Triumph Dolomite and Dolomite Sprint (1972 to 1980)

The Dolomite was Triumph's compact executive saloon of the 1970s, built at Canley in Coventry. It came from a family that started in 1965 with the front-wheel-drive Triumph 1300, styled by Michelotti. The Dolomite combined the rear-wheel-drive running gear of the Toledo with the longer-tailed body of the front-drive 1500, and launched in 1972 as the 1850 with a new overhead-cam slant-four engine. In 1973 came the Sprint, with a 16-valve cylinder head that used a single camshaft to work all the valves, making it one of the first mass-produced cars with four valves per cylinder and the first popular British saloon with alloy wheels as standard.

A Dolomite feels compact and well finished, with a wooden dashboard and comfortable seats. The 1850 is smooth and brisk, and the Sprint is genuinely quick for its era, with a hard-edged engine note and strong mid-range. A Sprint won the British Saloon Car Championship in 1975. Reputation suffered from slant-four overheating and from rust on later cars, but a well-maintained example is durable. From 1976 the whole range wore the Dolomite name, including 1300 and 1500 models that grew from the Toledo.

• Years: Dolomite 1850 from January 1972 (shown to the press in 1971); Sprint from June 1973; whole range ended with the closure of Canley in 1980.
• Body style: four-door saloon (all Dolomites); Sprint four-door only.
• Engines: 1296cc and 1493cc overhead-valve fours (1300, 1500, 1500HL); 1854cc overhead-cam slant-four, 91bhp (1850, 1850HL); 1998cc 16-valve slant-four, 127bhp (Sprint). Classic & Sports Car gives the Sprint's peak at 5,700rpm with 122lb ft; Auto Express quotes 5,200rpm and 111lb ft.
• Gearboxes: four-speed manual with optional Laycock overdrive on third and top, or three-speed Borg Warner automatic. The Sprint uses a stronger gearbox and rear axle, with an optional limited slip differential.
• Brakes and suspension: servo front discs with rear drums; double wishbone front, live axle on coil springs with trailing and semi-trailing arms at the rear.
• Production: Classic & Sports Car gives 255,360 for 1972 to 1980 including the 1500TC, while Auto Express gives 204,003. A breakdown commonly cited includes 79,010 1850s and 22,941 Sprints, figures on which sources agree.

• 1972: Dolomite 1850 launched with twin carburettors, four headlamps and the long-tail body.
• June 1973: Sprint launched. Classic & Sports Car notes the first car was finished in Mimosa Yellow.
• October 1973: 1850 carburettors changed; the rear-drive 1500TC replaces the front-drive 1500.
• March 1975: Classics World records the change from the three-rail Vitesse-derived gearbox to a tougher single-rail gearbox on the smaller models.
• March 1976: range rationalised under the Dolomite name. Dolomite 1300 and 1500 (single rectangular headlamps, longer tail), 1500HL (replacing the 1500TC), 1850HL and Sprint. All gain laminated screens, head restraints and revised column switchgear. Overdrive is standard on the Sprint from this point, according to Classic & Sports Car. Some sources date the reorganisation to 1975.
• 1979: limited 1500SE in black with silver stripe and walnut trim; Classic & Sports Car gives 2,500 built.
• 1980: production ends.

The front-wheel-drive 1300 and 1500, and the Toledo

The Triumph 1300 of 1965 to 1970 was a front-wheel-drive saloon with a longitudinal Herald-derived engine, styled by Michelotti, with a twin-carburettor 1300TC from 1967. It was replaced in 1970 by two cars: the 1500, still front-drive but with a longer tail, four headlamps and a live rear axle, and the cheaper rear-drive Toledo, initially a two-door with a short tail and rectangular headlamps, later also a four-door. The 1500 gave way to the rear-drive 1500TC in 1973, and the Toledo was absorbed into the Dolomite range by 1976. Figures published by a long-established parts supplier give 113,008 1300s, 35,342 1300TCs, 66,353 front-drive 1500s and 113,294 Toledo 1300s. These earlier cars share the 1300/1500 engine faults noted below. Published buying advice specific to the front-drive cars is thin, so the owners' club is the best source of detail.

Bodywork and structure

Pre-1976 cars are generally reckoned to resist rust better than later ones. Under the bonnet, the hardest repair is where the windscreen pillar meets the bulkhead and inner wing. Check the chassis rails, especially at the front subframe mounts, the rear mounts and under the battery tray, along with the inner wings and suspension turrets. Externally, look at the bonnet, headlamp surrounds, the panel around the headlamps and the front valance, wing tops, A-posts, door bottoms, rear arches, lower rear wings, the area above the rear screen and the bootlid trailing edge. Sills and jacking points carry much of the strength. Bubbling under the vinyl roof on a Sprint means rust beneath. A damp interior often means a rotten floor. With permission, removing the rear seat back reveals the inner wheelarches.

Engine

The slant-four combines an alloy head with an iron block, so coolant condition is critical. Neglected antifreeze corrodes the alloy and silts up the system, leading to overheating, warped heads and head gasket failure. Water pump and jackshaft failures cause overheating too, and the water pump has to be shimmed correctly. Check for a working viscous fan and the correct radiator (the Sprint needs its own). Listen for timing chain rattle and bottom-end rumble. Rough running on Sprints is often perished carburettor mounting rubbers. On 1300 and 1500 engines, check crankshaft end float, because thrust bearing wear can ruin the block, and remember blue smoke may be bore wear as these engines have no valve stem seals.

Gearbox and drivetrain

On early three-rail gearboxes, listen for layshaft bearing noise in neutral and every gear except top. Check synchromesh and test the overdrive switch if the car can be run; faults are often just a relay or wiring. Feel for play in the differential. Sprint axles are scarce, and limited slip versions more so.

Suspension, steering and brakes

Steering slop usually comes from worn column bushes, the column coupling and universal joint, or perished rack mounts. Look for leaking dampers, sagging rear springs (the Sprint sits lower as standard) and soft rear axle bushes. The brakes are fine on the smaller cars but work hard on a Sprint, so upgrades are common. Check the master cylinder for leaks and corrosion.

Electrics and interior

Poor earths cause most electrical faults. The wood dashboard and door cappings are difficult to replace, as are original cloth seats, switches and instruments. Headlinings sag and door cards warp.

Identity and paperwork

A genuine Sprint has chassis and engine numbers with a VA prefix. Because Sprint engines and badges fit other Dolomites, check those numbers against the V5C, and look for Sprint-specific items such as the stronger axle, correct radiator and alloy wheels. Note that the Panther Rio was a coachbuilt luxury conversion, with only 38 made, so any claimed example needs firm provenance.

Mechanical parts and many body repair sections are available through specialists and the clubs, and uprated suspension, brake and engine parts are offered. Some trim and model-specific items are no longer made, and low survival rates make remanufacture difficult. The Triumph Dolomite Club (https://www.triumphdolomiteclub.com) covers the whole family including the 1300, Toledo and Sprint and has a parts operation and an active forum. The Triumph Sports Six Club (https://www.tssc.org.uk) and Club Triumph (https://www.club.triumph.org.uk) are also open to these cars.

• What is the cooling system history, including water pump, head gasket and antifreeze?
• Do the chassis and engine numbers carry the correct prefix for the claimed model?
• Has the car been welded at the chassis rails, A-posts or sills, and are there photographs?
• Is overdrive fitted and working, and which gearbox type does the car have?
• How long has it been laid up, and when was the timing chain last renewed?