Why a Stag?

If you want a British classic that takes four people with the roof down and sounds like a V8, the Stag is close to the only choice. The alternatives with those ingredients wear Mercedes or Rolls-Royce badges and cost far more.

What owners like

• The engine: smooth, torquey and a great noise
• Relaxed, long-distance cruising, especially in a manual with overdrive
• Proper space for four adults on a run
• Michelotti's styling, which has aged very well

What to know before you buy

• Cooling is everything. Most of the Stag's bad reputation traces back to overheating. Check the radiator, water pump, hoses, cap and fan, and ask what has been done. See the Cooling section.
• Manual with overdrive cars are the most sought after. Many automatics have been converted, some to the Triumph four-speed with overdrive, some to a Rover five-speed.
• Engine swaps are common, from Rover and Leyland P76 V8s to Ford and Toyota. A car with its original engine, or matching numbers, is worth more to most buyers. The commission number is the car's identity. It's on the plate on the left-hand door pillar, where the door shuts, and Australian cars repeat it on the compliance plate under the bonnet; look it up in the Register.
• Parts are nearly all available, new or remanufactured, and several specialists ship overnight.

Of roughly 26,000 built, about 10,000 are thought to survive worldwide.

Checking a car before you buy? The Stag Archive in the UK has a detailed buying guide and an identification guide.