Our friends at "The Open Road" are doing it again, offering a free day's rental in a classic sports car. During the month of April it's a Triumph Stag, about which I'll add a few words in a moment. To win a day in the Stag you need only participate in a relatively simple contest. To drive it you must live in the UK or be visiting on vacation or business. "Click on this link" for the details.

Ah, yes... the Triumph Stag. During my four years living and working in London I thought it would be a lovely car for a guy with a wife and two kids. Only in later years did I learn that the Michelotti-designed tourer had a few flaws although to be honest I'd have cheerfully overlooked them. The Stag was a short-chassis, convertible version of the Triumph 2000 sedan with a 2,997 cc V-8 engine added. Its most noteable feature was the T-shape roof structure which, like all such devices, had nothing to do with protection in rollovers but was essential in maintaining structural integrity. The engine was based on the 4-cylinder Triumph Dolomite: two blocks wrapped around a central crankshaft. If memory serves me that engine was again dissected to create Saab's first 4-cylinder unit, on license from Triumph.

Rest assured, The Open Road has upgraded its Stag to eliminate any reliability concerns. A recent repaint has it looking like new again, so you can drive proudly on those challenging UK roads, waving to the many classic car enthusiasts along the way. If it were me, I'd rent the Stag for two weeks and head south to Nice, taking that winner's free day to explore the roads and fine dining of Provence.