RE: Triumph Dolomite Sprint: Spotted

RE: Triumph Dolomite Sprint: Spotted

Saturday 6th January 2018

Triumph Dolomite Sprint: Spotted

Need a new Dolly in your life for 2018? Do we have the Sprint for you!



My dad has told me he owned a Dolomite Sprint although, as I haven't seen any photos of it, I have no proof of that. And to make matters worse, the car doesn't even exist now because he found out years later after he sold it that someone had set fire to it. Shame really. Perhaps he would be interested in this lovely yellow 1975 Dolomite Sprint, with only 58,000 miles on it.

The old 'Dolly Sprint' then, according to our 21st June 1973 copy of Autocar, the Dolomite Sprint was born out of the demands of Lord Stokes and George Turnbull who wanted their engineers to give the Toledo some competition potential (my mum had a Toledo, but never drove it - long story). The prototype four-valve per cylinder engine provided plenty of top end performance at the expense of torque. So they made the engine bigger to compensate for this.


After some umming and ahhing from marketing, they decided that instead of selling it as a two-door car, they would make it into a luxury performance saloon to rival the European compact high-performance saloons like the Alfa Romeo 2000 and the BMW 2002. Perhaps this is why the Sprint was fitted with wood, natty alloy wheels and a vinyl roof.

This particular example was restored five years ago according to the advert, although the seller is honest enough to mention a few blemishes that have occurred since. Even going so far as to mention that the Webasto sunroof "only ever leaks in torrential rain". It is a BL product after all, where the BL Passport to Service isn't a guide of how far you've travelled, rather, how much time your car has spent away from you in the garage.


This car also comes with spares, upgrades to the brakes and suspension, electronic ignition and an electric fan to stop it overheating in traffic. In other words, this could be an interesting, useable classic or even a daily driver for those who are handy with spanners - or have good breakdown cover.

And it seems a shame not to use this handsome classic; after all, it isn't your usual ponderous 1970s British saloon, and this one being a 1975 model is fitted with overdrive to make motorway work less of a chore. Just remember to take some photos of it to prove that you've owned one.


SPECIFICATION - TRIUMPH DOLOMITE SPRINT

Engine: 1,998cc, 4-cyl
Transmission: 4-speed manual, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 130@5,700rpm
Torque (lb ft): 122@4,500rpm
MPG: 24
CO2: A few, and many unburnt hydrocarbons
First registered: 1975
Recorded mileage: 58,000
Price new: £1,740
Yours for: £7,000

See the original advert here.

Max Adams



 

 

Author
Discussion

Master Bean

Original Poster:

3,517 posts

119 months

Saturday 6th January 2018
quotequote all
It's early and cold, but for some reason I really like this and I'm not 50 plus years old.

s m

23,164 posts

202 months

Saturday 6th January 2018
quotequote all
Britain's sporty 3-series BM of the time

ChrisHampshire

97 posts

182 months

Saturday 6th January 2018
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Looks like a nice example. I had 3 of these back in the late 80s and early 90s. The best was a late (W reg) one onto which I added twin 45s and a sports exhaust. It went really well and seemed to have almost identical acceleration to my friend's brand new 205 GTI 1.9 (which I later bought off him!).

TooMany2cvs

29,008 posts

125 months

Saturday 6th January 2018
quotequote all
My mother had two back in the day - an N-reg yellow/overdrive just like this (I doubt it's the same car - hers was on a pre-suffix plate that came with it and left on it), and an S-reg red/non-overdrive. Cracking cars - a league ahead of the Maxi before, the Manta after, or Dad's endless stream of company Cortinas...

Tim-D

526 posts

221 months

Saturday 6th January 2018
quotequote all
Lovely old banger - had one of these in mid'80's bought for peanuts off old boy in the village - by then it was very long in the tooth but solid as a rock and a very pleasantly odd feeling of driving a comfy sofa with a fairly respectable for then - bit of poke - loved it to bits......despite my mates having nova's / escorts the dolly was always chariot of choice....roundabouts were huge fun in it...
Became very glad of Triumphs' decision to front hinge the bonnet when after years of mistreatment the engine spectacularly let go on the M25 .... it vaguely lives on.... it's donated instruments are in my mini :-)

Gez79

216 posts

182 months

Saturday 6th January 2018
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Ah lovely.

My dad had a bright yellow one when I was born and followed it up with a blue one a few years later which I can just about remember.

And we have photographic evidence of bothsmile

Pretty quick in the day with 130bhp, think they got to 60 in about 8.5 secs.

JimbobVFR

2,680 posts

143 months

Saturday 6th January 2018
quotequote all
That's lovely. I had one about 15 years ago but mine was Maple (milk chocolate brown would be more accurate) with a brown velour interior.

Easiest car I've ever had to drift round roundabouts, even when you didn't necessarily want to cool

Hasbeen

2,073 posts

220 months

Saturday 6th January 2018
quotequote all
I've had a couple of 150 kilometre trips in one of these recently restored by a very competent friend.

I own a couple of Triumphs & expected it to be a good car, but I am blown away at how it combines a very comfortable ride, with such great handling. It is quite quick too, considering what it is.

I would have been looking for one for myself, if it didn't look to be a real chore to fit air conditioning nicely. I really am a bit too old to handle north Australia's summer with out air in my cars.

Edited by Hasbeen on Saturday 6th January 09:41

jet_noise

5,630 posts

181 months

Saturday 6th January 2018
quotequote all

TooMany2cvs

29,008 posts

125 months

Saturday 6th January 2018
quotequote all
jet_noise said:
Given it's BV's advert they've "spotted"...

matchmaker

8,463 posts

199 months

Saturday 6th January 2018
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Nice example. I owned one. Head gasket blew. It rusted to the extent that the sills were mostly iron oxide at 5 years old and the rear suspension collapsed because of rust. The brakes were crap - the car it replaced, a 1970 Vitesse 2 litre, had better brakes.

Still loved it!

Mikebentley

6,035 posts

139 months

Saturday 6th January 2018
quotequote all
1986, 19years old and an Inca Yellow Sprint Reg TWW8R was my car of choice. Even then though the black rear boot lip was bubbling nicely as they all did. I would sit next to my younger brothers mates in their escorts 1.1 and 1.3 models revving it as it rocked from side to side. Did some very fast B road blasts flicking it in and out of overdrive.
Sold it to fund an 18/30s trip to Benidorm but I still remember the Dolly rides with more fondness than the Benidorm ones...

gemini

11,352 posts

263 months

Saturday 6th January 2018
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My neighbour has almost the identical car sitting in his garage, unused but not unloved!

JimbobVFR

2,680 posts

143 months

Saturday 6th January 2018
quotequote all
Mikebentley said:
Did some very fast B road blasts flicking it in and out of overdrive.
.
A twisty road, 3rd gear and using OD was one of my favourite things about mine.

Russian Troll Bot

24,942 posts

226 months

Saturday 6th January 2018
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Another car for the "really should have bought one of those when good ones were going for a grand" list

ZX10R NIN

27,490 posts

124 months

Saturday 6th January 2018
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My uncle still (Black & White) has his he's upgraded it over the years so it's more useable.

EddyBee

241 posts

167 months

Saturday 6th January 2018
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I love these. The British Rival to the BMW 2002

The place I'm building my 2002 engine at are making one of these;

It looks awesome with the wide arches etc. I'll have to get a pic next time I'm there.

hardworker

91 posts

80 months

Saturday 6th January 2018
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Nice. It would be great for Britain to have even 1 decent sized car manufacturer (have France, Italy and Germany sold every single last one of their car manufacturers to foreigners?). We should make a point of buying back JLR (and iconic Rolls Royce) at the first opportunity or revive Rover.

jet_noise

5,630 posts

181 months

Saturday 6th January 2018
quotequote all
TooMany2cvs said:
jet_noise said:
Given it's BV's advert they've "spotted"...
hehe

W124

1,497 posts

137 months

Saturday 6th January 2018
quotequote all
Ah! My Grandad has one briefly! In amongst a stream of Talbots. I recall him demonstrating ‘fast road driving in a rear wheel drive car’ on the back roads from Leighton Buzzard to Tring. He had it all over the shop! Drunk as a Lord. Those were the late 70’s! He very much liked that car - it seemed solid and I think it was reliable for him - though he only ever really drove on a whim - or to visit the Pub at Marsworth.