Triumph in the 1970s - The Beginning of the End for Britain's BMW 

I love Triumphs…they were a cut above, but underrated now in my view

As an American of distant British ancestry, I am pleased to see a young man of the 'Mad Dogs and Englishmen' variety who can afford to and do follow their enthusiasms. I am very glad to follow your journey.

Back in the 80s I was a big Triumph fan, I had maybe a dozen sprints, 5 1850s, a 1500, a 2500S manual in yellow with webasto roof , a couple of TR7s, The sprint was a truly great car, the early road tests had them at 0-60 in 8.3 and 115 top speed. Originally they were going to be the Dolomite 135 ( but production tolerances couldn’t guarantee that and they were setting themselves up for trouble if anyone dynoed their new sprint) so they settled on 127 bhp. I easily tuned one of mine to 160bhp with a cam and some other mods but kept the standard manifold. ( which was quite restrictive). My mates had escorts, a couple had droop snoot RS2000 and the sprints were definitely quicker, not by much but switching the overdrive on to 2nd ( dead easy ) meant you could get well in to 60s in 2nd gear. I never had a head gasket fail, and it’s an easy job by modern standards anyway but on the 1850s and TR7s the heads could be almost impossible to get off, and Stags, not so the sprint because the studs were under the rocker cover and didn’t corrode in. I fitted a sprint engine to a TR7, change of sump, used the TR7 adaptor plate to retain the 5 speed, a tubular manifold and big pipe, and that was the car that Triumph should have released from day 1. It would have been a roar away success. Incredibly fast, much faster than a sprint, in the 7s to 60. Wheel spins in 2nd. It would have wiped out the opposition on performance. Instead they fitted a 2 litre version of the dolly engine with 105 BHP. and the crappy weak 4 speed box from the Marina I believe , the sprint version was easily 150 BHP and in that little shell it was amazing. The 2500s was a bit ponderous to be honest, but a lovely thing to drive, but better as an auto than a manual, it didn’t feel right as a manual. RIP Triumph, BL had some great cars, Fords were not innovative, cast iron engines, rear wheel drive, plastic everywhere but they won out in the end on marketing and image. I had a Maxi, it was truly a Tardis, it could swallow an astonishing amount of stuff, reliable and smooth. From mis management and infighting to low calibre line workers ( my mate worked on the SD1 line, he said the quality was rubbish and the blokes did an awful job) and militant unions ,BL was doomed. It should have been allowed to go to the wall and let economics dictate the result. But what government is going to see so many jobless and all the associated supply line companies fold.

I've had a number of Big Triumphs in my time and fortunately still have my Dad's 1973 2.5PI estate he had new and a 1977 2.5S I bought some 20 years ago. With a bosch pump the PI runs really well.

Triumph cars really was THE thing to go for in the beginning of the 70’s. It really changed rather quick.

Triumph had that glorious couple of decades, the 60s and 70s, when it progressed from the staid and frumpy Standards and then produced some of the most attractive cars which sadly got ruined and then discontinued by the wretched BL.I remember the brochures for the Mk 1 2000 and 1300: glossy and beautifully produced. Just to look at them would have made you want to buy - even the luggage area of the 2000 estate emphasized how luxurious it was compared with the competition!

What a magnificent tour through the Triumph range. Thanks Ed this was entertaining and informative! I do love a walnut dash. Modern interiors are so dull !

Thanks Ed, a special year for me as we got married in 76 and as a young petrol head, although I loved the look of the Dolomites Sprint I was so into my performance Fords by then and planning our honeymoon in our (third) Ford Capri Ghia at that time I tended to consider the Triumph range as “parents-type-cars”.

I went to the local farm shop today in my Dolomite 1850 HL and couldn't get away for 45 mins because of the attention it was getting. Fascinating look at the brochures..I only have the later Dolomite range brochure that you showed us. Brilliant video yet again, thank you.

I will never forget a Dolomite Sprint beating me off the lights in my 2.0 litre Injection Sierra and it was a proper old geeza driving it!! 😃 I love the Sprints and wished I had bought one years ago.

That Leyland all model brochure was for the Motor Show (that's where I got the one I have) so will probably be 77 model year. I suspect the other one is earlier 76.

I've been fortunate to own 3 Triumphs, a 12/50 Herald and 13/60 Herald and a Spitfire 1500. Loved them all, but they weren't great to be fair. But I do remember being a kid and my Dad telling me that Triumphs were special cars and better than the crap that was around at the time. Still hold a place in my heart for Triumph.

Love Triumph cars at the time having a 1300, Dolomite , 2000 Mk.2 and 2500TC. Great cars in the day later changing to BMW E12 520, E24 633CSI and E28 528IASE. I then moved to Jaguars XJ6s including a Daimler Sovereign Coupe and XJS first type and later XJS HE. I still have very fond memories of the Triumphs and it's a great shame they weren't developed further under Leyland.

Another brilliantly researched and explained car brochure...1976 was a special year for myself as it was the year i left school (so we got a red hot summer of 76!) and it was the year i started work as an apprentice car body repairer at "Kenning`s motor group" in Rotherham, which until it`s close in 1983 was a main Austin/Rover dealership, having worked on all models and despite being far from perfect BL cars were certainly as good if not better than many of their competition, BL haters will always disagree with this statement...but my interest in the brand continues...

Ik ben in de British leyland tijd opgegroeid mijn vader had garage van dit merk was echt en mooie tijd heb zelf nog geklust was toen tussn mn 11e en 18 jaar

Had a Dolomite in the 80's and my main memory of it was the pin that came through the release button on the handbrake and into my thumb!

I loved the 'All Systems Go' warning light cluster. I built one into a full dashboard of a Mini 1275GT.

Thanks Ed for another superbly presented video. It's a treat for me as the pictures of the 2500s parked next to a British Airways BAC 1-11 are to die for. These aircraft were proudly built as the last of Britain's passenger aircraft and this one in particular Golf Bravo Bravo Mike Echo was a long range version. So you've successfully combine two of my interests. I had a 2000 and 2 Spitfires and Triumph were great cars. Thank you so much

- follow you for metro content primarily, but always good to lean about other cars - don’t know a huge amount about about triumph

Very interesting and well presented, Ed. You pack a lot of information and items of interest into these exquisitely researched videos. It is sad that Triumph was neglected the way it was. The TR-6 was always a favourite of mine. The Dolomite Sprint is just beautiful. There was so much tossed on the midden by inept management it is a wonder the companies lasted as long as they did.

My first car after passing my test in 2003 was a rough Dolly Sprint, I miss that car and know ill never afford another 😢.

Great video. My first car was a 1980 Dolomite 1500HL in vomit yellow (or sandglow). I also have somewhere the "The Dolomites - One of Europe's Great Ranges" brochure that it features in.

Good evening from Surfers, Australia all. After an MGB & Midget MkIII, I planned buying Triumph saloons. Then they became Hondas. Very few Triumphs live close to the Pacific Ocean. I did pass a Triumph club drive out west recently. My dream garage has space for a mustard yellow, black vinyl roof. 2.0 Dolomite Sprint. With Rostyles please.

A friend has a TR6, and another friend had a GT6 in high school, so I’m familiar with the brand. I’m just happy that a very Anglo-centric fellow in one of the first post-industrial societies can still be so chipper. That gives me hope in the declining states of America.

There's the Leyland plughole symbol and there's those gorgeous Triumphs circling it 😥

When I used to walk to and from school in the mid 70's along a busy road the Triumphs always used to stand out as they went past with their distinctive looks and sporty performance, lots of their own character. A sad loss but that's the story of so many motor car brands in the UK, while European and Japanese cars went from strength to strength at the time. Don't know why - not enough pride and confidence probably. Trouble is mass production did not allow for better craftsmanship which is where English manufacturing excelled I think. Having time to do a good job on your work rather than small minded "time is money" attitudes that prevailed. How those cars may have progressed who knows, with the right mindset and vision behind them. Now we can only look back and wonder. Trouble is yesterday's old designs become sought after gems in later years when present day uniformity becomes a bore. Interesting stuff.👍

That's a fair summary of the situation in the mid-70s... remember that British Leyland had been nationalised in 1975 and become BL / Leyland cars, so all brands had to be reviewed and rationalised as part of the survival plan. In the early 70s it made sense for Triumph to have two ranges of car... simpler sensible cars with a bit of technical interest for second cars, budget motorists or older buyers, and more dynamic stylish cars for aspirational or sporting drivers. Therefore the Herald was supposed to be replaced by the Toledo, and the Vitesse by the Dolomite. The FWD 1300 morphed into the cheaper, modernised but simplified 1500 (SC), and the 2000 had a more basic interiior and steering wheel and exterior trim than the 2500 Injection. This was the era of the "Sports Saloon" and "Executive Express". The Capri and Manta added to the mix with "Sports Coupes", however Triumph dropped their GT6 as part of the 1973 range revisions... they probably used the production capacity for more Spitfires after the oil crisis.... Later the FWD 1500 was dropped because it competed with Leyland's new FWD 1500 / 1750 OHC Allegro, so Triumph fitted the new Spitfire 1500 TC engine and gearbox into the bodyshell and gave it a conventional back axle, hence the sporty but understated (and uninspiring) 1500TC. The 1976 Dolomite and 2000/2500 range revisions made perfect sense in terms of production and marketing, and did a good job until all the old bodystyles and engines faded away through the end of the 70s.

The recurring theme of the entire British Motor Industry was "When it was finally released, it was a X, Year old style" You cannot let project scope push the release date out! I think that was a key problem with the industry. I really think Triumph had some of the best products sold in the US market.

My father had a Vreg 1850 Dolly in red. It was lovely looking on Sprint wheels and the interior could have graced a Jag. When it went into a body shop for crash repair he was given a courtesy car he couldn't drive beacase it was a manual so I had to chauffeur him about. The car was an Acclaim HLS. The looks inside and out were terrible but within 1/4 mile I was a fan. What a great engine/gearbox and the steering, light and responsive. On that basis he bought a Rover 213 auto which was slow with the slushbox and a Honda Civic saloon which had torque converter lock-up and was 4 speed. Good car that one. BTW the Acclaim was a best seller and had the fewest warranty claims of any BMC/BL car. Like the 213 the build quality was bullet-proof despite being built at Longbridge.

Really interesting video. Thanks for taking the time to produce it.

Good video Ed. You correctly say that the Triumph look of that period was instantly recognisable. We need a modern equivalent of the 2500S, with a modern gearbox and fuel efficiency.

Ed Ed Ed. you've almost ripped my heart out this time. in 1976 I started senior school. 5 years later I'd be working on these cars. and yes, I was endlessly confused by the 1300/Tollybox/1500/Doggymite - thats what we called them back then. ok, the Dolomite twin lights gave it away but the others were a case of "I wonder if it's that strange front wheel drive thing again?" maybe BL deliberately confused everyone into buying something cheaper/more expensive than they wanted too - help - I'm getting confused again. although a technical masterpiece, I wasn't a fan of the Sprint engine, it was a tricky thing to set up and when they came in from time to time they were in a terrible state. the Spitfire was a real cutie as was the GT6 and it was sad to see it axed in favour of the Midget & B (its platform was ancient by that time) though of course the trusty Triumph engine lived on in the last incarnation of the Midget. the really sad thing is that Standard Triumph really only needed a financial life-line like so many European manufacturers did in the late 60s. in a parrallel universe Triumph would have sourced the money and progressively become the dominant force in the British car industry. the marque ending its life on the Austin-Morris-Triumph-Rover-Marmite TR7 and HondaTriumph Acclaim are an insult and travesty.

The Cheapo Toledo was not to replace the 1300 &TC but the Herald &13/60 ,good video & from a time served Triumph mechanic& lifelong emthusiast enthusiast

Criminal that the strongest most cohesive brand in BL was dropped !

Another racking video Ed once again clearly showing the madness of the British car industry leadership. The Toledo had a shorter body than the Dolomite but was the same width and height. I wasn't sure of my memory until I compared at the dimensions in the text near the end as although I was a kid at the time I remember the Toledo being smaller. I had a Dolly 1500 HL that outwardly was the same as the 1800 HL but without the front spoiler and the tinted windows but it was a great car until the dreaded metal moth did its worst. Many thanks for sharing and keep up the great work.

As a long time fan of almost all things Triumph I can say this is another great video. Thanks Ed 😆

Danke für diese alte Prospekte aus den siebziger Jahren. Gruss aus Bremen Germany

Hi Ed from Sydney, Australia. I'm now almost 70, I was a doctor & my girlfriend/partner a nurse. originally, I had a 4.2 litre 1965 Jag MK10 & Victoria a 1965 Triumph 2000 sedan. About the same time, we both updated our cars. I'd bought a rare & late built 1974 Series One long wheelbase Jaguar xj6, Tory bought a 1975 Stag. Sadly, her Stag's engine died. On the northern beaches at Brookvale in Sydney there was a Triumph wrecker. We bought an engine from a 2500 TC sedan that had been hit in the rear by a government bus, her dad, my just retired engineer grandad and I worked all day and part night on a Saturday, then Sunday & by lunchtime Sunday we had 6cyl Stag that was running and drivable. There were bolt holes etc so the 6cyl engine fitted perfectly in the V8's engine bay, PLUS the 6cyl was endlessly reliable, Triumph should have just made a second offering with the 6cyl in it. At the same time Mercedes SL's of the era, could be bought with a 6 cyl or a host of v8's to keep everyone happy, BL-TRIUMPH could easily have done this too. I really liked my high output bronze head MK10 better than the LWB XJ6, so some years later I sold the LWB XJ6 as I'd replaced it with a low mileage one owner 1967 model 420G/mk10 in the identical cream paint & maroon Ox-blood leather seats as my '65 4.2 mk10. Tory sold her Stag in 2009 after 32 years ownership, I'm still driving my 2nd mk10/420G now in March 2024. Ed , you state the engine sound, I really, really like the Jag's sound, the drone from its factory stainless steel "Neva Russ" exhaust, it sounds like a malicious, angry Ferrari or Maserati is just about to attack, people look shocked when they see a demure looking giant cream Jag, the drone under power is still fun even when you are almost 70. The bronze head high performance 4.2 litre XK engine from Jag's race dept' make for a genuine 340 hp car. These were just THE BEST YEARS of British car manufacture/design, then sadly with the BL mess, it was all swallowed up and all over, how so very sad. Just think also at the same general period, British engineering at its very best had given us the Avro Vulcan, The Hawker Harrier jump jet, the 10 British Concordes, and Vickers VC10 & all of them are superb & beyond belief, one wonders what happened.

Well done, Ed. Another fine Video @ TWIN CAM.

Awesome job, informative and fun👍🏾

What a great range of colours the Triumphs were available in!

The pictures in the brochures remind me so much of photography books from the period.

Great analysis as usual

I love being a Triumph Dolomite Sprint!! XD ...serious note though, I've owned my old '76 Dolly Sprint since 2006 when I got my learner permit, (so about 17-18 years) and after a bit of a hiatus, just got her back on the road. One of the most fun cars I've ever driven, peak power is made 500-750 RPM off redline, and the 16v single cam exhaust note is second to none imho. Thanks for the upload!

Brilliant run-through Ed. Brings back memories of my Dad’s old Triumph 2000 mk1. I got crazily excited as a little lad when he turned up in that, after a Riley Elf!

I admire your dedication to British cars especially the triumph range undoubtedly my favourite brand ever since i was a kid ( im 57 now) remember these cars on the road would go into showrooms just to get the brochures of BL cars , remember cutting out the pictures of this very brochure to put up on my wall! Magical moments, the stag is my favourite car of all time!

Great review.... I love the Brochures....So many memories.... Thank you for all your research...Roger...Pembrokeshire.

I had a 1975 Dolomite 1300 in that same powder blue - quality bit of kit from what I recall

I've got a soft spot for Triumphs; my grandad had a 1300, in grey, with dark red seats and a walnut dash - which he then gave to my dad. I remember being upset when he eventually let it go. And a friend of my parents had a red TR7.......It just oozed 'cool'.

Great video Ed. Great insight into the end of one of Britains best marques. But I think it goes deeper than that as I feel the killing off Triumph marked the end for the BL/Rover Group as Triumph along with Jaguar and Land Rover were the only brands that had any real level of sales outside the UK. As the world became more globally focussed car companies had to be genuine global players and not rely on domestic marketsand BL were about to kill off one of it's best global brands and leave only the poor quality badge only Triumph the TR7.

I still have a Sprint - owned it 25 years, it was Triumph MCP car originally. Built in late 1979, Carmine. Juts got it back on the road.

I had a Triumph 1500HL and it was a brilliant car so comfy and refined inside .... Sold it to my next door neighbour in 1982 to buy a MK1 Granada Ghia Saloon

I never owned a Triumph but I did own a 1989 model SAAB 900 two door saloon which had the Dolomite slant four cylinder engine. SAAB were smart to use it because it was a good engine.

A very well thought out and presented video, Ed. I always liked the Dolomite Sprint, but the 2500 sounds so amazing!

It's about time we brought triumph cars back

Back in the 80’s and 90’s I loved to ride in anything British Leyland, basically because they were a bit different and Triumph cars were no different, I loved the Dolomites and the Toledo with their Bass exhaust note. For me cars back then were identifiable before you’d even seen what it was making that sound, and that’s another thing I liked about Triumph’s, their sound, their looks and character. Great well researched vid Edd, thanks again.👍

Great info and presentation as always

Nice to come across a Triumph lover,however I have to admit ( even though it was my favourite car ), I owned a 1850 HL DOLOMITE, in 1978,& as a 19 year old idiot show off driver,I snapped the back axle attempting to do a ‘Burn-Out’ it then stood on my parents drive waiting on parts,along came a very severe early October freeze & yes,you guessed it,no anti freeze,cracked block & Dead.What a Clown I was!….I loved that little car😢🚙

Like this very much , go on friend !

Great lineup from Triumph…Dolomite,Stag,2500…not TR7!😂

As a boy, I loved Triumphs, especially the Spitfire, TR7 and Dolomite. They were a bit pricey for us, though. My father, being a car mechanic working on British cars and Volkswagen Beetles, he was adament. No British cars in the family. Too unreliable. He drove a Beetle (and blew up an engine in one, haha. But he also blew one up in a 1963 Sunbeam)

I have a TR6 for the last 25 years. Super car to drive.

The Toledo looked well equipped for the time with it's front seat head restraints.

British Leyland did the same 'killing off of brands' in the bus world. The AEC Reliance and Bristol RE had considerable customer loyalty, but Leyland tried to push customers into buying what it wanted to supply.

I had 4 Dolomites not at the same time lol, a 1300 in Vermillion Red (Orange great colour) 1500 HL in Russet (dog s**t) Brown, and two 1850 HL's one in French Blue the other on Mimosa Yellow. sadly I never had a Sprint, but did drive a mates once. Great cars, mid sized with very nice interior fittings. Dad had owned a couple when I was a kid...great memories thanks for the video Ed. If you are ever Banbury way and want to try my XJS just message buddy. All the best Jezza

They were good cars in their day. My Dad had a Mk1 2500 Pi. Got it new in 1969 and drove it until 1985, at which point rust got the better of it and it was replaced with a Rover Sterling 825i V6.

These cars were indeed being put on the chopping block when I was a young kid. I was just about old enough to think, maybe we might have a Toledo as our next family car. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder…personally I’m not a fan of the styling….with the exception of the Stag-roof down…why this brochure only shows it with the hard top and soft top up is completely bizarre. But that doesn’t take away from the efforts involved in attempting to modernise, the 16v engine etc.

brilliant ed

I always love when you go through these old brochures. Those were some lovely cars, particularly the 2000 and the Stag, but given the year I'm surprised the TR7 doesn't take pride of place in it, but you explained that well. And yes the cover is very dull and kinda reflects a brand that's on its last legs rather than a premium brand.

Much better looking and nicer interior than any BMW in my opinion. Georgous cars.

It pains me to review how so much of the British Motor Industry was killed off by incompetent executive management.

An alternative Triumph history that might have worked?; The SD1 is still launched, but with the fastback models we know and love in that same form, but badged as Triumphs. Same swoopy hatchback and futuristic interior, but with the option of the Stag V8, Triumph six cylinder engines, and Dolomite Sprint four cylinder motors (with issues developed out). This would leave room above it in the range for a saloon version with a more traditional front end and a wooden dash badged as a Rover, as a six cylinder and V8 engined variant. One car, more variants, hopefully more sales, and Triumph positioned as a sporty brand, Rover as more of a luxury one.

I had a 1985 Dolomite 1850 in 1977, drove colleagues' Dolomite Sprints in the 70s, and bought an '85-model BMW 318i in 1984. Considering nearly 10 years between them, I'd say the Dolomite 1850 and 318i were very comparable. Looking around, engine efficiency aside, I'm not sure we have made much progress in terms of motoring enjoyment since the E30 BMW, especially with the M-Sport suspension. To put that into more perspective, I later had a 2001 325ti from new, collected, like my 318i, from the factory.

I used to own a Dolomite Sprint. It was a fantastic car!

Thank you for sharing BL’s funeral brochure for one of their most valuable brands and a case study in why governments shouldn’t run businesses.

The 2000 estate is quite remarkable, good sized windows, an estate back that doesn’t look nailed on and a useful load space. Most modern estates are just overblown hatchbacks. Try putting a 3ft square box in the back of say a V90 or Merc E, can’t be done.. but the 2000, oh yes!

In Australia they were only in yellow. Lovely car.

My mum took her driving test in a Dolomite in 1977.

For me this is another point where BL went wrong, they should have had triumph going after the sports executive market and the rover after the comfort luxury market, think of it as your rover should be for the Mercedes side of the market and the triumph for the bmw side. That way the Germans would have been cornered

"Correct cylinder count". Agree 100%

The Triumph Dolomite and BMW 2002 were both designed by Giovanni Michelotti. We can see the similar fascia.

Somebody should reintroduce the 1800 Dolomite but it was a beautiful to look at car, and still is.

I need a triumph 2500 S Estate in my life

Great video, Ed. It only now occur to me that Triumph didn't offer any metallic paint options at all, pretty weird, right? 🤔

Veri gud vid 💯💥🎉😊

Loved Triumphs. The 2500pi was by far the best in my opinion. I think fuel injection was just not understood and old days fuel not optimised to fuel injection.

I miss my 2500S.

The 'Beginning of the End' for Triumph came when Sir John Black sold the company to Standard Motors.

Ed, my memory differs from your story... and Wikipedia and even ARonline! I recall the introduction of the 1500TC, inexplicably RWD, which ran ALONGSIDE the FWD 1500 for some time. The Toledo came later, and the RWD cars were built in a different factory. Having little faith in my memory, I shall investigate further...

The Triumph Dolomite always appeared to be more upmarket than the Morris Marina.

According to the map in the Dolomite brochure (1:42 onwards) the Dolomites moved in the 1970s, to either Austria or Czechoslovakia (can't quite tell which).

मैले जहिले पनि ५० वर्षको अन्त्यतिरको जगुआर एमके २ सैलुन राम्रो देखिने कार हो भन्ने सोचेको थिएँ

In 1975, my dad bought a new P6 Rover 3500 S with all the extra's ..... Monza Red it was, and included all leather recaro's, stereo radio/cassette, front fogs and dunlop denovo wheels/tyres .... I remember at the time he had the brochure, and it was so detailed and even had a workshop manual with it .... I remember him saying at the time, it was a much better car than the Triumph, Volvo, Saab, Granada, Audi and the Peugeot ....

I had a Dolomite (not Sprint) and loved its looks and equipment, but the reliability was horrible, and the garages for british cars in Belgium not much better. After 3 years, my patience was gone and I sold it. Had a BMW 1602 after that, and it was a revelation...

I grew up opposite a British Leyland dealership and i was born in 1976.

Saab used the dolomite engine in their cars, built under licence.

The most important thing for any business is Advertising "pushing" the product no matter what the product is. With enough marketing you can even end up with the worst president in history. Thanks to Ed for his time, work, knowledge and posting......

My 1977 dolomite sprint was my all time favourite car boy would it go back in the day. 2nd owner big mistake selling it for pennies.

The brand identity is gone from car design now. Other than perhaps a similar grille, I feel that design has become so anonymous that, I for one, can't differentiate one brand from another. Triumph did a fantastic job in this respect, you knew who had made all their cars. I guess I sound like my ol' dad, 'they don't make' em like they used to boy". He wasn't entirely wrong though.

Yes in 76 I went to the motor show earls court and I think that was the year they BL had all their cars in silver Triumph dolomites stag 2000 and MGs and Morris Itel all in silver to show there parents BL ?