Survival of the fittest

TRIUMPH DOLOMITE V COLT GALANT

At the time of its release in 1972, the Triumph Dolomite was a strikingly attractive package. The finely appointed compact sports saloon genre was already well established and supported by manufacturers making a name for themselves. Against the likes of BMW, Alfa Romeo and Saab, Triumph’s Dolomite was another European to wade into battle, naturally with a bit of British flair added to the mix.

The Dolomite was a curious amalgamation of parts. The body shell is immediately familiar as the 1500’s, much of the drivetrain underneath is from the rear-drive Toledo, and the interior seems to have been cut to size from the larger 2.5PI. There’s also the 91bhp slant-four engine already featured in the Saab 99, a key rival. This was, in fact, Triumph’s own engine supplied to the Swedish company, and as such it would enjoy further in-house development. Even in standard form, the Dolomite was immediately obvious as something a bit special. Like many of its rivals, its delicate blend of talents made it highly appealing. It was also great value, although it did creep up to meet its pricier European rivals in later years.

It was the Sprint that really caught the headlines though and, ever since its introduction in 1973, has stayed at the forefront of the Dolomite’s identity as it’s moved into classic car status. This full-fat version of the little sports saloon enjoyed a power hike up to 127bhp thanks to some very memorable changes to the engine. First, its capacity was increased to 1998cc, then a new