1976 Triumph Dolomite

Triumph Dolomite (straight four) (Saloon), 1975-1981

The Triumph Dolomite (straight four) was in production from 1976 until 1981. Styled by Giovanni Michelotti, it is a front-engine, rear wheel drive saloon range seating five adults.

The Dolomite was never meant to get the straight four engine, even if this was the engine which the somewhat convoluted Dolomite family first received. By the mid 1970s there were three separate ranges to use the same basic shell - the 1300cc rear wheel drive Toledo, the 1500cc front wheel drive 1500, and the rear wheel drive, slant four engined Dolomites including the Sprint. When Triumph replaced the 1500 with the rear drive 1500TC, it seemed as if the range was slowly unifying - everything was now the same mechanically even if the Toledo retained a unique short shell. It seemed obvious to rationalise further by replacing the Toledo with a Toledo-spec Dolomite, and the 1500TC with a 1500cc Dolomite to boot. A confused range now, at least, had a single identity - even with two engine families, two noses and two dashboards.

There were three straight four engined models. The two door Toledo was not replaced - but the four door became the Dolomite 1300, gaining boot space into the equation. There was also a 1500cc variant, which kept the Toledo style dashboard, vinyl trim and square headlamps. The 1500TC was replaced by the 1500HL - broadly, a Dolomite 1850-spec car with the 1500cc engine. These three joined the Dolomite 1850HL and Sprint to the end of production.

The Triumph Dolomite was always pitched slightly above the more mainstream rivals - so the Austin Allegro, Morris Marina and Vauxhall Viva aren't really appropriate rivals for the Dolomite 1300 and 1500. Likewise, cars like the Audi 80 were too upmarket to compete on price grounds. Arguably the best rivals would be cars like the Ford Escort Ghia, or the Vanden Plas 1500 for the well to-do. Today, the Triumph Acclaim might also be a worthy alternative, as might the Toledo and 1500TC that the smaller engined Dolomites replaced. Even the Alfasud might have enjoyed the premium image that the Dolomite owners would have sought to capture. The Citroen GS competed on cost grounds but would have appealed to very different people.