Editing Triumph slant-four engine (section)

==History==
In 1963 Triumph's Chief Engine Designer Lewis Dawtrey presented the results of his analysis of future engine technology trends and Triumph's anticipated needs.<ref name="scjun-jul84"/> After evaluating [[Wankel engine|rotary]], [[Flat engine|horizontally opposed]], [[V4 engine|V4]] and [[V6 engine|V6]] configurations Dawtrey recommended an [[Overhead camshaft|OHC]] engine family composed of both [[Inline-four engine|Inline-4]] and [[V8 engine|V8]] engines that could be built with the same tooling. The new range would be built in capacities of 1.5&nbsp;L to 3.0&nbsp;L, allowing it to replace both the four-cylinder [[Standard SC engine|Standard SC]] and derivative [[Triumph I6]] engines whose roots reached back to the [[Standard Eight]] of 1953. The recommendation was accepted and development began in-house at Triumph by a design team led by Dawtrey and [[Harry Webster]].<ref name="robsonlangworth"/> The initial model was to be a 1.5&nbsp;L inline four.

At about the same time [[Saab Automobile|Saab]] was working on designing and building 55 hp 1.2-litre and 68 hp 1.5-litre prototype inline four engines for their upcoming [[Saab 99|99]] model.<ref name="colebook"/><ref>{{cite book |last1=Robson |first1=Graham |title=Triumph Cars: The Complete Story |date=2000 |publisher=Motor Racing Publications Ltd |isbn=0947981284 |page=255-256}}</ref> UK engineering and consultancy company [[Harry Ricardo|Ricardo]] was involved in the Saab project and, while not directly involved in development of the slant-four, did have a general engine-development contract with Triumph and was aware of their progress. When Saab determined that developing their own engine would be too expensive and too risky, Ricardo put Saab into contact with Triumph.<ref name="scjun-jul84"/>

Triumph agreed to supply Saab with 50,000 slant-four engines per year for the new 99.<ref name="colebook"/> Displacement had risen from 1.5&nbsp;L to 1.7&nbsp;L. Saab had exclusive use of the slant-four for the first several years of production.<ref name="aronline"/> Saab retained its existing [[transaxle]], which was configured to be driven from the front of the engine. This required that the slant-four be turned 180° so that the clutch and flywheel were in the front.<ref name="valebook"/>{{rp|47, 48}} A consequence of this is that the "front"-mounted water pump would be facing the firewall/bulkhead and be inaccessible, prompting it to be relocated to the top of the cylinder block.

The engine was used first by Triumph in the [[Triumph Dolomite|Dolomite]] 1850, which appeared in 1972. The regular Dolomite used the 1.85&nbsp;L engine, while the sportier [[Triumph Dolomite Sprint|Dolomite Sprint]], unveiled in June 1973, got both a new cylinder head and an increase in displacement to 2.0&nbsp;L. The slant-four was also used by [[Panther Westwinds|Panther]] in the Dolomite-based [[Panther Rio|Rio]] (1975–1977). The [[Triumph TR7|TR7]] debuted in 1975 with the 2.0&nbsp;L engine and 8-valve cylinder head. A few pre-production [[Triumph TR7 Sprint|TR7 Sprint]] models received the sportier Sprint engine in 1977. Triumph stopped producing the slant-four when the TR7 was discontinued in 1981.

The V8 member of the engine family first appeared in a Triumph vehicle in 1970, fully two years before the slant-four. Development of the V8 had continued throughout the mid- to late-1960s, with early engines displacing 2.5&nbsp;L. When [[Charles Spencer King|Charles Spencer (Spen) King]] took over as Head of Engineering from Webster, he authorized continued development of the [[Triumph V8]], and was also instrumental in getting the car it powered, the [[Triumph Stag]], into production.<ref name="valestagbook"/> The production V8 displaced 3.0&nbsp;L.

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