On Mon, 19 Aug 1996, Glen R. Wilson wrote:
> Skoda was just one more fine marque which never sold well in the United
> States due to the characteristically underhanded corporate shenanigans
> frequently engaged in by Triumph during those dark years...
> When Triumph perceived a new threat to their
> Mayflowers in the form of the Skoda Octavia, the remnants of Joseph
> McCarthy's anti-communist cronies were pulled together to devise a scare
> campaign to reduce or ban imports of Eastern Block automobiles....
Once again, the esteamed representative of the great Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania attempts to besmirch the good name of Standard-Triumph with
a twist of the facts as he prefers to remember them. It was simply a
matter of good fortune that the 100E Fords were never subjected to
post-race scrutineering, at which point the experimental, ultra-light-
weight body shells and side-oiler 427 motors (still no match for a
properly prepared Mayflower flathead four) would have been revealed to
the world.
Good old Mr. Wilson also conveniently refuses to acknowledge the many
Mayflower outright victories at such venues as Joe's Road America (cafe
parking lot), Sears Roebuck Point, Limerock Park 'n Ride and the
Nearbeergring; or such great races as the Daytona 4.6, the June Lockhart
Sprints or the Heinz Ketchup enduro series (slowest race in the west,
east, north....). Despite the obvious cheating by the Blue Oval boys,
even the Skodas outlasted the 100E's at these venues, hampered only by
headliner fatigue and other cosmetic problems.
I won't even mention the 1-2 finish by Triumph and Skoda in the first
ever Cannonball Adderley Sea to Polluted Sea Memorial Beer Run.
Your rebuttal, Senator Wilson? ;-)
--Andy
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* Andrew Mace e-mail: amace@unix2.nysed.gov *
* *
* Mrs Irrelevant: Oh, is it a jet? *
* Man: Well, no... It's not so much of a jet, it's more your, er, *
* Triumph Herald engine with wings. *
* -- The Cut-price Airline Sketch, Monty Python's Flying Circus *
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