Yesterday (Oct. 9) I made it to the TVR national meet car
show, Out Of The Woodwork, at Round Valley park, in New Jersey.
Great collection of cars. More TVRs than the average person
sees in a lifetime. And the best was one brand new 1994 TVR.
I don't know what they call the model, but lordy, lordy, I
want one. If Sophia Loren were to be reincarnated as a British
Car, this is what she'd be. Nobody was around to open the
bonnet, so no peeks at the engine. Super smooth aero body,
in great contrast to other recent TVRs, including glass covers
over the headlights.
One Roller, a mid-30s Phantom III, as I remember. What a
gorgeous Land Yacht! All polished wood and nickle plating,
with huge tires on giant wire wheels, with clean leather
covers over the leaf springs to keep the grease in and the
dust out. The only way to cruise the highways.
There were very few Jags, mostly XKEs, with none of the older
XK models. Plentiful MGs and TRs. One Morgan trike with JAP
engine. One Isetta, one Crosley Hotshot (never saw one of
those before). Two Nash Metropolitans. Many inspiring Austin
Healeys (gotta get back into the garage this week!). I guess
there must have been about 300 cars total, with one third of
them TVRs.
There were six or so trailers parked in the next lot, probably
mostly transporting TVRs. I noted several of the real trailer
queens that had been parked, and then their tires completely
treated with Armorall. I think this is the real definition of
obsession, when you want the tires to look like they have
never been in contact with the road. I really preferred the
cars that had a few rock chips in the paint and the smell of
nice hot Castrol wafting out of the engine compartments.
Different strokes, I suppose.
Jim Beckman 1955 A-H BN1 jeb@mtgbcs.att.com
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