Originally under consideration to replace the Triumph 1500/Dolomite, this concept started life as an ordinary Dolomite, which was shipped to Italy where Michelotti transformed it, replacing the body with new sheet metal - except for the doors. It has the 16-valve Dolomite Sprint engine.

Giovanni Michelotti had been responsible for styling the majority of Triumph cars since the Herald of 1959 but this face-lifted Dolomite would be his last proposal for the company.

The old Standard-Triumph combine had joined the Leyland Motors group in 1961 and thus became part of British Leyland Motor Corporation when it was formed in 1968. In 1972 the British Leyland management decided to merge the independent car companies.