Thanks to a blog in the latest Hemmings newsletter I've become aware that Englishman John Macartney has successfully driven a restored Triumph Stag across North America. The Stag left Florida on June 27, and crossed the finish line in San Luis Obispo, California, this past Sunday after meeting up with Triumph clubs in Canada and the United States during the trip. Such a drive may not sound like much but this is, after all, a vintage car and John put 15,422 miles on the V-8-powered roadster. "It's in excellent shape," John told Hemmings. "It used, for the whole journey, precisely one pint of oil. It has used no water. It goes like a bloody rocket, and I shall be very sad to say goodbye to it. The only mechanical components to fail, he said, were one fuel pump and one battery. The rationale behind the drive was to raise money for three charities. An online auction of the car is likely, with the first funds going to reimburse the expenses of those who paid for the restoration, the balance to the charities.

I remember well when the Stag was launched in 1970. I was working in London at the time and my art director and I were quite excited about the car's lovely Michelotti styling and unique 3-liter V-8 engine. The Stag was a 2+2 convertible with the added advantage of a built-in roll bar which added both safety and stiffness but may have contributed to its lack of success for it's quite possible that prospective owners preferred the look of a "real" convertible. As well, the Stag developed a reputation for engine unreliability. Incidentally that engine was a marriage of two overhead-cam slant fours originally designed by Triumph for Saab and later used in the TR7.

Apologies to regular viewers who may have been unable to log on recently: A portion of the Creative Weblogging server system, which included Classical Drives, was down for several days due to a complex technological problem. All's well now and starting Monday I'll return to the regular three blogs a week schedule.

[Photo credit: David LaChance]