Triumph · 1972–1980

Triumph Dolomite

The Triumph Dolomite is a small saloon car which was produced by the Triumph Motor Company division of the British Leyland (BL) in Canley, Coventry, between October 1972 and August 1980.

Text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Predecessor: Triumph Toledo · Successor: Triumph Acclaim

All Triumph Dolomite data: UK builds, safety, recalls, model years →

Background

The Dolomite was the final addition to Triumph's small-car range (codenamed "Project Ajax"), which had started in 1965 with the Triumph 1300. Designed to be a replacement for the rear-wheel drive Triumph Herald, the 1300 was originally fitted with a 1,296 cc (79 cu in) 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 1,493 cc (91 cu in) engine. Triumph were however dissatisfied with the market performance of the 1300; although it had been moderately successful, the higher price and greater complexity meant sales never reached the levels of the simpler and cheaper Herald which preceded it. In an attempt to improve matters, the car was comprehensively reengineered. Launched in September 1970, the Triumph Toledo was a cheaper and more basic variant of the 1300, but with conventional rear-wheel drive. This new model was assembled alongside the now larger-engined front-wheel drive version (the Triumph 1500) which was launched at the same time as the Toledo.

Design and reception

The Triumph Dolomite was unveiled at the London Motor Show in October 1971 as the successor for the upmarket variants of front-wheel drive designs, and to replace the six-cylinder Triumph Vitesse, a sporting relative of the Herald. 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 was revived for the new car. The Dolomite 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 1,854 cc engine, which mated an alloy overhead cam (OHC) head to an iron block, providing 91 bhp (68 kW) 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 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 km/h), with 60 mph (97 km/h) coming up in just over 11 seconds. An overdrive gearbox was soon made available as an option and there was also an optional automatic transmission.

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 both 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 higher-powered development of the slant-four would provide the perfect engine to compete more effectively in motor sport. In response to this brief, Spen King’s team devised a plan to extract more power. With co-operation from Harry Mundy and the Engineers at Coventry Climax, a 16-valve cylinder head was designed", with all of the valves being actuated using a single camshaft rather than the more conventional DOHC arrangement. The capacity was also increased to 1,998 cc (122 cu in), and combined with bigger carburettors the output was upped to 122 lb⋅ft (165 N⋅m) at 4,500 rpm and 127 bhp (95 kW) at 5,700 rpm. This represented a significant power increase over the smaller 1850 cc variant. The engine was expected to make 135 bhp, and factory test engines were producing 150 bhp. Hence, it was initially intended to be named the 'Dolomite 135'. This was changed to 'Dolomite Sprint' and published reasons vary. One oft-repeated rumour is that production lines could not guarantee 135 bhp. However, according to Matthew Vale, it was during development that Triumph switched to measuring power from imperial(SAE) to metric(DIN), which calculated outputs approximately 5 per cent lower. In this case 135 bhp SAE is 127 bhp DIN. As a result of the use of this engine, the Dolomite Sprint has been claimed to be "the world's first mass-produced multi-valve car". While other multi-valve engines (notably the Lotus 907) were produced in volume, they were not used in mass prod

Rationalisation

By the mid-1970s, the range had become complex, with a large number of models and specifications. The Dolomite bodyshell was still being made as the basic Toledo (short boot bodyshell, 1,296 cc (79 cu in) OHV, rear-wheel drive), the 1500 TC (standard bodyshell, 1,493 cc (91 cu in) OHV, rear-wheel drive) and the Dolomite/Dolomite Sprint (Standard bodyshell, 1,854 cc (113 cu in) / 1,998 cc (122 cu in), OHC, rear-wheel drive). 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: Dolomite 1300: Base model, basic trim, single headlamps, 1,296 cc engine Dolomite 1500: Same as the 1300, with 1,493 cc (91 cu in) engine Dolomite 1500HL: Luxury specification as per the 1850, with 1,493 cc engine Dolomite 1850HL: Luxury specification, 1,850 cc (113 cu in) OHC engine (front spoiler fitted from 1975) Dolomite Sprint: The performance version: luxury trim, 16-valve 1,998 cc (122 cu in) engine The Dolomite 1300 used the 1,296 cc (79 cu in) Standard SC engine 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 which gave 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 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

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 2,163 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 newer competition, though still popular. Designer Giovanni Michelotti delivered a promising new design (Sprint based) resembling a Fiat 132, with a squared front and BMW style 'kink'. At least one full-size example was built. With severe problems at BLMC, management refused, there was simply not enough money. Production continued until August 1980 when BL closed the Canley Factory as part of a restructuring process which also resulted in the closure of the MG factory at Abingdon two months later. The Dolomite was replaced a year later by the Triumph Acclaim, a four-door front-wheel drive family saloon produced in a joint venture with Honda. However, the Acclaim was not a sporty model, designed instead to compete with traditional family saloons, although it did manage strong sales on British market. This kept the marque alive until 1984 when the Acclaim was replaced with the Rover 200 and the Triumph Motor Company passed into history.

Reputation and popularity today

The Dolomite gained a reputation for fragility. The introduction of the Dolomite came at a turbulent time for BL and Triumph in particular with many new model introductions, completely new architecture and alloy head/iron block construction of the OHC slant-four, 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. With a well-maintained example, ownership need not be an issue today. Amongst enthusiasts, the Dolomite and especially Sprint are still popular, with many parts still available and excellent club support. The Dolomite became a fairly rare sight on British roads with only about 1300 roadworthy examples registered in the UK with 300-400 16 valve Sprints in 2009. This is favourable when compared to other contemporaries such as the Morris Marina, of which fewer than 800 examples out of 953,576 produced were still roadworthy, despite the Marina being a stronger seller than the Dolomite. They have a popular following throughout Europe and Australia, where Sprints were imported between 1975 and 1978, and raced at Amaroo Park and at the famous Bathurst 1000. A small number of Dolomites including the Sprint variation were also imported into New Zealand during the original production run.

Sections adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0); text is shortened. Read the full article for the complete history and citations.