Members of the club took their cars for a drive to the Stratford plateau, followed by morning tea at the Stratford Mountain House on the Saturday. Photo / Supplied
Members of the club took their cars for a drive to the Stratford plateau, followed by morning tea at the Stratford Mountain House on the Saturday. Photo / Supplied
Just a couple of weeks after Taranaki was packed with American cars, a smaller group of British cars made their way through the region over Taranaki Anniversary weekend.
While they might make less noise than their American counterparts, you would be foolish to overlook the classic Triumph Stag, says Richard Glass, club captain of the Stag Drivers Car Club, members of which had travelled to the region for their biennial get together.
Richard, who with his wife Robyn owns a 1973 Mark II Triumph Stag, says the Triumph Stag is probably appreciated now more than it was during its, admittedly very short, production life.
"They were a bit of a marketing disaster back in the 70s when they were actually made. The car was released to the general public too early and had many teething problems. Now, 50 years on, those teething problems have all been sorted and it's actually a pretty reliable car now."
Richard and Robyn own a 1973 Mark II Triumph Stag. Photo / Supplied
It's gained in popularity over the years both in the UK where it was made, and elsewhere like the USA and New Zealand, says Richard.
"There are about 240 Triumph Stags in New Zealand now that we know of, and our club has over 130 members currently. In fact, the Stag Drivers Car Club is the biggest single model car club in the country."
Richard isn't surprised the club has a large membership.
"It's a friendly club, it's not competitive, people aren't trying to say their car is better or faster. Other than the occasional car which may have been hotted up a little they are all pretty much the same. The club is just brilliant, supportive and social with lots of like-minded people with the same interests getting together."
Lindsay and Anita Maindonald of Eltham, standing by their 1972 Triumph Stag. Photo / Supplied
He isn't surprised by the increase in popularity of the car itself either.
"When it came to buying mine about six years ago, I knew I wanted a British sports car, I have had MGs in the past but I wanted something with four seats. The fact the Triumph has a V8 engine was a nice fact too. It was also a car that fitted in my price range, it is affordable, and the parts aren't hard to get as they can be shipped from the UK to here easily enough."
Being able to access spare parts is important when it comes to owning a Triumph Stag, he says, adding he has just about rebuilt his car since he bought it.
Robyn and Richard Glass say the Triumph Stag is a great classic car to own. Photo / Supplied
"It's pretty standard for Stag owners to have to do a bit of work on the car when they get it. A 50-year-old car will always obviously need some work and repairs in its lifetime."
When it came to getting their engines running for the biennial get together, Richard says the club had a good turnout overall.
"We didn't have as many as in other years, as Covid-19 restrictions meant none of our members from Auckland or Northland could come, but we had three over from the South Island, with one coming from as far away as Gore. We did have a couple that didn't make it - one didn't actually manage to leave the garage, while another one is in Paraparaumu waiting for a new fuel line."
Club members enjoyed a great weekend in Taranaki, says Richard.
"There is plenty to see and do here, we drove up to the plateau, had morning tea at the Mountain House, we visited Tawhiti Museum, we took the club members for a drive out to see Bryce Barnett's classic car collection so we had plenty on the schedule as well as lots of time to enjoy driving along Taranaki roads."
The cars made for an eye-catching display outside a corn field near Tawhiti Museum where club members stopped for a visit and lunch on the Sunday. Photo / Supplied
The get-together alternates between the North and South Island each time, says Richard, and he says Taranaki did the North Island proud.
"It was a great location and everyone enjoyed themselves. The feedback has all been positive."
Richard says the club is always happy to welcome new members, if anyone owns a Stag and would like to find out more, they can contact him on 021 183 8959.
