly, broke down constantly.

[@listerofsmeg884]

Nooooo, not me Triumph Stag, I've just had it resprayed!

[@maxkennedy2800]

Was about to type the same thing lol, whos Tom Donaldson?

[@listerofsmeg884]

@@maxkennedy2800 just a mate...

[@tanglewood777]

I have a stag with original engine and radiator it never overheats b cause cooling sytem is clean no blokages

[@MrDodgedollar]

ace crusader Hi; About the cooling system; The coolant must be 30%-40% Anti freeze ( additive) To ensure no electrolyte corrosion and keeped top up from the word go so- I have just bought my First Stag , a dream since 1975 when I was 10yo- 1971 car,30k miles from new- ALL ORIGINAL... No engine problems and obviously it is not one that had an aluminium head that was supplied that was altered in the cooling ports ( without informing Triumph) and the car was not neglected ie change oil every 3000 mile and keep coolant topped up - The engine is a short stroke with an unusual vee angle that gives a lovely Free revving characteristic and a particularly beautiful engine note that trumps the buick- The test drive was everything I imagined and better- Regards

[@theoriginaldanalogue]

Now the quirks to the engine are understood, they can be made reliable. It was also concluded that they were in fact properly engineered, just badly put together. Maybe they should have used the 3.5l Rover engine but a well set up Stag engine is pretty sweet. I actually find that it’s smoother and possibly sounds nicer too.

[@frankabels5761]

Today I brought one home. I will see if it was a mistake to buy one. But I drove 45 minutes between 100 and 120 km/h without any problems. And in my opinion the look is breathtaking and the sound of the engine, too. By the way, my stag is a yellow one, like this is shown...

[@unigateman]

I own a stag, and against all advice insisted on buying with the stag engine, the problems with the initial unit was overheating, remember we were in the 70s, and people generally topped the rads up with tap water. today with larger rads and coolants, the stag engine is a reliable unit. BUT clarkson is right the Rover V8 should have been used, not only for reliability but tuning.

[@DavidKiger]

just did my 73 with a crate zz4 tremec 5 sp upgraded brakes suspension ford 9 rear etc. makes the car a very cheap cobra with room for 4

[@doodsydoodsy5370]

I had a 1972 mk 1 stag with a Ford v6 engine fitted back in the day 1986 loved that car Wish I still had it 😪

[@MrDodgedollar]

It would have dropped apart on the motorway under your arse… so count yourself lucky

[@TheExStig]

Way back then my Stag blew a spark plug clean out of its hole. It was threaded (not the plug) and wouldn't screw back in so I superglued it back in, it worked.

[@maowsk4758]

Only one thing to say Triumph Staaag

[@schnabeltier516]

what is the song's name at 2:00 ? thanks

[@Bigngreen]

they done the same thing on Top Gear with the Jaguar, "i have a Jaaaaaag"

[@trident1702]

In my opinion, England made the most exiting cars from the 50's to the mid-70's. If only the quality could have been equal to the japanese models things could have been a lot different. And I would still love to own a Jag!

[@hugogreen4916]

And then the rust ! Almost on par with an Alfa or Lancia of the period

[@deanosaur808]

That explains why so many on still on the road today! Over 6000! 😉

[@melo15no1]

i want one so badly

[@atatexan]

Despite being a yank in a Merc-loving family, I would have picked the 5-speed gorgeous Stag over the R107 350SL - until the engine woes became public.

[@MrDodgedollar]

Charles Cleaver The engine is wonderful; Leyland Triumph rushed development to please North American Dealers ( Who insisted on the V8) ... Triumph didn’t get the chance to do a 100,000KM test and strip- They assumed a 6000mile oil change would do...err..No (Timing chains) - Every 3000 or less is a must!! The cooling system can air lock on filling ( check to make sure it isn’t) and you must use a good corrosion inhibiting coolant- After that - electronic ignition helps to get a beautiful exhaust note and the engine loves pulling thru 4000rpm- not a power plant by today’s standard but well good enough and the sound compensates in spades 💓

[@vancouverman4313]

The front end looks like a Rover 2000 and the rear end looks like a Triumph Spitfire.

[@calibrazxr750]

It is my understanding that the roof was actually like that because of weaknesses in the body and the costs to redesign it would be too high and put back production by a significant amount and BL wanted it on sale asap. One of the main problems with using the Rover V8 was a lack of availability. They couldn't produce enough engines for all the cars that were to have them, Rover P6s, Land Rovers, Range Rovers ect. So Triumph decided to build their own after deciding that the 2.5 straight six from the Triumph 2500 wouldn't be powerful enough to compete with what they viewed as its main rivals. chiefly among which was the Mercedes SL.

[@liamgross7217]

I’ve heard the same, the body twisted. pity I thought the roof looked like a afterthought, an ugly add on.

[@calibrazxr750]

@@liamgross7217 As far as I am aware, the whole "American market regulations" thing he refers to was total tosh. How many American cars of that era had something similar and how many American cars were just normal convertibles? I don't remember the American manufacturers building something to conform to some new legislation. I know there were a few T-tops made, but that was an entirely different concept to this.

[@deanosaur808]

Any car without a roof would need some kind of strengthening.

[@MilesBellas]

0:35 "29 May 2018 · An obscure Chinese firm has taken over London's black cabs. Its next target? Beat Uber at its own game"

[@dillank3240]

It's films like these that encapsule why we love Mr. Clarkson.

[@sparky6086]

The "T-Bar" arrangement wasn't for safety specifically, it was to make the Stag more rigid, because the car, which it was based on wasn't meant to be a convertible.

[@MrDodgedollar]

Sparky True; I have taken the T- Bar off but the car does sag and you have to jack the car to refit

[@DamiensTrainsandTravels]

0:46 All we know is it's called The Stig

[@slayersdeath]

best thing you can do better rad and waterless coolant and they run perfect

[@farnthboy]

Had a serious look at buying a Stag back in the early eighties in Sydney but could only find autos - I wanted a manual & they all looked a bit tired. A mate pointed me in the direction of a rare XR Ford Falcon GT which was for sale & ended up buying it. From what I have hear about the stag I think I dodged a bullet but they are a great looking car.

[@bigraymie]

A resolution perfect for your... Watch.

[@deanosaur808]

Fair use quality! BBC wanted you to watch on the official top gear channel or buy the dvd 😉

[@sutherlandA1]

Actually the T bar roof was there to brace the chassis as the saloon based platform weakened when the roof was removed. Jeremy was quite harsh on the engine, despite its reliability issues from cost cutting and rushed development it had it's virtues: overhead cams, alloy heads (which were fragile) but by far the best feature was it's exhaust noise

[@70Kenny]

Clarkson's wrong about the Triumph V8. The cooling system issue can be remedied with an aftermarket radiator, changing the location of the coolant temperature sending unit to a point common to both sides of the engine and frequent coolant flushes. Changing the timing chains at regular mileage intervals is also important. So the Triumph V8 is not "useless." It's just "higher maintenance." And to me that's a small price to pay for the beautiful exhaust sound this engine makes!

[@Rentta]

70Kenny Nope you don't need new radiator you just need to rebuild engine properly.

[@simonlilley]

+70Kenny A while back they did a Stag on Wheeler Dealers. In that they went to a specialist who had solved the overheating issue and fitted it in the car they were working on. It has to be said though that the Rover V8 would have been the better choice from the off. Compact enough to slip into an MGB engine bay and bags of power.

[@MichaelFearnleyBass]

No, it was and still is a terrible engine that constantly blew its gasket, destroyed itself when the timing chain slipped constantly and overheated constantly. A Rover V8 would have sounded just as good through the Stag's exhaust, if not better and would have propelled the car to popularity with ease. It was the horror stories about the engine that really killed the Stag's sales which combined with the fact that the average Triumph dealer only sold a few of the things a year, made knowledge of how to fix these faults hard to come by. Not only did the Stag ruin itself, but it also seriously harmed the Spitfire Mk4. Just looking at the Mk4 Spit in comparison to the Mk3 shows how Triumph were determined to bring the successful Spitfire into line with the Stag. In addition to this, the bearings in the Mk4 FK Spitfire engines were made larger, weaker and more lossy to lower parts bin costs. This resulted in the engine revving sluggishly and overdrive becoming mandatory for motorway driving, while the greater friction losses reduced the power from 68 DIN hp to 63. To compensate for the peak in the rpm/power curve of the engine being pulled down by this, Triumph decided to increase the differential ratio of the Mk4 Spitfire, which brought the top speed down from 100mph to 90mph as well as adding on another 1.5 seconds to the 0-60 time. All of these problems were made worse in the Spitfire 1500... Truly dreadful.

[@peterdrake8392]

Magic Monty someone has read their brochures and magazines assiduously...... I owned a Stag for around 6 years and the only issues I had was the overdrive solenoid and a lead coming off the fuel pump. Engine completely standard apart from a direct replacement K and N filter, rest of car stock apart from polybushed suspension and modern gas dampers. No overheating, cam chains slipping or anything else. People who don't know often overlook the fact that the stock Rover V8 was a Buick cast off and in itself was not the most reliable bit of kit. It wouldn't run over 5200 rpm without mods which with the stock Stag box would give around 100 mph......the Spitfire 1500 had bearing problems but that has got very little to do with the Stag. The same motor went under the bonnet of the Midget, BL just wanted a bigger motor that was cleaner than the old A series and nothing to do with trying to make the Stag a success.

[@richardleigh8955]

Magic Monty

[@pushbikeman]

Back in 1972 i bought as SPITFIRE but i really wanted a STAG now i still want one. Im a sucker for LOVE

[@planetdisco4821]

Aussie here. I owned a triumph 2600. It handled like a slug, accelerated like a turnip and overheated when it got over 22 degrees Celsius. Which is the middle of winter here. Biggest lemon I’ve ever owned. Never again!

[@LaurieWilliams-lk8fc]

Adelaide Aussie boy here. Did you mean 2500? Carburettor one? Which year? My first car was a 1971 2500 PI, with the Lucas mechanical injection system. A bit noisy but went like a little rocket. Handled well enough even with fundamentally bad semi-trailing arm rear suspension (which the arrogant southern Germans at BMW persisted with for years and the dills at Holden proudly introduced years later as their first "independent rear suspension" - with crooked wheels and rapidly worn tyres). Sometimes in damp weather (no dust) ran it with intake filter off, glorious roar with 6 separate intakes. Brakes were a bit weak but never badly lacking. Never overheated, even with old radiator, even in hottest Adelaide summer weather (over 40°C). Coolant level never changed. Good fun reliable car. Still miss it sometimes.

[@triumphstagdriver]

Yeah, but Triumph was split up in the 1936, the car division was bought by Standard in 1939 after it went bankrupt. Basically since those days Truimph Motorcycles has had nothing to do with Standard Triumph, Leyland or BL - the makers of the cars we see here

[@boktorinator693]

2:44 is what you're here for

[@triumphstagdriver]

@derrotkreig Leyland Motor Company merged with BMH in 1968 to create BL. Development of the Stag by Triumph started before the merger in 1965. By 1968 Triumph was already well underway developing their V8. To throw that all away would be frowned upon by the bean counters. Similar issue in regards to the RV8. Before Webster was moved to Austin Morris, the TV8 was fine. Harry had authority on parts used. Spen King didn't so the bean counters had their way = cheap gaskets = you know the rest

[@WhuDhat]

Why is this the second time I've heard about this car this week but previously was completely ignorant of its existence And Staaaaaaggg

[@pyrotechnick420]

when you're driving your STAAAAAAG and you see someone driving a JAAAAAAG

[@EccentricRichard]

@EXTREME4YEARSTOCOME - Rover P6? Reliable, well-built, pioneering in the field of safety, fantastic handling, and THAT V8...

[@MartinBettler]

A video from a time where one could only say that this is first a black and then a yellow car somewhere outdoor and recognize Clarkson only by his voice.

[@sixmagpies]

I remember the porous block. Dumped in a can of some 'stuff' and it worked! And great as a teenager then.....could get one of these for a couple of hundred and just fix it.

[@johndrake2729]

A lovely caaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrr. (mocking Withers' song) Seriously, a very lovely car.

[@ThomasKlausen]

From what DVD are these episodes from?

[@jamiemurray4129]

Go with a blended hypothesis of labor and weak government. Loved the car from the opening of Diamonds are Forever. Then I met an Italian named Alfa.

[@Haffschlappe]

The best car BL ever made was the fantastic Princess 2200 HLS!

[@p28-e7j]

The sound....omg!

[@EccentricRichard]

Licensing agreements had nothing to do with it - GM wouldn't have known what a sports car was back then! Remember, their smallest car was about the size of a BMW 5-series, while the big Cadillacs were about the size of Mars. The real reason was that Harry Webster, in a fit of tribalism, claimed that the BRV8 would not fit in the Stag: the V8 had been under development since before the merger with Rover and he could not accept that his company's hated (and now in-house) rival had a better engine.

[@lewis72]

Best BL car? I'd suggest the V12 XJ-S.

[@coldhell3580]

The XJ-s isn’t really a BL car. It was designed before Jag became part of BL. Granted the early ones (the pre-he models) were built under BL, but in the early 80’s Jag went back to independence. The majority of XJS’s were built under an independent Jaguar and Ford owned Jaguar.

[@lewis72]

@@coldhell3580 Anything to back up that statement ?

[@coldhell3580]

@@lewis72 well, there isn’t enough room on here to go through everything. However, the project that led to the XJS was started in 1966. It was designed by Malcolm Sayer, the man that had designed many of Jaguar’s cars, including the e-type. The V12 engine was developed in the 1960’s for the XJ13 race car. Jaguar gained partial independence from BL in 1981 and full independence in 1984. Ford brought Jaguar in 1989. If you want more info just search the web for XJS history and Jaguar history. Or for the general history of Jaguar there’s the book ‘The Jaguar File’.

[@lewis72]

@@coldhell3580 I know all of that. Jaguar was under BLMC later known as BL from 1968 to 1986. Considering that the XJ-S didn't go into production until 1975, I very much doubt it was a finished project at 1968 and they just twiddled their thumbs for 7 years until it went into production. The XJ-S was still very much a BL car.

[@lewis72]

Using your arguments, the Triumph Stag wasn't a BL car either. That was launched 5 years before the XJ-S and was based on a shortened Mk1 Triumph 2000 bodyshell, which was pre-BL.