Triumph Dolomite, 1500TC & Toledo (1970-1980)

Looking for an every day classic that won’t break the bank? Triumph’s Seventies saloons just might be the answer

Whether you’re looking to buy your first classic or you’re an old hand, Triumph’s compact saloons from the 1970s make ideal classic transport. The trouble is, making sense of Triumph’s muddled model range isn’t easy, what with Toledos, Dolomite, 1500TCs – and that’s without taking into account the front-wheel drive models. Indeed, quadratic equations and calculus will be a breeze once you’ve unravelled the mysteries of Triumph product planning.

It doesn’t matter which Triumph saloon you buy, it’ll be underpriced, easy to maintain, cheap to run and well supported by both clubs and specialists. Even better, these cars are great to drive and eminently practical thanks to rear-wheel drive and perky engines, a relatively luxurious interior and four decently sized seats in all models.

If you want something that’s got seriously strong performance, go for a Dolomite Sprint: with its 16-valve two-litre engine, it’s got plenty of power and torque to keep up with modern traffic –
and thanks to an increasing amount of interest in the car, values are starting to climb. You’ll have to act fast though, because these cars are still being scrapped. Even though there were 120,000 Toledos, 25,000 1500TCs and 230,000 Dolomites built, survivors aren’t as plentiful as you might think.

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