1976 Triumph Dolomite 1850 HL *Sold £4,150*

Description

• Part of a private collection
• 1850cc Twin carb
• In Sapphire Blue
• Well maintained
• Very original
• Various new parts

The Dolomite was Triumph’s upmarket addition to its sport-saloon range. Revealed at the London Motor Show in 1971 with styling by Giovanni Michelotti it was very warmly received and proved to be a great success for Triumph. Today good ones like this are hard to come by.

With lively performance, the Triumph Dolomite is a great sporty classic and highly prized. Especially ones like this that have come from a well preserved, private collection.

Background

• Registered 1 May 1976
• MOT’d until May 2023
• Original right hand drive UK car
• Owned by our vendor since 2018
• Purchased from a friend who owns a collection in Europe
• Dry stored when not in use

This Triumph Dolomite has been used sparingly during our vendor’s ownership, attending various classic car meetings such as Kop Hill and the British Leyland Day at Milton Keynes where this charming Dolomite enjoyed considerable attention.

Outside

Michelotti’s original Dolomite design was built around the four-headlamp, ‘long’ version of Triumph’s existing rear-wheel drive platform. All these years later, it still looks very smart. Triumph produced the Dolomite to go head-to-head with BMW’s new 2002. It did, very successfully.

The Sapphire Blue paintwork looks good. Like all classics it is not without its cosmetic blemishes. All of which our vendor has been very open about.

There are the usual wear and tear scratches normally associated with a classic of this age. On the front valance there are stone-chips, not unexpectedly. Moving further up there is a small indentation on the front grille panel. On the bottom of a couple of the doors, there is some crustiness, oddly the opposite is true of the others, which look remarkably good. Drain holes, we suspect are the culprits. A job for the winter involving welding wire and rust protection?

Our vendor advises “there is a prominent scratch on the roof”. That is in our Image Gallery too. It looks like a flat and polish may deal with a portion of it. Take a look.

The chrome work is good. Those lovely blade-type wrap around bumpers look to be in especially fine fettle.

Good close-up shots of notorious water traps such as the A and B pillars, rear wheel house sections and sills all reveal a rather solid Dolomite. A decent image inside the boot & rear panel give further comfort too.

We’re also told that the underside of the car appears solid – there is some denting to the transmission panel – only visible if the car is on a ramp. Wheels, their trims and tyres are all good.

All in all it comes across as an attractive little Dolly.

Inside

This Triumph Dolomite is in an attractive Sapphire Blue with dove grey cloth and vinyl interior, complemented by black carpets. With Triumph’s upmarket positioning, the 1850 HL (Hi-line) was, at the time, sumptuously-equipped:

• Wooden fascia and door cappings
• Full display of instruments
• Three spoked sports steering wheel
• High quality trim and carpets

As you can see the interior of this Dolomite is in smashing overall condition.

The Dove Grey seats and matching door cards are in good condition.

There isn’t anything missing from the interior. Everything works as it should and all door handles and window winders are in good condition and secure. There are both front and 3 x rear seat belts fitted

You’ll spot in our Image Gallery that the nearside rear quarter trim does have a tear in it. The full headlining is tight, clean and free from damage. The wood is in good condition. It would benefit from the attention of a little varnish over the winter to return its shine. That is easy enough and part of the enjoyment of classic car ownership.

The boot has its original floor covering and cardboard side panels, which seldom survive. The spare wheel cover remains, along with the original tool bag, jack, wheel nut spanner and wheel trim lever.

Mechanicals

The classic front engine, rear wheel drive Dolomite, was the first Triumph to use the new-generation single-overhead camshaft engine. It was fitted at an angle and was quickly dubbed the ‘slant four’. Triumph had been supplying Saab with this engine since 1968. The cylinder head layout and other design features were also shared with the Stag V8 engine.

The 1850 HL is fitted with twin SU carburettors pushed out 91bhp, having a top speed over 100mph.

Well maintained, this Triumph Dolomite has also had a number of new parts recently;

• New clutch slave cylinder
• Wiper washer pump and bottle
• Prop shaft centre bearing and support
• Track rod ends
• Fuel hoses and filter
• Petrol pump
• Replacement rubber carburettor insulators
• Offside front shock absorber

The Dolomite starts and drives ”perfectly” we’re told “and the 4 speed gearbox changes gears smoothly (no overdrive).”

The view under the bonnet is in-line with the rest of the Dolomite; all original and solid, but easily capable of being taken to another level if you wanted to.

There is a small history file with the Dolly from its time in our vendor’s collection and apart from the Swedish registration document from the gent he purchased the car from, there is no further documentation.

The car has a current MOT until 24th May 2023 and has Historic taxation class. The mileage (unverified) is 71,376 – as ever please make your own enquiries.

Our vendor has advised that a new MOT will be put on the car shortly.

Bottom line

This Dolomite is part a private collection. Our vendor / collector has decided to concentrate on projects that need returning to the road and let go some of his cars that he drives and enjoys, and that can be relied upon to get him to shows and events and back again which we are told is what he did with this Triumph Dolomite.

That is great news if you are bidding. It means you’ll be bidding to own and enjoy a Triumph Dolomite that has spent considerable time in two collections, is well preserved, in very original condition and has been well maintained.

If you want a bit of ‘celebrity’ stardust, Sarah tells us she has been in this Triumph. When we asked her to describe it two words were enough; a “delightful Dolomite”.

Good luck and please remember, our site uses anti-sniping software which ensures fairness to all bidders. So, if a bid for a lot is received in the last minute, the auction will go into a 2-minute overtime period for each subsequent bid.

Vehicle Location: Bracknell, Berkshire RG42 – it’s the responsibility of the buyer to make collection / transportation arrangements directly with the vendor.

Have a question about this Triumph Dolomite? Please contact the Evoke team at auction@evoke-classics.com and we will speak to the vendor on your behalf.

Guide Prices?

We’re different. But you know that. And we’re always honest. In a sector where no two classics are same, how does anyone put a ‘guide’.

Well, everyone knows the broad value of classic, let’s all be honest. So we don’t need to tell you what you already know, do we.

The ‘market’ decides and the old cliché that ‘it’s worth what someone wants to pay’ is no less true. So why kid everyone!

But, because we are different, if it really does matter to you, that’s fine, we want you to be happy. Just drop us a line at auction@evoke-classics.com and one of us will be delighted to ring you back and discuss, it’s what we do.

Tedious but it’s vital you read this, please.

We will always strive to offer the most descriptive and transparent auction listings available. However, we can’t claim to be perfect. Your own analysis is very important and we are here to help and also answer any and all queries you may have prior to purchase.

We offer and positively encourage buyers to view, or arrange inspections for each vehicle thoroughly prior to bidding.

If we do take a physical, as opposed to a remote, look at any of the vehicles on our platform, they are not those of a qualified vehicle inspector or other professional. Nor do they include a test drive unless expressly stated.

As with all vehicles of a certain age, localised paint repairs are common. This specifically applies with classics.

So, please, unless we state explicitly to the contrary, please assume that classic vehicles on our platform could have had remedial bodywork of any kind at some point in its life.

Two final comments on images and photos.

The vast majority are supplied by vendors. Camera technology has and continues to improve significantly, but please note and understand that image and sound quality does vary. If you would like vendors to provide more images please ask us and we will contact the vendor for you.

If you are at all unsure, just ask us. It is what we are here for.

Finally, finally, finally. Please note that vehicles are sold as seen and a returns policy is not applicable. This is the norm for used items acquired at auction.

Our Terms and Conditions are here and our FAQS can be found here or contact us: auction@evoke-classics.com

Got one you’d like to sell? Please feel free to get in touch to have a no obligation chat with us:

Contact The Evoke Team