The exterior of the Dolomite Sprint also featured new badges and contrasting coach lines along the body. One oft-repeated rumour is that production lines could not guarantee 135bhp. The Triumph Dolomite small saloon car was produced by the Triumph Motor Company division of the British Leyland Corporation in Canley, Coventry between October 1972 and August 1980. CAMS also insisted on 500 cars for homologation requirements whilst Leyland were willing to build only 300 (from the 600 already present in Australia). 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. During this time, competing brands, such as BMW focused on producing high-performance sedans, which inspired Triumph to roll out a performance vehicle of their own. When it was released, Triumph claimed that the 2.0 liter, 16-valve, inline-four used in the Dolomite made it the worlds first mass-produced multi-valve car.. [7] While other multi-valve engines (notably the Lotus 907) were produced in volume, they were not used in mass production vehicles until after the introduction of the Dolomite Sprint. Visit The Store Here. All the dials are driver-positioned and surrounded by graceful wood paneling, which adds an ample texture to the dashboard, and adds to the sporty feel. The Latham F2 used Dolomite mechanicals (usually Sprints), but attached to a fibreglass sports car body. The Panther Rio was based on the Dolomite 1850 but was re-skinned with aluminium panels and had a completely revised interior. In 1979, to comply with upcoming UK legislation, twin rear fog lamps were also standard.

By 1972, the brand unveiled the Dolomite Sprint triumph, which went on sale the succeeding year. They are considered collectible today. In the same month, Culcheth and Syer finished fifth overall in the Snowman Rally, and seventh overall in the Mintex Rally a month later, with Tony Pond and D. Richards coming first in Group 1. 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. [36] 1977 would be the last season where factory entered Sprints would compete in any form of rallying. This represented a significant power increase over the smaller 1850cc variant. [17].

Other distinguishing features are a black simulated leather roof covering, contrasting coachlines along the body and new badges."[10].

The Triumph Dolomite Sprint would start life using the same basic body and running gear of the normal Dolomite, however things would change significantly in the engine bay. While it never got as much attention as the classic BMW 2002 or the famous Alfa Romeo 2000 GTV, the Dolomite Sprint still holds a special spot in the auto industry. It has comfy seats that feature standard armrests. Ben has had his work featured onCNN, Popular Mechanics, Smithsonian Magazine,Road & Track Magazine,the official Pinterest blog, theofficialeBay Motorsblog, BuzzFeed, and many more. Amongst enthusiasts, the Dolomite and especially Sprint are still popular, with many parts still available and excellent club support.[21].

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. For a number of reasons theDolomite Sprint was an important car for the British motoring industry, when it was released it was the first mass-produced British car with alloy wheels as standard, and Triumph claimed that it wasthe worlds first mass-produced multi-valve car the clever design of the cylinder head won a British Design Council award in 1974. 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.[1]. Due to the heavier bodyshell and somewhat fragile Group-2 tuned engine,"rated at 225bhp at 8000rpm" by 1977,[32] the Dolomite Sprint was less successful in rallying. At the 1976 Bathurst 1000, Jack Brabham's Torana was famously rammed and heavily damaged by a Dolomite Sprint driven by John Dellaca and Kerry Wade. The Dolomite bodyshell was still being made as the basic Toledo (short boot bodyshell, 1,296cc (79cuin) OHV, rear-wheel drive), the 1500 TC (standard bodyshell, 1,493cc (91cuin) OHV, rear-wheel drive) and the Dolomite/Dolomite Sprint (Standard bodyshell, 1,854cc (113cuin) / 1,998cc (122cuin), OHC, rear-wheel drive). [23] 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. Since then, the industry has received a lot of good sporting vehicles, like the Aston Martin Lagonda, the legendary Ford Taurus SHO, and many other greatest sedans that youve probably forgotten existed. 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. In January 1976 Tony Pond and D. Richards won Group 1 in the Tour of Dean Rally. The Sprint featured styling from Giovanni Michelotti, long a favorite designer for Triumph and also the designer of the BMW 2002. In addition to stunning performance, the $7700 road going Sprints were praised for full instrumentation, a walnut interior, clock, and corded bri-nylon upholstery as seen on the Porsche 911. From May 1976 onwards, the Dolomite Sprint would run alongside the TR7 before being eventually withdrawn from rallying, the TR7 V8 taking over the mantle. ISBN 9781847978936, Learn how and when to remove this template message, "The cars: Triumph 1300/Toledo/Dolomite", "Saab 99 history at The SaabMuseum.com - a comprehensive and up-to-date history of Saab cars", "The cars: Triumph Dolomite (Ajax) development story", Classic Motor Monthly Archives The Triumph Dolomite Sprint, "1975-1976 Triumph Dolomite Sprint: This Dolomite needed the mighty dollar", "Triumph Dolomite Sprint: The Torana L34-inspired 'Super Sprint' that never made it", "The story of Stirling Moss and Jack Brabham at Bathurst", "Triumph Dolomite Sprint(1973-80) BUYERS GUIDE", "Mixed-up inside but fast on the outside - Features, Motoring", "HiQ MSA British Touring Car Championship", "Appendix J to the International Sporting Code 1971, Art 252, section g", "Appendix J to the International Sporting Code 1975, Art 252, section g", "Appendix J to the International Sporting Code 1975, Art 257, section d", "STT H&R Cup: Joachim Bunkus siegt sich zum Titel beim Saisonfinale auf dem Nrgburgring", 2000 / 2300 / 2400 / 3500 / V8-S / Vitesse (SD1), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Triumph_Dolomite&oldid=1094358948, Pages with login required references or sources, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with unsourced statements from November 2020, Articles needing additional references from February 2009, All articles needing additional references, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 22 June 2022, at 04:23. Initial models were only offered in "mimosa yellow", although further colours were available from 1974 on. With emission requirements unique to Australia it was not feasible for British Leyland to reengineer the car for a small niche market. Also, this approval was removed from a later version of the FIA form of recognition for the Dolomite Sprint and was not transferred to FISA Group A approvals. The use of Weber equipped Dolomite Sprints in FIA Group 2 competitions (where choice of carburation was free) seems clear, but their use in Group 1 or "group one and a half" is not. Finding a high-performance sedan is like striking a gold mine. Sporting sedans date back to the early 1960s. The Sprint version and the standard Dolomite were among the most 70s-style cars ever made in Britain, they were originally finished in yellow but this soon gave way to a popular shade of brown and they often had vinyl covered roofs. The Dolomite Sprint was designed to offer sports car-like performance in a saloon car package, much like the German 2002 and the Italian2000 GTV, to meet the market demand for practical cars that were also fun and engaging to drive. Also available was the Panther Rio Especiale, which used the Dolomite Sprint as a base. [12] The 16v Sprint generated a profile far higher than outright sales would suggest. There was no two-door option as there had been for the Toledo, and the shorter-boot bodyshell of the Toledo ceased production. Its revs also feel solid and active. The design of the cylinder head won a British Design Council award in 1974. Ryan and Nicholson managed to win Group 1 while coming eighth overall in the Granite City Rally, and this was followed by ninth overall in the Welsh Rally and finishing second in Group 1. [15][16] 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.

The later model, introduced in September 1970 as the Triumph 1500, featured a remodelled front and rear, styled by Michelotti, and a larger 1,493cc (91cuin) engine. 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. Vale, M. (2015). the 1300 was originally fitted with a 1,296cc (79cuin) engine and front-wheel drive. [1] 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. Most important of all, it is a tremendously satisfying car to drive.

However according to Matthew Vale,[5] it was during development that Triumph switched to measuring power from imperial(SAE) to metric(DIN), which calculated outputs approximately 5 per cent lower. [31] Yet there is no evidence of any production of Dolomite Sprints fitted with HS8s. Powered by Gasoline and Caffeine. The Dolomite Sprints interior is quite unique, featuring a stylish dashboard that houses all the important buttons and knobs, such as a pressure gauge and tachometer. 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". In September Dron managed 3rd place overall in a Sprint competing in the RAC Tourist Trophy race of that year. 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. Triumph Dolomite: An Enthusiast's Guide.

Silodrome was founded by Ben back in 2010, in the years since the site has grown to become a world leader in the alternative and vintage motoring sector, with millions of readers around the world and many hundreds of thousands of followers on social media. The standard Triumph Dolomite (the non-Sprint version) was released in 1972 with a more traditional slat-four engine that has a single overhead cam operating two valves per cylinder, a swept capacity of 1,854cc, and a power output of 91bhp. With co-operation from Harry Mundy and the Engineers at Coventry Climax, a 16-valve cylinder head was designed",[3] with all of the valves being actuated using a single camshaft rather than the more conventional DOHC arrangement. The history file is extensive, including every MoT the car has ever had, it also comes with arare original brochure, an owners handbook, and the service passport booklet with 14 stamps in it. It featured a slat-four engine that had a capacity of 1,854cc. 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. It appears that, at least from some point, the racing Dolomites Sprints used in the BSCC series were fitted with larger 2" SU HS8 carburettors, instead of the 1.75" HS6 carbs of the production cars.

The Dolomite sprint also features Twin SU carburetors that are responsible for the cars outstanding throttle response. In an attempt to improve matters, the car was comprehensively re-engineered. The brakes were upgraded with new pad materials at the front, and the fitment of larger drums and a load-sensing valve at the rear.

Inspired by L34 Torana program and dubbed 'Super Sprint' this was ultimately rejected by the Confederation of Australian Motorsport(CAMS). The press gave the Dolomite Sprint an enthusiastic reception. Heres Everything You Need To Know Before Buying A Used Dodge Ram 1500, Here's What We Love About The Triumph Dolomite Sprint, many other greatest sedans that youve probably forgotten existed, Watch This 1100-HP BMW M5 F90 Take On A Ferrari F8 Tributo In Half-Mile Sprint, from a standstill to 60 mph in just under 8.4 seconds, Here's What We Love About The 1970 Range Rover, Everything You Need To Know About The Triumph Daytona 675, This Is Why We Love The 2021 Mercedes-Benz Maybach GLS 600, These Are Our Favorite Features On The Audi e-tron GT. In 1976 Broadspeed only ran one Dolomite Sprint in British Saloon Car Championship, with Rouse finishing second in the two-litre class. The Scottish Rally saw Ryan and Nicholson come 12th overall and helped win the team prize with two other TR7s. When he isn't writing, he loves to take long drives around the city, make music, and drink hot chocolate. From May 1975 on, overdrive and tinted glass were standard. The Triumph Dolomite Sprint is a performance car that made its mark in the industry and has become a prized collectible today. The early Robin Hood S7 used the front subframe and mechanical components from any Dolomite, attached to a monocoque body made out of stainless steel. The gearbox and differential in the sprint version were similar to the ones equipped on the TR series cars. Power was provided by a 1998cc single overhead cam inline-four with 16 valves, offering 127 hp and 122 lb ft of torque.

The dashboard design was the same as that fitted to the facelifted Toledo of 1975.

[22] 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. Wilfred Nkhwazi is a screenwriter, actor, and sports car enthusiast from Blantyre, Malawi. The Dolomite was the final addition to Triumph's small-car range (codenamed "Project Ajax"), which had started in 1965 with the Triumph 1300. As a performance car, the Dolomite Sprint participated in several racing championships, including the British Saloon Car Championship from 1974 to 1978. When they first came into play, the Dolomite sprint and standard version came in a yellow finish. Wilfred is pursuing an Electric Car Technology program and spends a lot of his time writing for hotcars.com, penning down fast whips, celebrity collections, and everything else in-between. [28] Influential Australian journalist Harold Dvoretsky (who in Europe, drove 1260km in a Sprint) hailed the Sprint as British Leyland's best and most advanced model since the Jaguar XJ12.[13]. Watch This Semi Truck's Turbo Break And Catch on Fire While Pulling 120,000 Lb.

The gearbox and differential were replaced by a version of those fitted to the TR and 2000 series cars, albeit with a close ratio gearset in the gearbox. From August 1975 to June 1978, 620 Sprints were exported to Australia, all in Mimosa Yellow. The Dolomite gained a reputation for fragility. The Auburn 851 Boattail Speedster, The Weird & Wonderful Reyonnah 175 Prototype N1 From 1951, A Gas Turbine/Electric Volvo 850: The 1993 Factory Prototype, An Affordable Mid-Engined Classic: The Maserati Merak SS, The First Automobile A Benz Patent-Motorwagen Ectype $60,000+ USD, Full Documentary: Last of the Giants Union Pacific Railroad, The Recaro Office Class LX: A Retro Automotive Office Chair. it required more than 417 per month for 3 evenly spaced months in 12. Crowood Press UK. Due to the increase in power brought by the new engine, the rest of the driveline was upgraded to be able to withstand the extra torque. Privacy Policy - Terms of Service - Contact Us, Americas Most Beautiful Car? Designer Giovanni Michelotti delivered a promising new design (Sprint based) resembling a Fiat 132,[1] with a squared front and BMW style 'kink'. The 1500HL had essentially identical specification to the luxury 1850 (now designated 1850HL), but again featured the 1,493cc engine. The dolomite sprint also offers decent levels of torque even at low speeds, which makes it an excellent highway vehicle. 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.

[33], Things improved slightly in 1975 when a Sprint crewed by Brian Culcheth and Johnstone Syer finished 11th overall in the Welsh Rally in May 1975 (FRW 812L). Dron won no less than seven of the twelve races outright against some stiff competition, and narrowly missed out on winning the championship outright because of tyre failure on the final race when leading his class by over a minute. The Triumph Dolomite Sprint is one of those classic cars that probably deserves to be quite a bit more famous than it actually is. This was quickly followed up with an impressive second place overall in the Tour of Britain in August 1975, and in the 1975 Lombard RAC Rally Culcheth and Syer won Group 1 and were first in class.[34]. By 1979, new rear fog lamps were added to the sprint version to comply with UK legislation. Fun fact: one of the designers of the Dolomite Sprint, Giovanni Michelotti, also designed the BMW 2002. There were other colors offered of course but brown does seem to have been remarkably popular during the age of disco, for reasons that are lost to history. 060mph acceleration took around 8.4seconds, with a maximum speed of 119mph (192km/h). At least one full-size example was built. Culcheth and Syer had to retire in the Granite City Rally held in March, while Pond and Richards came home fourth overall and finished first in Group 1. Other rivals included the Lancia Beta ($8233) and BMW 2002 ($8419). The Triumph Dolomite Sprint you see here is just about a perfect example of the species, its finished in that famous shade of 1970s brown with the black vinyl roof, and interestingly it wasoriginally a Leyland works car. Sprints were raced throughout Australia including by dealers such as Ron Hodgson. Despite acceding to the Standard version, the Sprint version received a revamped engine that had an upgraded capacity of 1998cc and featured 16 valves that were all triggered by a single overhead camshaft, making it the worlds first mass-produced multi-valve car. Triumph Dolomites continue to be used in many forms of classic motorsport today, with cars being campaigned on track, hillclimbs, rally stages and autocrosses in the UK,[37] mainland Europe,[38] and Australia,[39] as well as the USA.[40]. The Michelotti-designed Triumph Dolomite is a four-door sedan with moderately sized trunk and space inside for up to five passengers. Theres are several good reasons why sporting sedans are so popular: they drive better, they are good dragstrip companions, and they always have an athletic look, which makes them simply irresistible. Thanks to its responsive BorgWarner 65 automatic gearbox which was made available in late 1973 -the Dolomite Sprint drives smoothly and offers a thrilling experience behind the wheel unlike the manual system. By the mid-1970s, the range had become complex, with a large number of models and specifications.

In addition, all Sprints were fitted with body side trims, a plastic surround for the gearlever, and a driver's door mirror. Designed to be a replacement for the rear-wheel drive Triumph Herald,[1] In 1975 Andy Rouse won the British Saloon Car Championship outright by taking the driver's title in a Sprint. Launched in September 1970, the Triumph Toledo was a cheaper and more basic variant of the 1300, but with conventional rear-wheel drive.

In this case 135bhp SAE is 127bhp DIN.[6]. Headrests were also offered in the sprint version as an available feature. However, the otherwise completely rear-wheel drive model lineup at Triumph meant that switching to rear-wheel drive would afford significant cost savings. The engine was expected to make 135bhp, and factory test engines were producing 150bhp. The larger HS8s were also approved for FIA Group 1 from 1 Feb 1975.

The optional overdrive and automatic transmissions from the 1850 model were also offered as options on the Sprint.

A team of engineers led by Spen King, working in conjunction with Harry Mundy and the engineers at Coventry Climax, would develop a new head for this inline-four that featured 16 valves all actuated by a single overhead camshaft. The swept capacity of this new engine was increased to 1998cc, larger twin carburetors were added, and a series of other changes were made to increase power up to 135 bhp (SAE), or 127 bhp (DIN). It is well appointed, compact, yet deceptively roomy. Retirements were rather frequent resulting in failure to complete any rallies during 1974. Like the UK, the aforementioned 'special tuning' options were also available as dealer fitted options.

The 1976 models also came with a standard laminated windshield, and an FM/AM radio system. The Dolomite Sprint was campaigned in the British Saloon Car Championship from 1974 to 1978. As described by Mark Oastler, [14] Hodgson invested six figure amounts developing the Sprint into a unique competition car which was to be amongst the fastest of its type anywhere in the world. Start your free trial today. Initially, the only version available used the new slant-four 1,854cc engine, which mated an alloy overhead cam (OHC) head to an iron block, providing 91bhp (68kW) which offered sprightly performance. There was no overdrive or automatic transmission option with the 1300. 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. [29] In 1978 Broadspeed entered a sole Dolomite Sprint (driven by Tony Dron) where it won only one race outright, although the Sprint still won class B in the last year a factory entered Sprint would compete in the British Saloon Car Championship. These upgrades were designed by the factory race team and offered in order to homologate the tuning parts for competition purposes. Silodrome was founded in 2010 as a website dedicated to Gasoline Culture and all it entails - We write about modern cars, classic cars, motorcycles, racing, gear, gadgets, clothing, boats, planes, airships and the occasional submarine.Read more Silodrome 2022. all rights reserved.

Trim was similar to the 1850, with the addition of standard alloy wheels (another first for a British production car), a vinyl roof, front spoiler, twin exhausts and lowered suspension. From March 1976 headrests, a radio, and laminated windscreen were standard. Although it does use unibody construction the Dolomite Sprint did still have a live axle rear end, albeit one sitting on coil springs, with independent suspension up front along with a front disc brake and a rear drum. 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. In the following year, CAMS controversially refused to approve the Sprint's pistons, thereby denying the Sprint compliance to race in the 1977 Hardie-Ferodo Bathurst 1000.

Overall, the sprint gained 40% of power from the standard version. P. Ryan and M. Nicholson also came first in Group N in the Lindisfarne Rally held in October, and they also came second in Group 1 in the Castrol '76. The next model up, replacing the Triumph 1500 TC, was the Dolomite 1500. The Dolomite Sprint also comes with a well-weighted steering wheel that combines with the reactive brakes to give agile handling that can take on any slopes, sharp turns, and bendy roads. With a well-maintained example, ownership need not be an issue today. He has written 2 feature films and a thriller trilogy. This kept the marque alive until 1984 when the Acclaim was replaced with the Rover 200 and the Triumph Motor Company passed into history. If youd like to read more about the car or register to bid you can click here to visit the listing. History repeated itself almost 30 years later when MG Rover, a descendant of the British Leyland company that owned Triumph, converted the Rover 75/MG ZT model to rear-wheel drive.[19]. [35] In 1977, a number (probably 62) of Triumph TR7s with the same Sprint engine were manufactured as pre-production cars at Speke, Liverpool.

The Manx Rally held in September 1977 was the very last rally where a works-entered Sprint was entered, but it ended its rallying career on a high, managing seventh overall and first in Group 1 (both "Class 1" and "Production" classes) driven by Ryan and Nicholson. "A higher-powered development of the slant-four would provide the perfect engine to compete more effectively in motor sport. The Triumph Dolomite Sprint has an outstanding outer styling that is next to none, and it goes down in history as one of the most '70s-style cars to ever roll out of Great Britains assembly lines. Andy Rouse and Tony Dron won the Manufacturers Championship in 1974, Rouse went on to win the Drivers Championship in 1975, and Dron very nearly won again 1977 having won seven on the 12 races during the season he retired from the final race with a tire failure. Cars that made use of a similar concept had been in production earlier of course, but the BMW 2002 became arguably the most famous example of the breed during its lifetime, having a significant influence on other manufacturers and on BMW vehicle design going forwards.