The Triumph Dolomite was a small saloon built by British Leyland in Canley, Coventry, between October 1972 and August 1980. It combined the body of the front-wheel-drive Triumph 1500 with the running gear of the Toledo, and its Sprint version brought a 16-valve engine to a mass-produced British car.
Triumph Dolomite at a glance
| Maker | Triumph Motor Company (British Leyland), Canley |
|---|---|
| Production | October 1972 – August 1980 |
| Shown | London Motor Show, October 1971 |
| Body | four-door saloon, front engine, rear-wheel drive |
| Engine | 1854 cc slant-four, 91 bhp |
| Sprint engine | 1998 cc 16-valve slant-four, 127 bhp at 5700 rpm |
| Sprint torque | 165 Nm at 4500 rpm |
| Sprint 0–60 mph | about 8.4 seconds |
| Sprint top speed | 119 mph |
| Rivals | BMW 2002, Ford Cortina GXL |
Based on the English Wikipedia article on the Dolomite.
History of the Triumph Dolomite
Background: Project Ajax
The Dolomite was the last addition to Triumph’s small-car range, codenamed Project Ajax, which had begun in 1965 with the front-wheel-drive Triumph 1300. The 1300 never sold as well as the simpler Herald, so Triumph re-engineered it: the rear-wheel-drive Toledo arrived in September 1970 as a cheaper, more basic variant, and the front-wheel-drive Triumph 1500, with a Michelotti-restyled body and a 1493 cc engine, came at the same time.
1972: the Dolomite
The Dolomite was unveiled at the London Motor Show in October 1971 as the successor to the upmarket front-wheel-drive models and to the six-cylinder Vitesse, though strikes meant full production did not begin until October 1972. The name revived a pre-war Triumph range. The car used the longer bodyshell of the 1500 with most of the Toledo’s rear-wheel-drive running gear, and initially only one engine was offered: the new 1854 cc slant-four, an alloy overhead-cam head on an iron block giving 91 bhp — the same engine family Triumph supplied to Saab for the 99. It was aimed at the compact performance-luxury class against the BMW 2002 and Ford Cortina GXL, with twin headlamps, full instrumentation, a clock, luxury seats, a heated rear window and a cigar lighter. Top speed was 100 mph and 0–60 mph took just over 11 seconds.
1973: the Sprint
The Dolomite was refined and quick, but the BMW 2002 had the edge, so Triumph unveiled the Dolomite Sprint in June 1973, a year later than planned. Spen King’s team, with Harry Mundy and engineers at Coventry Climax, designed a 16-valve cylinder head in which all the valves were worked by a single camshaft rather than the usual twin-cam arrangement. Capacity rose to 1998 cc and, with bigger carburettors, output reached 127 bhp at 5700 rpm and 165 Nm at 4500 rpm. The engine had been expected to make 135 bhp and factory test engines produced 150 bhp, so the car was to be called the Dolomite 135; the name changed to Sprint, and one explanation is the switch from SAE to DIN measurement, under which 135 bhp SAE becomes 127 bhp DIN.
Sprint equipment and the end
The Sprint has been called the world’s first mass-produced multi-valve car, and its cylinder head won a British Design Council award in 1974. It came with standard alloy wheels — another British first — a vinyl roof, front spoiler, twin exhausts and lowered suspension, and the driveline was uprated with a close-ratio gearbox and larger rear brakes. Acceleration to 60 mph took about 8.4 seconds and top speed was 119 mph. The Dolomite went out of production in August 1980.
Design and features
- Mixed parentage — the 1500’s long body with the Toledo’s rear-wheel-drive running gear.
- Slant-four engine — 1854 cc with an alloy overhead-cam head, also supplied to Saab.
- Sprint 16-valve head — all valves driven by one camshaft, 127 bhp, Design Council award in 1974.
- Well equipped — twin headlamps, full instruments and luxury trim aimed at the BMW 2002.
Triumph Dolomite versions
- Dolomite 1850 (1972–1980): the original 91 bhp model.
- Dolomite Sprint (1973–1980): 1998 cc 16-valve, 127 bhp, alloy wheels and vinyl roof.
- Overdrive and automatic: optional on the 1850 and the Sprint.
- Limited-slip differential: an option on the Sprint.
The Dolomite was developed from the Triumph 1300 and the Toledo, and it replaced the Vitesse. More in the Triumph collection.
Sources
- Triumph Dolomite, English Wikipedia: background, design, Sprint engine and equipment
