The Car / Paint & Trim
Colours & Paint Codes
Every Stag carries its factory colour on the commission plate under the bonnet, as a paint code sitting beside the commission number and trim code. Read the plate first, then verify the code against a published chart before ordering paint.
This page explains how Triumph's paint and trim coding works, where to find it on the car, and the change of system in 1977 that catches people out. It deliberately does not publish a full list of Stag colours with their codes. No complete list has been verified to the standard this archive works to, and a wrong code sends somebody to a bodyshop with the wrong tin. The reliable sources for the full list are named at the end.
Where the code is
The commission plate is riveted to the scuttle under the bonnet, on the passenger side. It carries three separate entries: the commission number, the paint code and the trim code. The commission number and what it tells you are covered on the identification page, which also includes a decoder for the production ranges.
Two coding systems, and the change that catches people out
From the early 1960s to the mid 1970s, Triumph used two or three digit numeric paint codes. Examples from the wider Triumph range include 32 for Signal Red and 25 for Conifer Green. In March 1977 the system changed from numbers to three-letter codes, in which the first letter indicates the colour group.
Cars built around that transition can carry a mix of the two systems, which is a common source of confusion. A late Stag may show a letter code where an earlier one shows a number, and paperwork compiled across the changeover does not always agree with itself.
Trim codes
Trim codes use the same numbers as the paint codes, with a prefix letter indicating the material: no letter for vinyl, H for leather, C for cloth. The trim code sits on the same commission plate, so paint and interior can be read together.
The Stag palette, in general terms
The Stag was built from 1970 to 1977 and was given a more upmarket colour range than most Triumphs of the period, including several metallic options, which was unusual for Triumph at the time. Metallic colours that can be named with confidence are Astral Blue, Tara Green and Midas Gold.
Beyond those, this page names no other colours and attaches no codes to colour names, because those pairings have not been verified. A full authoritative list is best obtained from the sources named below rather than from any single website, this one included.
A note on Old English White. It is often asked about for Stags, but it was a BMC colour rather than a Triumph one. Owners discussing the point report that early Stags used Pure White instead. That attribution comes from an owners' forum rather than a factory document, so treat it as owner consensus rather than settled fact.
Matching the paint in practice
The plate tells you what the car left the factory as, not necessarily what it is now. A Stag repainted in its life may no longer match its commission plate, and even an original colour will have aged. The originality page covers how to judge what a correct car should carry.
- Modern paint suppliers can scan an original surface and mix a match from the scan, which is how owners deal with a colour that has no usable modern formula.
- Use an unfaded original area for the scan, for example beneath a tonneau cover or inside a door shut.
- Have a colour match test done before committing to a respray. An aged car will rarely be the exact original shade, and a test panel is cheaper than a wrong respray.
Where to get the full list
Rimmer Bros publish a Triumph paint chart covering the Stag, together with a key to the paint and trim identification codes. These are linked as references, not as a recommendation to buy; this site carries no advertising and has no commercial relationship with any supplier.
For a specific car, the Stag Owners Club is the better authority. The club's members and register can confirm what a car left the factory wearing, which matters more than any general chart when a respray or an originality question depends on the answer.
Common questions
- What colours did the Triumph Stag come in?
- A wider and more upmarket range than most Triumphs of the period, including several metallic finishes, which was unusual for Triumph at the time. Named metallics include Astral Blue, Tara Green and Midas Gold. This page deliberately does not publish a full list with codes, because no complete list has been verified to a standard this archive trusts. Rimmer Bros publish a Triumph paint chart covering the Stag, and the Stag Owners Club register is the better authority for a specific car.
- Where is the paint code on a Triumph Stag?
- On the commission plate, which is riveted to the scuttle under the bonnet on the passenger side. The plate carries the commission number, the paint code and the trim code as separate entries.
- What is the trim code on a Triumph Stag?
- The trim code uses the same numbers as the paint codes, with a prefix letter indicating the material. No letter means vinyl, H means leather and C means cloth. It appears on the commission plate alongside the paint code.
- Was Old English White a Triumph colour?
- Old English White is often asked about for Stags, but it was a BMC colour rather than a Triumph one. Owners discussing the point on the forums report that early Stags used Pure White instead. That comes from an owners' forum rather than a factory document, so treat it as owner consensus rather than settled fact.
- How do I match the paint on my Stag?
- Start with the paint code on the commission plate, bearing in mind that a resprayed car may no longer match it. Modern paint suppliers can scan an original surface and mix from the scan, using an unfaded area such as beneath a tonneau cover or inside a door shut. Always have a colour match test done before committing to a respray, because an aged car will rarely be the exact original shade.