I was on the phone with my dad last night and was surprised to find
out that he is now looking for a 2nd Triumph. He is looking for a TR3
to keep is TR4A company. He was telling me about his neighbor who owns
a TR3B and had just bought a TR3 in boxes. After hanging up, I started
thinking about this. It seems that every owner of a LBC is the owner
of more than one LBC (or is looking for the second one). Judging from
the posts on this list, most people have multiple LBCs. The majority
of the people in the local Triumph club have more than one. What is
it about these things that causes people to seemingly go overboard?
When talking about a "normal" car, most people are happy with one (or
one per driver in the family). A car is considered a large investment
that is expensive to maintain, thus the minimum number of vehicles is most
desireable. With LBCs, people seem to throw reason to the wind and
accumulate cars like they are limited edition plates. In my case, I like
to work on them so I need more than one so I will always have one that
needs attention. In my dad's case (and his neighbor's), he pays someone
to work on them and just enjoys driving them. But why does he want more than
one when he wasn't sure he even wanted the first one?
I guess an answer could be that they are more than just something to drive.
They are individuals with character and personality. They also say
something about the driver. Maybe having more than one underlines that
statement ("She's REALLY bonkers!") In any event, I think this trend
is good for the hobby. The people who really love the cars will soon have
them all and pass them on to other lovers, preserving the cars and keeping
them on the road.
Peace,
Mike Burdick - 3 and counting...
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