Triumph Dolomite

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triumph
Triumph Dolomite Sprint
Triumph Dolomite Sprint
Dolomites
Production period: 1972-1980
Class : Lower middle class
Body versions : limousine
Engines:
Petrol engines : 1.3–2.0 liters
(43–95 kW)
Length: 4115 mm
Width: 1575 mm
Height: 1372 mm
Wheelbase : 2438 mm
Empty weight : 965-991 kg
Previous model Triumph Toledo
Triumph 1300
Triumph 1500
successor Triumph Acclaim

The Triumph Dolomite is a lower middle class passenger car that the Triumph Motor Company (part of the British Leyland Group) manufactured in Canley near Coventry as the successor to the 1500 . It rolled off the assembly line from January 1972 to August 1980.

history

The Dolomite was Triumph's last series in the lower middle class (code name: Project Ajax), which started in early 1965 with the Triumph 1300 . The 1300 was intended to replace the Triumph Herald and was originally equipped with a 1.3 liter in-line four-cylinder engine and front-wheel drive. In September 1970, it was replaced by the 1500 with a redesigned front and rear, which had been designed by Giovanni Michelotti and had the larger engine with 1500 cc.

But Triumph was dissatisfied with the sales of the 1300. Although it sold fairly well, it never achieved the success of the simpler and cheaper Herald. The company revised the car again and released it at the same time as its successor 1500 as Toledo , a cheaper and simpler variant with rear-wheel drive. It was marketed together with the now more powerful front-wheel drive model.

The dolomite

Triumph Dolomite (1973)
Triumph Dolomite (1976)

The Triumph Dolomite was at the London Motor Show unveiled in October 1971 but the start of production was delayed due to strikes and other difficulties in the automotive industry to October 1972. The car was a successor for the better versions of 1500 and also for the Vitesse , a sporty edition of the Herald, thought. Triumph had already used the name "Dolomite" for a model series before the Second World War and revived it for the new series. The cars had the longer body of the front-wheel drive 1500, but mostly the mechanics of the rear-wheel drive Toledo.

At first there was only one version of the Dolomite, which had the four-cylinder in-line Triumph engine with 1854 cm³ with 91 bhp (68 kW) and offered decent performance. Triumph has already sold this engine version to Saab for their model 99 .

The car was intended for the then new sector of sporty mid-range sedans, should compete against vehicles such as the BMW 2002 and the Ford Cortina GXL and was offered with a high level of equipment. This included double headlights, a timer, extensive instrumentation, comfort seats and carpets, a heated rear window and a cigarette lighter. In terms of styling, the car hardly differed from the 1500, but it received some innovations such as a matt black rear end panel, vinyl-clad C-pillars and new hubcaps. The car accelerated from 0 to 100 km / h in just over 11 seconds and reached a top speed of 170 km / h. Soon there was also a transmission with overdrive available on request , which reduced the speed level and fuel consumption at higher speeds. An automatic transmission was also one of the extras.

Dolomite Sprint

Triumph Dolomite Sprint (1974)
cockpit

Although the Dolomite proved to be modern and fast, its competitors, such as the BMW 2002, had a performance advantage, which cost the triumph both prestige and sales. To remedy this, Triumph brought out the Dolomite Sprint in June 1973 . A development team led by Spen King designed a 16-valve cylinder head with just one overhead camshaft, which actuated the intake valves directly via bucket tappets and the exhaust valves via rocker arms. The engine's displacement was increased to 1998 cm³, which in connection with a larger carburetor resulted in an output of 127 bhp (95 kW). This was significantly more than with the 1.9 l variant, even if the original target of 135 bhp (101 kW) was not achieved.

Although the British Leyland engineers were able to elicit test engines of up to 150 bhp (112 kW), reliable series production of this quality was not achievable. The series machines delivered between 125 bhp (93 kW) and 130 bhp (97 kW). Therefore, after a brief announcement, “Dolomite Sprint” replaced the original model name “Dolomite 135”.

Because of the new engine, the Dolomite Sprint is considered the first real series vehicle with multi-valve technology. The design of the cylinder head won the British Design Council Award in 1974 . The driving performance was excellent: Acceleration from 0 to 100 km / h in 8.4 seconds and a top speed of 192 km / h. The equipment corresponded to that of the 1850, but aluminum wheels were standard (also for the first time in a British car), as well as a roof covered with synthetic leather, a front spoiler, double exhaust pipes and lowering. The 1850 now had fabric seat covers and the Sprint got the same.

Because of the higher torque of the new engine, the drive components had to be reinforced. The gearbox and differential were replaced by those of the Triumph TR6 , but with closer gear steps. The brakes have been improved, with new pads at the front and larger drums and a load-dependent brake valve at the rear. A limited slip differential was also available on request. The overdrive or automatic transmission options known from the 1850 were also available as special equipment.

When it first appeared, the Sprint was priced at £ 1740, quite a reasonable price compared to its competitors. Its practical four doors also made the Dolomite Sprint an interesting choice as the first company car for young managers. The British magazine The Motor praised the car in its test report, which was subtitled “Britain leads the way”: “… the sprint is the answer to the prayers of many people. It is well equipped, compact and yet amazingly spacious. Power is in abundance, but it is fuel efficient and the model's manners are impeccable. (...) Most important of all: It's a car that is surprisingly satisfactory to drive. "

From May 1975, overdrive and tinted windows were supplied as standard. In addition, all Sprint were equipped with side trim strips, a plastic cover for the gear lever and an exterior mirror on the driver's side. Headrests were available for an extra charge.

From March 1976 headrests, radio and laminated glass windshield were also standard.

From 1980, in accordance with the new British regulations, two rear fog lights were also included.

Motorsport

Touring car

The Dolomite Sprint drove in the British Touring Car Championship from 1974 to 1978. The cars had some success: Andy Rouse won the competition in 1975 and, together with his teammate Tony Dron, reached the constructors' championship in 1974.

A sprint driven by Rouse and Dron finished fifth in the Spa-Francorchamps 24-hour race in July 1974. In September, Dron finished third in a sprint overall in the 1974 RAC Tourist Trophy . 1975 won Andy Rouse the BTCC in a sprint. In 1976 Broadspeed reported only one Dolomite Sprint in the British Saloon Car Championship, with Rouse finishing second in the 2-liter class. In 1977 Rouse no longer drove the Dolomite Sprint prepared by Broadspeed, but Dron. Dron managed to win no less than seven out of twelve races against tough competition. He narrowly missed out on overall victory due to a puncture when he was in the lead by more than a minute in the last race. In 1978 Broadspeed reported only a single Dolomite Sprint (driven by Dron), but only won one race, even though the sprint still won class B in the last year of a works car in the British Saloon Car Championship.

rally

Because of its heavier body and the sensitive machine, the Dolomite Sprint was less successful in rallies. Failures were frequent and so a 1974 Dolomite Sprint did not end a rally.

In 1975 things improved a bit as a sprint piloted by Brian Culcheth and Johnstone Syer finished 11th in the overall classification of the Welsh Rally in May 1975 (registration number FRW 812L). This was soon followed by an impressive second place overall in the Tour of Britain in August 1975 and in the Lombard RAC Rally Culcheth and Syer won Group 1 and were best in their class.

In January 1976 Tony Pond and D. Richards won Group 1 of the Tour of Dean Rally. That 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 finishing first in Group 1. Culcheth and Syer were eliminated from the Granite City Rally in March, while Pond and Richards finished fourth overall and won Group 1. Culcheth and Syer finished second overall in the Tour of Britain and in the Manx Trophy Rally in August, while P. Ryan and F. Gallagher finished ninth overall. P. Ryan and M. Nicholson also won Group N of the Lindisfarm Rally in October and they finished second in Group 1 at the Castrol '76.

From May 1976 the Dolomite Sprint was used together with the TR7 , before the company withdrew it from rallying in favor of the TR7 V8. In the Lombard RAC Rally 1976 the sprint failed with engine failure. 1977 was the last season in which Sprint works cars took part in rallies. Ryan and Nicholson won Group 1 and finished eighth overall in the Granite City Rally. In the Welsh Rally they finished ninth in the overall classification and second in Group 1.

In the Scottish Rally, Ryan and Nicholson finished twelfth in the overall standings and together with two other TR7s won the constructors' award. The Manx Rally in September 1977 was the very last rally in which a Sprint works car started, but it ended his career on a climax as he finished seventh overall and won Group 1 (both "Class 1" and " Production "class).

Rationalization of the model range

By 1975, the Triumph model range had become complex, containing many names and specifications. The Dolomite body was still the basic Toledo model (with a short trunk, 1296 cm³ engine (ohv) and rear-wheel drive), as a 1500 TC (with normal trunk, 1493 cm³ engine (ohv) and rear-wheel drive) and as Dolomite or Dolomite Sprint (with normal trunk, 1854 cm³ or 1998 cm³ engine (ohc) and rear-wheel drive) available. In the spring of 1976 the model range was rationalized as follows:

  • Dolomite 1300 : basic model, basic equipment, single headlights, 1296 cm³ engine
  • Dolomite 1500 : like 1300, but with a 1493 cm³ engine
  • Dolomite 1500HL : Luxury version, like the 1850HL, but with a 1493 cm³ engine
  • Dolomite 1850HL : luxury version with 1850 cm³ ohc engine (from 1975: front spoiler)
  • Dolomite Sprint : high-performance version, luxury equipment, 1998 cc engine with 16 valves

The Dolomite 1300 had the 1.3 liter in-line four-cylinder engine, which had been developed from the Herald and Spitfire machines , and replaced the Toledo from the base model of the series. On the occasion of this change, there were hardly any changes to the body, only it got the long trunk of the other Dolomite models. The 1300 was more simply equipped, e.g. B. with single rectangular headlights instead of double headlights, simpler instruments and seats as well as the wooden dashboard and carpets of the Toledo. There was no longer a two-door car. The basic equipment included folding front seats, cigarette lighter, seat belt warning light, exterior mirrors on the driver's side, two reversing lights and a dimming interior mirror. The dashboard came from the revised Toledo from 1975. Overdrive and automatic transmission were not offered.

The next higher model was the Dolomite 1500 , which replaced the 1500 model . The Dolomite 1500 corresponded to the 1300, but had a larger engine with 1500 cc and two carburettors. Overdrive or automatic transmission were available as an option.

The Dolomite 1500HL was basically similarly equipped as the luxury model 1850HL, but had the same engine as the Dolomite 1500. The performance was good and overdrive or automatic transmission was also available as an option. The equipment of the 1500HL was much better than that of the 1500, e.g. B. There was a tachometer, a voltmeter, separate displays for fuel and temperature, a timer, a height-adjustable steering column, a height adjustment for the driver's seat, headrests, pockets on the back of the front seats, a folding armrest at the back and walnut door panels on top of all four doors .

With the new 1500 models, the company replaced a front-wheel drive model with a rear-wheel drive without any significant changes to the body. At a time when most other automakers were turning to front-wheel drive, Triumph's move to rear-wheel drive can be seen as an expression of backward thinking. It should be noted, however, that this step enabled significant cost savings for the large rear-wheel drive model range from Triumph.

last changes

The Dolomite in all its variants was little changed from its introduction to the end of production. Most of the changes concerned the moldings and additional equipment on individual models.

In 1979 the Dolomite SE was introduced with individual rectangular headlights and the body of the 1500, of which 2163 were created. The interior was from the luxury models and had things like a walnut dashboard and upper door panels, gray velor seats, and matching carpets. All of these cars were painted black and had wide silver stripes on the sides of the vehicle and the letters "SE" on the rear fenders. The SE also had a front spoiler and wheels in the style of the Spitfire. In the late 1970s, the Dolomite looked increasingly old-fashioned, especially when compared to its more modern competitors.

In August 1980, the production of this model series, as well as that of the Triumph Spitfire , was stopped, as Leyland closed the factory in Canley to have a chance of survival due to shrinkage. A total of 204,003 units of the Triumph Dolomite were built in just under nine years.

call

The Dolomite has earned a reputation for fragility. The introduction of the Dolomite took place in turbulent times, especially for BL and Triumph. An abundance of new models together with the completely new design of the OHC in-line four-cylinder meant that not all service mechanics were aware of the new requirements for engine maintenance. In particular, a well-functioning cooling system was important for the new engine, otherwise overheating damage would occur. In fact, this happened quite often, which tarnished the reputation of the cars.

The dolomite is relatively rare these days; in Great Britain only about 1,300 copies are registered. But this is still a lot compared to contemporary models like the Morris Marina .

Todays situation

The Triumph Dolomite will continue to be used in classic motorsport in Great Britain, mainland Europe and Australia as well as in several other countries.

Potential successors

Michelotti facelift for the Dolomite (1971)
  • In 1972 Giovanni Michelotti presented a facelift for the Dolomite. The basic structure of the Dolomite body and the glass sections were retained, but the outer panels were smoothed. The door handles have been moved to the top edge of the door panels. Square headlights were provided at the front, the rear lights of the TR6 sports car were installed. The car received larger bumpers that were covered with black plastic. Overall, the design reminded some observers of the body of the Fiat 132 . Michelotti made a prototype that still exists. His design was not adopted for the production model.
Triumph SD2
  • From 1970 British Leyland worked on a successor model, which was named Triumph SD2 . Although the model was developed to the point of series production, it did not go into production; In 1975 the project was discontinued. An indirect successor only appeared in 1983 with the Triumph Acclaim, which was derived from a Honda design .

Vehicles derived from the Dolomite

The Panther Rio , manufactured by Panther Westwinds between 1975 and 1977 , was based on the Dolomite 1850, but was clad with aluminum sheets and got a completely new interior. There was also the Panther Rio Especiale , which is based on the Dolomite Sprint.

The Latham F2 had the mechanics of the Dolomite (usually the Sprint model), but a GRP sports car body.

The early Robin Hood S7 contained the subframe and mechanical components of the Dolomite in connection with a monocoque body made of stainless steel. Later Robin Hoods were built on the basis of Ford vehicles.

Web links

Commons : Triumph Dolomite  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Culshaw, David, Horrobin, Peter: The Complete Catalog of British Cars 1895-1975. Veloce Publishing, Dorchester 1997, ISBN 1-874105-93-6 .
  2. ↑ The history of the development of the Triumph Dolomite (English)
  3. ^ Daily Mail Motor Show Review 1972 on 1973 Cars. Associated Newspapers Group, London, October 1972, p. 49 (Triumph Dolomite)
  4. ↑ The history of the Saab 99 at Saabmuseum.com (English)
  5. ↑ Test report from AutoRevue from May 1, 1974
  6. ↑ Triumph Dolomite & Sprint Full Engine Rebuild Kits at www.rimmerbros.co.uk
  7. ^ Parts Catalog
  8. ↑ Classic Motor Monthly Archives - The Triumph Dolomite Sprint , Classicmotor.co.uk, April 13, 2009 ( Memento of the original from September 24, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.classicmotor.co.uk
  9. ↑ Awards boost British car industry. Accessed March 15, 2013.
  10. ^ The Motor. July 26, 1973, p. 16.
  11. ↑ British Touring Car Championship ( Memento of the original from July 16, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.btcc.net
  12. ↑ 24 h Spa-Francorchamps. touringcarracing.net, accessed on November 27, 2017 (English).
  13. ^ TT in Silverstone 1974. Homepage.mac.com, September 26, 1974 ( Memento of January 2, 2009 in the Internet Archive )
  14. ↑ '' RallyBase '', Rallybase.nl, April 13, 2009
  15. ↑ a b rally story by Tony Pond (English) ( Memento of the original from July 3, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , Accessed March 15, 2013. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / homepage.ntlworld.com
  16. ↑ '' RallyBase '', rallybase.nl, April 13, 2009
  17. ^ The Times, March 3, 1976.
  18. ↑ Practical Classics , Practicalclassics.co.uk
  19. ↑ History of the development of the Triumph Dolomite on the website www.aronline.co.uk (accessed on July 27, 2018).
  20. ↑ History of the Triumph SD2 on www.aronline.co.uk (accessed June 30, 2018).