Triumph Dolomite
Encyclopedia
The Triumph Dolomite was a popular small saloon car produced by the Triumph Motor Company
division of the British Leyland Corporation in Canley
, Coventry
between October 1972 and August 1980.
. Designed to be a replacement for the rear-wheel drive Triumph Herald
,
the 1300 was originally fitted with a 1296 cc engine and front-wheel drive
. The later model, introduced in September 1970 as the Triumph 1500
, featured a remodelled front and rear, styled by Michelotti, and a larger 1493 cc engine.
Triumph were however dissatisfied with the market performance of the 1300; although successful, the higher price and greater complexity meant sales never reached the levels of its predecessor, the simpler and cheaper Herald. To this end the car was comprehensively re-engineered to be cheaper and simpler to build and maintain; launched in September 1970, was the Triumph Toledo
, a cheaper and more basic variant with conventional rear-wheel drive. This was assembled alongside the now larger-engined front-wheel drive version. It was launched at the same time as the 1500, adding further complexity to the model range.
, and also for the 6-cylinder Triumph Vitesse
, a sporting relative of the Herald, the Triumph Dolomite was presented at the London Motor Show in October 1971. However due to a number of strikes and other industrial upsets, the car was not reported to be in full production until October 1972. The name "Dolomite" had been used by Triumph for a range of models prior to the Second World War and this name was revived for the new car. The car used the longer bodyshell of the front wheel drive Triumph 1500
, but with the majority of the running gear carried over from the rear-wheel drive Triumph Toledo
.
Initially, the only version available used the new slant-four 1854 cc engine, which mated an alloy OHC head to an iron block, providing 91 bhp which offered sprightly performance. This was a version of the engine that the company was already providing to Saab
for use in their 99
model.
The car was aimed at the then-new compact performance-luxury sector, vying for sales against cars such as the BMW 2002 and Ford Cortina
GXL, and was offered with a high level of standard equipment, including twin headlamps, a clock, full instrumentation, luxury seats and carpets, a heated rear window, and a cigar lighter. Styling was similar to the Triumph 1500, with some updates such as a black painted rear panel, Vinyl D-posts, and new wheel trims. The car was capable of 100 mph (160.9 km/h), with 60 mph (96.6 km/h) coming up in just over 11 seconds. An overdrive
gearbox was soon made optional, offering relaxed motorway cruising and improved fuel economy, and there was also an optional automatic transmission
.
A team of engineers led by Spen King developed a 16-valve cylinder head
with all of the valves being actuated using a single camshaft
rather than the more normal DOHC arrangement. The capacity was also increased to 1998 cc, and combined with bigger carburettors the output was upped to 127 bhp. This represented a significant increase over the smaller 1850cc variant, however it fell short of the original target of 135 bhp.
Despite BL engineers being able to extract a reliable 150 bhp from test engines, the production line was unable to reliably build the engines to the same level of quality, with production outputs being in the region of 125 bhp to 130 bhp. This led to the original model designation, the Dolomite 135, being replaced at short notice with the Sprint name.
As a result of this new engine the Dolomite Sprint has a claim to be the world's first truly mass-produced multi-valve
car, and the design of the cylinder head won a British Design Council
award in 1974.
Performance was excellent, with 0–60 mph taking around 8.4 seconds, with a maximum speed of 119 mph (192 km/h). Trim was similar to the 1850, with the addition of standard alloy wheels (another first for a British production car), a vinyl roof
, front spoiler, twin exhausts and lowered suspension. By now seats were in cloth on the 1850, and these were also fitted to the Sprint.
Due to the increase in power brought by the new engine, the rest of the driveline was upgraded to be able to withstand the extra torque. The gearbox and differential were replaced by a version of those fitted to the TR and 2000 series cars, albeit with a close ratio gearset in the gearbox. The brakes were upgraded, with new pad materials at the front, and the fitment of larger drums and a load sensing valve at the rear. Other changes over the standard Dolomite included the option of a limited slip differential
. The optional overdrive and automatic transmission from the 1850 model were also offered as option on the Sprint. Initial models were only offered in Mimosa yellow although further colours were available from 1974.
At launch the Sprint was priced at £1740, which compared extremely well to comparable cars from other manufacturers. Prospective buyers would have been hard pressed to justify the extra £1000 cost of the BMW 2002 Tii, which offered similar performance. The four-door practicality of the Sprint also made it a very attractive proposition for the young executive choosing his first company car. The press gave the Dolomite Sprint an enthusiastic Reception. Motor
summarised its road test (subtitled "Britain leads the way") with glowing praise:
From May 1975 overdrive and tinted glass were fitted as standard. In addition, all Sprints were fitted with a body side trims, a plastic surround for the gearlever and a driver's door mirror. Headrests were now available as an optional extra. From March 1976 headrests, a radio and laminated windscreen were fitted as standard. In 1978 laminated windscreens became a standard fitment and in 1980, to comply with UK legislation, twin rear fog lamps were also fitted as standard.
As with many other British Leyland cars of the period, a number of "Special Tuning" options were available for the Dolomite Sprint, offering dealer fitted upgrades to the car that included larger carburettors, freer flowing exhaust systems, and competition camshafts. These upgrades were designed by the factory race team and offered in order to homologate the tuning parts for competition purposes.
In 1976, with the manufacturer effectively nationalised and following recommendations in the government commissioned Ryder Report
, the Dolomite and other similarly bodied ranges were rationalised as follows:
The Dolomite 1300 used the 1300 cc engine developed from the Herald
and Spitfire
, and replaced the Toledo as the basic model in the range. The body was identical except for the lengthened body giving the larger boot of the original Dolomites. The 1300 retained simplified fittings, including single square headlamps, basic instrumentation and seats, with the wooden dashboard and carpeting of the Toledo. There was no two-door option as there had been for the Toledo, and the shorter-boot bodyshell of the Toledo ceased production. Standard equipment included a reclining front seats, cigar lighter, fasten seat belt warning light, driver's door mirror, twin reversing lights and a dipping rear view mirror. The dashboard design was the same as that fitted to the facelifted Toledo of 1975. There was no overdrive or automatic transmission option with the 1300.
The next model up, replacing the Triumph 1500 TC, was the Dolomite 1500. The Dolomite 1500 offered identical specification to the Dolomite 1300, but with a 1493 cc engine and twin carburettors. Overdrive and automatic transmission were offered as an optional extra.
The 1500HL had basically identical specification to the luxury 1850 (now designated 1850HL), but again featured the 1493 cc engine. Performance was good, and once again overdrive and automatic transmissions were optional. The HL model had a much improved specification level over the standard Dolomite 1500 including a rev counter, volt meter, separate fuel and temperature dials, clock, adjustable steering column and driver's seat height adjust, head rests, front seat rear pockets, rear centre arm rest and walnut door cappings on all four doors.
With the new 1500 models, a front-wheel drive model was replaced by a rear-wheel drive model, with few external differences apparent in the bodywork. At a time when most manufacturers of smaller cars were concentrating on front-wheel drive cars, this change could be considered somewhat backward thinking. It should be borne in mind however, that the otherwise completely rear-wheel drive model lineup at Triumph meant that switching to rear-wheel drive would afford significant cost savings. History repeated itself almost 30 years later when MG Rover, a descendant of the British Leyland company that owned Triumph, converted the Rover 75
/MG ZT
model to rear-wheel drive.
, as British Leyland closed the Canley factory as it downsized in a bid for survival.
The Dolomite is a relatively rare sight on British roads with only about 1300 roadworthy examples registered in the UK. However, this is a favourable showing when compared to other contemparies like the Morris Marina
, of which fewer than 800 examples were still roadworthy by 2006, despite the Marina being a much stronger seller than the Dolomite.
from 1974 to 1978.
It met with some success, with Andy Rouse
winning the Drivers' Championship in 1975, and also lifting the manufacturer's title in 1974 with team mate Tony Dron.
The Sprint driven by Andy Rouse and Tony Dron managed fifth overall in the Spa 24 hours
race in July 1974.
In September Dron managed 3rd place overall in a Sprint competing in the RAC Tourist Trophy
race of that year.
In 1975 Andy Rouse won the British Touring Car Championship outright by taking the driver's title in a Sprint. In 1976 Broadspeed
only ran one Dolomite Sprint in British Saloon Car Championship, with Rouse finishing second in the two litre class. 1977 saw the departure of Rouse and the return of Tony Dron as driver of the Broadspeed prepared Dolomite Sprint. Dron managed to win no less than seven of the twelve races outright against some stiff competition, and narrowly missed out on winning the championship outright because of tyre failure on the final race when leading his class by over a minute. In 1978 Broadspeed entered a sole Dolomite Sprint (driven by Tony Dron) where it won only one race outright, although the Sprint still won class B in the last year a factory entered Sprint would compete in the British Saloon Car Championship.
Things improved slightly in 1975 when a Sprint crewed by Brian Culcheth and Johnstone Syer finished 11th overall in the Welsh Rally in May 1975 (FRW 812L). This was quickly followed up with an impressive second place overall in the Tour of Britain in August 1975, and in the 1975 Lombard RAC Rally Culcheth and Syer won Group 1 and were first in class.
In January 1976 Tony Pond
and D. Richards won Group 1 in the Tour of Dean Rally.
In the same month, Culcheth and Syer finished fifth overall in the Snowman Rally, and seventh overall in the Mintex Rally a month later, with Tony Pond and D. Richards coming first in Group 1. Culcheth and Syer had to retire in the Granite City Rally held in March, while Pond and Richards came home fourth overall and finished first in Group 1.
Culcheth and Syer finished second overall in the Tour of Britain and in the Manx Trophy Rally held in August, while P. Ryan and F. Gallagher came in ninth overall. P. Ryan and M. Nicholson also came first in Group N in the Lindisfarne Rally held in October, and they also came second in Group 1 in the Castrol '76.
From May 1976 onwards, the Dolomite Sprint would run alongside the TR7
before being eventually withdrawn from rallying, the TR7 V8 taking over the mantle. In the Lombard RAC Rally of 1976, the Sprint was forced to retire with engine problems. 1977 would be the last season where factory entered Sprints would compete in any form of rallying. Ryan and Nicholson managed to win Group 1 while coming eighth overall in the Granite City Rally, and this was followed by ninth overall in the Welsh Rally and finishing second in Group 1.
The Scottish Rally saw Ryan and Nicholson come 12th overall and helped win the team prize with two other TR7s. The Manx Rally held in September 1977 was the very last rally where a works entered Sprint was entered, but it ended its rallying career on a high, managing seventh overall and first in Group 1 (both "Class 1" and "Production" classes) driven by Ryan and Nicholson.
was based on the Dolomite 1850 but was re-skinned with new aluminium panels and with a completely revised interior. Also available was the Panther Rio Especiale, which used the Dolomite Sprint as a base. It was produced from 1975 to 1977 and a mere 38 were sold.
The Latham F2 used the Dolomite mechanicals (usually Sprint), but attached to a fibreglass sports car body.
The early Robin Hood S7 used the front subframe and mechanical components from any Dolomite, attached to a monocoque body made out of Stainless Steel. Later Robin Hoods were Ford based.
before being replaced by a Ford.
A green Triumph Dolomite 1300 appears in Ashes to Ashes
as Alex Drake's car (Episode 5).
In Series 10, Episode 07 of Top Gear (airdate 25 November 2007), presenter Richard Hammond
bought and drove a green Triumph Dolomite Sprint in the £1200 British Leyland cheap car challenge. The challenge was to prove that British Leyland did make a few good cars, because the producers believed otherwise.
A red Dolomite appears in the 1982 film "The Plague Dogs
"
A green Dolomite appears in the video for Nothing's Gonna Change Your Mind by Badly Drawn Boy
Triumph Motor Company
The Triumph Motor Company was a British car and motor manufacturing company. The Triumph marque is owned currently by BMW. The marque had its origins in 1885 when Siegfried Bettmann of Nuremberg initiated S. Bettmann & Co and started importing bicycles from Europe and selling them with his own...
division of the British Leyland Corporation in Canley
Canley
Canley is a suburban neighbourhood located in southwest Coventry, England. Canley became part of Coventry as a result of successive encroachment of the latter's boundaries between 1928 and 1932, having historically been part of the Stoneleigh parish....
, Coventry
Coventry
Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
between October 1972 and August 1980.
History
The Dolomite was the final addition to Triumph's complex small-car range (codenamed "Project Ajax"), which had started in 1965 with the Triumph 1300Triumph 1300
The Triumph 1300 was a medium/small 4-door saloon car made in Coventry, England by Standard Triumph under the control of Leyland Motors. Produced from 1965 and intended as a replacement to the popular Triumph Herald, it was re-engineered in the 1970s to become the Dolomite range.The Triumph 1300...
. Designed to be a replacement for the rear-wheel drive Triumph Herald
Triumph Herald
The Triumph Herald was a small two-door car introduced in 1959 by the Standard-Triumph Company of Coventry. Body design was by the Italian stylist Michelotti and the car was offered in saloon, convertible, coupé, van, and estate models....
,
the 1300 was originally fitted with a 1296 cc engine and front-wheel drive
Front-wheel drive
Front-wheel drive is a form of engine/transmission layout used in motor vehicles, where the engine drives the front wheels only. Most modern front-wheel drive vehicles feature a transverse engine, rather than the conventional longitudinal engine arrangement generally found in rear-wheel drive and...
. The later model, introduced in September 1970 as the Triumph 1500
Triumph 1500
The Triumph 1500 was a small front-wheel drive automobile produced by Standard-Triumph from 1970 to 1976.Whilst retaining the front-wheel drive of the Triumph 1300, the body featured a restyled nose, a lengthened tail, twin headlights, horizontally mounted rear light clusters and a larger boot...
, featured a remodelled front and rear, styled by Michelotti, and a larger 1493 cc engine.
Triumph were however dissatisfied with the market performance of the 1300; although successful, the higher price and greater complexity meant sales never reached the levels of its predecessor, the simpler and cheaper Herald. To this end the car was comprehensively re-engineered to be cheaper and simpler to build and maintain; launched in September 1970, was the Triumph Toledo
Triumph Toledo
The Triumph Toledo was a compact car introduced in August 1970 as a cheaper version of the Triumph 1300, which was at the same time replaced by the Triumph 1500. The Toledo shared the 1500's new front with a split grille, but instead of the 1500's twin round headlamps, it had single rectangular...
, a cheaper and more basic variant with conventional rear-wheel drive. This was assembled alongside the now larger-engined front-wheel drive version. It was launched at the same time as the 1500, adding further complexity to the model range.
The "Dolomite"
Designed as the successor for the upmarket variants of the front-wheel drive designsTriumph 1500
The Triumph 1500 was a small front-wheel drive automobile produced by Standard-Triumph from 1970 to 1976.Whilst retaining the front-wheel drive of the Triumph 1300, the body featured a restyled nose, a lengthened tail, twin headlights, horizontally mounted rear light clusters and a larger boot...
, and also for the 6-cylinder Triumph Vitesse
Triumph Vitesse
The Triumph Vitesse was a compact six-cylinder car built by Standard-Triumph from 1962 to 1971. The car was styled by Michelotti, and was available in saloon and convertible variants....
, a sporting relative of the Herald, the Triumph Dolomite was presented at the London Motor Show in October 1971. However due to a number of strikes and other industrial upsets, the car was not reported to be in full production until October 1972. The name "Dolomite" had been used by Triumph for a range of models prior to the Second World War and this name was revived for the new car. The car used the longer bodyshell of the front wheel drive Triumph 1500
Triumph 1500
The Triumph 1500 was a small front-wheel drive automobile produced by Standard-Triumph from 1970 to 1976.Whilst retaining the front-wheel drive of the Triumph 1300, the body featured a restyled nose, a lengthened tail, twin headlights, horizontally mounted rear light clusters and a larger boot...
, but with the majority of the running gear carried over from the rear-wheel drive Triumph Toledo
Triumph Toledo
The Triumph Toledo was a compact car introduced in August 1970 as a cheaper version of the Triumph 1300, which was at the same time replaced by the Triumph 1500. The Toledo shared the 1500's new front with a split grille, but instead of the 1500's twin round headlamps, it had single rectangular...
.
Initially, the only version available used the new slant-four 1854 cc engine, which mated an alloy OHC head to an iron block, providing 91 bhp which offered sprightly performance. This was a version of the engine that the company was already providing to Saab
Saab
Saab AB is a Swedish aerospace and defence company, founded in 1937. From 1947 to 1990 it was the parent company of automobile manufacturer Saab Automobile, and between 1968 and 1995 the company was in a merger with commercial vehicle manufacturer Scania, known as Saab-Scania.-History:"Svenska...
for use in their 99
Saab 99
- Development :On April 2, 1965, Gudmund's day in Sweden, after several years of planning, the Saab board started Project Gudmund. This was a project to develop a new and larger car to take the manufacturer beyond the market for the smaller Saab 96...
model.
The car was aimed at the then-new compact performance-luxury sector, vying for sales against cars such as the BMW 2002 and Ford Cortina
Ford Cortina
As the 1960s dawned, BMC were revelling in the success of their new Mini – the first successful true minicar to be built in Britain in the postwar era...
GXL, and was offered with a high level of standard equipment, including twin headlamps, a clock, full instrumentation, luxury seats and carpets, a heated rear window, and a cigar lighter. Styling was similar to the Triumph 1500, with some updates such as a black painted rear panel, Vinyl D-posts, and new wheel trims. The car was capable of 100 mph (160.9 km/h), with 60 mph (96.6 km/h) coming up in just over 11 seconds. An overdrive
Overdrive (mechanics)
Overdrive is a term used to describe a mechanism that allows an automobile to cruise at sustained speed with reduced engine RPM, leading to better fuel economy, lower noise and lower wear...
gearbox was soon made optional, offering relaxed motorway cruising and improved fuel economy, and there was also an optional automatic transmission
Automatic transmission
An automatic transmission is one type of motor vehicle transmission that can automatically change gear ratios as the vehicle moves, freeing the driver from having to shift gears manually...
.
Dolomite Sprint
Although the Dolomite proved to be refined and rapid, competitors such as the BMW 2002 had a performance advantage which was costing Triumph dearly, both in terms of sales and prestige. To remedy this, Triumph unveiled the Dolomite Sprint in June 1973, although the launch had been delayed by a year; it had been due to go on sale in 1972.A team of engineers led by Spen King developed a 16-valve cylinder head
Cylinder head
In an internal combustion engine, the cylinder head sits above the cylinders on top of the cylinder block. It closes in the top of the cylinder, forming the combustion chamber. This joint is sealed by a head gasket...
with all of the valves being actuated using a single camshaft
Camshaft
A camshaft is a shaft to which a cam is fastened or of which a cam forms an integral part.-History:An early cam was built into Hellenistic water-driven automata from the 3rd century BC. The camshaft was later described in Iraq by Al-Jazari in 1206. He employed it as part of his automata,...
rather than the more normal DOHC arrangement. The capacity was also increased to 1998 cc, and combined with bigger carburettors the output was upped to 127 bhp. This represented a significant increase over the smaller 1850cc variant, however it fell short of the original target of 135 bhp.
Despite BL engineers being able to extract a reliable 150 bhp from test engines, the production line was unable to reliably build the engines to the same level of quality, with production outputs being in the region of 125 bhp to 130 bhp. This led to the original model designation, the Dolomite 135, being replaced at short notice with the Sprint name.
As a result of this new engine the Dolomite Sprint has a claim to be the world's first truly mass-produced multi-valve
Multi-valve
In automotive engineering a multi-valve or multivalve engine is one where each cylinder has more than two valves. A multi-valve engine has better breathing and can operate at higher revolutions per minute than a two-valve engine, delivering more power.- Multi-valve rationale :A multi-valve design...
car, and the design of the cylinder head won a British Design Council
Design Council
The Design Council is a United Kingdom non-departmental public body incorporated by Royal Charter and registered as a charity.Registered charity number 272099.- In the beginning :The Design Council started in 1944 as the Council of Industrial Design...
award in 1974.
Performance was excellent, with 0–60 mph taking around 8.4 seconds, with a maximum speed of 119 mph (192 km/h). Trim was similar to the 1850, with the addition of standard alloy wheels (another first for a British production car), a vinyl roof
Vinyl roof
Vinyl roof refers to a vinyl covering for an automobile's top. This covering was originally designed to give the appearance of a convertible to models with a fixed roof, but eventually it evolved into a styling statement in its own right. Vinyl roofs were most popular in the American market, and...
, front spoiler, twin exhausts and lowered suspension. By now seats were in cloth on the 1850, and these were also fitted to the Sprint.
Due to the increase in power brought by the new engine, the rest of the driveline was upgraded to be able to withstand the extra torque. The gearbox and differential were replaced by a version of those fitted to the TR and 2000 series cars, albeit with a close ratio gearset in the gearbox. The brakes were upgraded, with new pad materials at the front, and the fitment of larger drums and a load sensing valve at the rear. Other changes over the standard Dolomite included the option of a limited slip differential
Limited slip differential
A limited slip differential is a type of differential gear arrangement that allows for some difference in angular velocity of the output shafts, but imposes a mechanical bound on the disparity...
. The optional overdrive and automatic transmission from the 1850 model were also offered as option on the Sprint. Initial models were only offered in Mimosa yellow although further colours were available from 1974.
At launch the Sprint was priced at £1740, which compared extremely well to comparable cars from other manufacturers. Prospective buyers would have been hard pressed to justify the extra £1000 cost of the BMW 2002 Tii, which offered similar performance. The four-door practicality of the Sprint also made it a very attractive proposition for the young executive choosing his first company car. The press gave the Dolomite Sprint an enthusiastic Reception. Motor
The Motor (magazine)
The Motor was a British weekly car magazine founded on 28 January 1903....
summarised its road test (subtitled "Britain leads the way") with glowing praise:
From May 1975 overdrive and tinted glass were fitted as standard. In addition, all Sprints were fitted with a body side trims, a plastic surround for the gearlever and a driver's door mirror. Headrests were now available as an optional extra. From March 1976 headrests, a radio and laminated windscreen were fitted as standard. In 1978 laminated windscreens became a standard fitment and in 1980, to comply with UK legislation, twin rear fog lamps were also fitted as standard.
As with many other British Leyland cars of the period, a number of "Special Tuning" options were available for the Dolomite Sprint, offering dealer fitted upgrades to the car that included larger carburettors, freer flowing exhaust systems, and competition camshafts. These upgrades were designed by the factory race team and offered in order to homologate the tuning parts for competition purposes.
Rationalisation
By the mid-1970s the range had become complex, with many different names and specifications. The Dolomite bodyshell was still being made as the basic Toledo (short boot bodyshell, 1296 cc OHV, rear-wheel drive), the 1500 TC (standard bodyshell, 1493 cc OHV, rear-wheel drive) and the Dolomite/Dolomite Sprint (Standard bodyshell, 1854 cc / 1998 cc, OHC, rear-wheel drive).In 1976, with the manufacturer effectively nationalised and following recommendations in the government commissioned Ryder Report
Ryder Report (British Leyland)
The Ryder Report was the official report produced for the Government of the United Kingdom in 1975 by Sir Don Ryder, newly appointed head of the UK's National Enterprise Board who was given the task of reporting on the British Leyland Motor Corporation and listing recommendations for its future.The...
, the Dolomite and other similarly bodied ranges were rationalised as follows:
- Dolomite 1300: Base model. Basic trim, single headlamps, 1296 cc engine.
- Dolomite 1500: Same as 1300, with 1493 cc engine.
- Dolomite 1500HL: Luxury specification as per 1850, with 1493 cc engine.
- Dolomite 1850HL: Luxury specification, 1850 cc OHC engine. (Front spoiler fitted from 1975)
- Dolomite Sprint: The performance version: luxury trim, 16-valve 1998 cc engine.
The Dolomite 1300 used the 1300 cc engine developed from the Herald
Triumph Herald
The Triumph Herald was a small two-door car introduced in 1959 by the Standard-Triumph Company of Coventry. Body design was by the Italian stylist Michelotti and the car was offered in saloon, convertible, coupé, van, and estate models....
and Spitfire
Triumph Spitfire
The Triumph Spitfire is a small English two-seat sports car, introduced at the London Motor Show in 1962. The vehicle was based on a design produced for Standard-Triumph in 1957 by Italian designer Giovanni Michelotti...
, and replaced the Toledo as the basic model in the range. The body was identical except for the lengthened body giving the larger boot of the original Dolomites. The 1300 retained simplified fittings, including single square headlamps, basic instrumentation and seats, with the wooden dashboard and carpeting of the Toledo. There was no two-door option as there had been for the Toledo, and the shorter-boot bodyshell of the Toledo ceased production. Standard equipment included a reclining front seats, cigar lighter, fasten seat belt warning light, driver's door mirror, twin reversing lights and a dipping rear view mirror. The dashboard design was the same as that fitted to the facelifted Toledo of 1975. There was no overdrive or automatic transmission option with the 1300.
The next model up, replacing the Triumph 1500 TC, was the Dolomite 1500. The Dolomite 1500 offered identical specification to the Dolomite 1300, but with a 1493 cc engine and twin carburettors. Overdrive and automatic transmission were offered as an optional extra.
The 1500HL had basically identical specification to the luxury 1850 (now designated 1850HL), but again featured the 1493 cc engine. Performance was good, and once again overdrive and automatic transmissions were optional. The HL model had a much improved specification level over the standard Dolomite 1500 including a rev counter, volt meter, separate fuel and temperature dials, clock, adjustable steering column and driver's seat height adjust, head rests, front seat rear pockets, rear centre arm rest and walnut door cappings on all four doors.
With the new 1500 models, a front-wheel drive model was replaced by a rear-wheel drive model, with few external differences apparent in the bodywork. At a time when most manufacturers of smaller cars were concentrating on front-wheel drive cars, this change could be considered somewhat backward thinking. It should be borne in mind however, that the otherwise completely rear-wheel drive model lineup at Triumph meant that switching to rear-wheel drive would afford significant cost savings. History repeated itself almost 30 years later when MG Rover, a descendant of the British Leyland company that owned Triumph, converted the Rover 75
Rover 75
The Rover 75 is an executive car produced initially by the Rover Group at Cowley, Oxfordshire, UK, and later by MG Rover at their Longbridge site in Birmingham, UK...
/MG ZT
MG ZT
The MG ZT is a high-performance MG-branded version of the Rover 75 executive car, produced by MG Rover at their Longbridge plant in Birmingham from 2001 to 2005. An estate version, the MG ZT-T, was also available. Styling is similar to the 75, although uprated springs and chassis modifications make...
model to rear-wheel drive.
Late 1970s
The Dolomite changed very little (in all its variants) from the beginning to the very end, only minor trim differences and additional standard equipment being the main changes. 1979 saw the introduction of the Dolomite SE, of which 2163 were built. The bodyshell was of the basic 1500 (single headlamps) but the interior was fitted with luxury trim including burr walnut dashboard and door cappings (the dashboard was the same style as fitted to that of the Dolomite 1300), grey velour seats and matching carpet. All the cars were painted black with wide silver stripes running full length, with the letters "SE" at the end of the rear wing. The SE also sported a front spoiler and Spitfire style road wheels. By the late 1970s the Dolomite was looking increasingly old fashioned against much newer competition. The cars ceased production in August 1980 along with the Triumph SpitfireTriumph Spitfire
The Triumph Spitfire is a small English two-seat sports car, introduced at the London Motor Show in 1962. The vehicle was based on a design produced for Standard-Triumph in 1957 by Italian designer Giovanni Michelotti...
, as British Leyland closed the Canley factory as it downsized in a bid for survival.
Reputation
The Dolomite has, perhaps unfairly, gained a reputation for fragility. The introduction of the Dolomite came at a turbulent time for BL and Triumph in particular. A slew of new model introductions, along with the completely new architecture and alloy head/iron block construction of the OHC slant-4, meant that dealership mechanics were not fully aware of the servicing requirements of the engine. In particular, it required the cooling system to be kept in good condition, and partially filled with a rust inhibitor, otherwise corrosion leading to radiator blockages and overheating could occur.The Dolomite is a relatively rare sight on British roads with only about 1300 roadworthy examples registered in the UK. However, this is a favourable showing when compared to other contemparies like the Morris Marina
Morris Marina
The Morris Marina is a car which was manufactured by the Morris division of British Leyland in the UK throughout the 1970s, which was a period of great turbulence and difficulty for the British car industry. It was known in some markets as the Austin Marina, Leyland Marina, and Morris 1.7...
, of which fewer than 800 examples were still roadworthy by 2006, despite the Marina being a much stronger seller than the Dolomite.
Touring cars
The Dolomite Sprint was campaigned in the British Touring Car ChampionshipBritish Touring Car Championship
The British Touring Car Championship is a touring car racing series held each year in the United Kingdom. The Championship was established in 1958 as the British Saloon Car Championship and has run to various rules over the years – "production cars", then FIA Group 1 or 2 in the late 1960s...
from 1974 to 1978.
It met with some success, with Andy Rouse
Andy Rouse
Andrew "Andy" Rouse is an English racing driver, most notably in the BTCC. He won the BTCC in 1975, 1983, 1984 and 1985....
winning the Drivers' Championship in 1975, and also lifting the manufacturer's title in 1974 with team mate Tony Dron.
The Sprint driven by Andy Rouse and Tony Dron managed fifth overall in the Spa 24 hours
Spa 24 Hours
The Total 24 Hours of Spa is an endurance racing event held annually in Belgium at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps. Conceived by Jules de Their and Henri Langlois Van Ophem just one year after the first 24 Hours of Le Mans, the race was run under the auspices of the Royal Automobile Club Belgium...
race in July 1974.
In September Dron managed 3rd place overall in a Sprint competing in the RAC Tourist Trophy
RAC Tourist Trophy
The International Tourist Trophy is an award given by the Royal Automobile Club and awarded semi-annually to the winners of a selected motor racing event each year in the United Kingdom. It was first awarded in 1905 and continues to be awarded to this day, making it the longest lasting trophy in...
race of that year.
In 1975 Andy Rouse won the British Touring Car Championship outright by taking the driver's title in a Sprint. In 1976 Broadspeed
Broadspeed
Broadspeed is a United Kingdom-based automotive group. Established in automotive engineering, it now acts as an internet based retailer.- Broadspeed in the 1960s :...
only ran one Dolomite Sprint in British Saloon Car Championship, with Rouse finishing second in the two litre class. 1977 saw the departure of Rouse and the return of Tony Dron as driver of the Broadspeed prepared Dolomite Sprint. Dron managed to win no less than seven of the twelve races outright against some stiff competition, and narrowly missed out on winning the championship outright because of tyre failure on the final race when leading his class by over a minute. In 1978 Broadspeed entered a sole Dolomite Sprint (driven by Tony Dron) where it won only one race outright, although the Sprint still won class B in the last year a factory entered Sprint would compete in the British Saloon Car Championship.
Rallying
Due to the heavier bodyshell and somewhat fragile engine, the Dolomite Sprint was less successful in rallying. Retirements were rather frequent resulting in failure to complete any rallies during 1974.Things improved slightly in 1975 when a Sprint crewed by Brian Culcheth and Johnstone Syer finished 11th overall in the Welsh Rally in May 1975 (FRW 812L). This was quickly followed up with an impressive second place overall in the Tour of Britain in August 1975, and in the 1975 Lombard RAC Rally Culcheth and Syer won Group 1 and were first in class.
In January 1976 Tony Pond
Tony Pond
Tony Pond was a well-known British rally driver.-Career:His first outings in a rally car were on the then regular Saturday night road rallies in the home counties around London, driving a Mini Cooper S...
and D. Richards won Group 1 in the Tour of Dean Rally.
In the same month, Culcheth and Syer finished fifth overall in the Snowman Rally, and seventh overall in the Mintex Rally a month later, with Tony Pond and D. Richards coming first in Group 1. Culcheth and Syer had to retire in the Granite City Rally held in March, while Pond and Richards came home fourth overall and finished first in Group 1.
Culcheth and Syer finished second overall in the Tour of Britain and in the Manx Trophy Rally held in August, while P. Ryan and F. Gallagher came in ninth overall. P. Ryan and M. Nicholson also came first in Group N in the Lindisfarne Rally held in October, and they also came second in Group 1 in the Castrol '76.
From May 1976 onwards, the Dolomite Sprint would run alongside the TR7
Triumph TR7
The Triumph TR7 is a sports car manufactured from September 1974 to October 1981 by the Triumph Motor Company in the United Kingdom. It was initially produced at the Speke, Liverpool factory, moving to Canley, Coventry in 1978 and then finally to the Rover plant in Solihull in 1980...
before being eventually withdrawn from rallying, the TR7 V8 taking over the mantle. In the Lombard RAC Rally of 1976, the Sprint was forced to retire with engine problems. 1977 would be the last season where factory entered Sprints would compete in any form of rallying. Ryan and Nicholson managed to win Group 1 while coming eighth overall in the Granite City Rally, and this was followed by ninth overall in the Welsh Rally and finishing second in Group 1.
The Scottish Rally saw Ryan and Nicholson come 12th overall and helped win the team prize with two other TR7s. The Manx Rally held in September 1977 was the very last rally where a works entered Sprint was entered, but it ended its rallying career on a high, managing seventh overall and first in Group 1 (both "Class 1" and "Production" classes) driven by Ryan and Nicholson.
Today
Triumph Dolomites continue to be used in classic motorsport today, with cars being campaigned in the UK, mainland Europe, and Australia, as well as many other places.Dolomite-derived cars
The Panther RioPanther Rio
The Panther Rio was a motor car made by British manufacturer Panther Westwinds, using Triumph Dolomite mechanicals. According to the company, it differed from the family saloon-class Dolomite, in being finished to "Rolls-Royce standards". Only 38 were built between 1975 and 1977...
was based on the Dolomite 1850 but was re-skinned with new aluminium panels and with a completely revised interior. Also available was the Panther Rio Especiale, which used the Dolomite Sprint as a base. It was produced from 1975 to 1977 and a mere 38 were sold.
The Latham F2 used the Dolomite mechanicals (usually Sprint), but attached to a fibreglass sports car body.
The early Robin Hood S7 used the front subframe and mechanical components from any Dolomite, attached to a monocoque body made out of Stainless Steel. Later Robin Hoods were Ford based.
Cultural references
A white Dolomite Sprint, plate POK 79R was mainly driven by the Bodie character in the early episodes of The ProfessionalsThe Professionals
The Professionals or The Professional may refer to:*The Professionals , a 1977–1983 British television series*The Professionals , a 1966 Western film...
before being replaced by a Ford.
A green Triumph Dolomite 1300 appears in Ashes to Ashes
Ashes to Ashes (TV series)
Ashes to Ashes is a British science fiction and police procedural drama television series, serving as the sequel to Life on Mars.The series began airing on BBC One in February 2008. A second series began broadcasting in April 2009...
as Alex Drake's car (Episode 5).
In Series 10, Episode 07 of Top Gear (airdate 25 November 2007), presenter Richard Hammond
Richard Hammond
Richard Mark Hammond is an English broadcaster, writer, and journalist most noted for co-hosting car programme Top Gear with Jeremy Clarkson and James May, as well as presenting Brainiac: Science Abuse on Sky 1.-Early life:...
bought and drove a green Triumph Dolomite Sprint in the £1200 British Leyland cheap car challenge. The challenge was to prove that British Leyland did make a few good cars, because the producers believed otherwise.
A red Dolomite appears in the 1982 film "The Plague Dogs
The Plague Dogs (film)
The Plague Dogs is a 1982 animated film based on the 1977 novel of the same name by Richard Adams. The film was written-for-screen, directed and produced by Martin Rosen, who also directed Watership Down, the film version of another novel by Adams, produced by Nepenthe Productions and released by...
"
A green Dolomite appears in the video for Nothing's Gonna Change Your Mind by Badly Drawn Boy
Badly Drawn Boy
Damon Gough is an English alternative music singer/songwriter. He was born on 2 October 1969, in Dunstable, Bedfordshire. He grew up in the Breightmet area of Bolton, Lancashire, England....