THE term 'executive express' is now commonplace in the automotive arena, a sector now dominated by German cars.
But back in the late 1960s Britain was king of the hill with fabulous management-mobiles like the Triumph 2.5 which was developed from the 2000 model.
It all came about in 1968 when the company started a development programme for the original 2000 design.
Fitting a detuned TR5 sports car fuel-injected petrol six-cylinder into the 2000 hull gave the 2.5 PI the edge on some competitors, but the injection system was plagued with faults and held the car back in an increasingly tough marketplace.
One of the main problems was that the fuel injection system could not cope with high ambient temperatures. Cars exported to Australia suffered badly because of the summer heat.
The electric fuel pump commonly overheated causing fuel to vaporise and render the engine inoperable until the pump cooled down.
The overheating of the pump was caused by a combination of very high pressure fuel loads and a pump that was adapted from what was originally a windscreen wiper motor.
Then came the 2.5 PI Mk II featuring the revised Michelotti front and rear panel changes which gave the car a graceful, updated look for the 1970s.
New lamps were key features and the front of the car was almost identical to that of the new Stag grand tourer which gave the saloon added appeal.
There were entry-level 2000 models, which were the most plentiful, but the remainder of the range consisted of 2500, 2500 TC and 2500 PI models. Apart from the PI (petrol injection) models, all Triumph 2000 and 2500s had twin carbs.
Perhaps the best of the bunch was the 2500S which appeared in June 1975 which replaced the 2.5 PI injected model which quietly slipped away from the showrooms, marking the end of fuel injection for the range.
Although, at 106mph the 2500S was not the fastest of the bunch, the manufacturers claimed improved acceleration. This, in my view was by far the best and most reliable of the 2.5 variants and was very advanced with standard power steering and alloy wheels.
The MkII also featured the obligatory estate version which again was very smart for its time
The passing of the 2500 in 1977 was a sad day for the British car industry because it was the last big Triumph, being supplanted by BL's new executive car, the Rover SD1.