Hello Robert,
Well it certainly looks like we've pushed each other's hot buttons,
doesn't it? I going to reply and I hope you'll consider my viewpoint; I
certainly understand yours.
Robert D. Coviello wrote:
>
> While I have not written anything on the Digest before, I feel moved to add
>my 2 cents worth. It seems that some feel that anyone wanting to show an
>obviously non-concours car for "free" is stealing from those who paid stiff
>entrance fees.
>
> I strongly disagree. For every concours car entered, there are several true
>enthusiasts who feel left out and even more furure Triumph owners and
>preservers of Triumphs) who might feel there is no place for less than
>fanatics who clean their cars only with toothbrushes and Q-tips and compete
>for awards. God, man, these are cars that were meant to be driven, though one
>might never realize this by the number of trailered cars at some shows.
Why is it you group me and any other people who choose to participate in
concours as something less than an enthusiast? What criterion do you
use
to make this assumption? While mine aren't stellar, they are pretty
typical of most of the concours owners I know. My first car I ever
bought after graduating from high school was my 1972 TR6. I traded that
in on my second car, a 1974 1/2 TR6 with overdrive. My third car? My
1973 GT6, which I absolutely loved. Sold it to my brother to buy my 4th
and current car, my 1973 TR6 with overdrive and hardtop. I've added
air-conditioning to it also. Maybe you read the article I wrote about
that task in 6-Pack? I'm still getting inquiries about it. I bought the
73 back in 1977 and still have it today. It's as much a part of our
family as I am! While it is not concours quality, it is in excellent
original condition and turns heads wherever it goes. I have two other
Triumphs also. I have a 1981 TR8 fuel-injected car which I rescued out
of a dirt floor barn in Siler City, N.C. It was in really sorry shape
and looked awful, but since I knew it was one of the last Triumphs ever
made, I just felt it was my duty to save it. It was a very hard task.
Wedge cars never got a whole lot of respect, thus not many parts
available for them. I spent far more money than I would ever be able to
get from it if I sold it, which I never will, My other Triumph? A TR8
coupe which is actually my favorite. I purchased that car sight unseen
from Toronto, Canada and drove it to Greensboro, N.C., where I live,
without one tool in the car or with any mechanical problems.
How else can my status of a Triumph enthusiast be judged? Well I'm the
President of the Triumph Club of The Carolinas and before that I was
Media Chairman of our club. We hosted the VTR National Convention in
1994. Words cannot explain the amount of time and effort that goes into
putting on one of those. Additionally our club hosts a regional event,
The Gathering, the last weekend of May each year. It is a multi-marque,
three day event that is a lot of work in its own right. It is well
accepted in the British car community. I also belong to 6-Pack and the
TR8 Car Club of America. On top of all these Triumph activities, I am a
member of the Triad Austin-Healey Club and the Austin-Healey Club of
America. I am the Historian of the TAHC and am active in their events
and activities also. Additionally, I was recently honored to be
appointed
the Vehicile Consultant of the Vintage Triumph Register for the TR7 and
TR8. So far this year I have fielded 35 inquiries from owners seeking
help with their cars.
If I am not a true enthusiast why did I drive 1158 miles one way this
year to attend the VTR National Convention? To see if I could win a few
plaques? HA! I could have bought every plaque a trophy shop had in
stock for what it cost me to restore my 81 TR8. Yes I do trailer my
cars. Last year I used my 79 TR8 coupe to pull the 81 971 miles one way
up to Albany, N.Y. The 81 won its Senior Concours award and the stock
TR8 Autocross class last year. The 79 won the TR8 Concours class also
last year. I didn't autocross the 79 as I didn't want to break it
knowing it had a another 971 mile tow with the 81 to get home. However
the 79 did win the Stock TR8 Autocross class this year in Ft. Worth,
along with its Seniors Concours award. At shows closer to home, I load
the TR6 on the trailer, my wife drives to other TR8, and we take all
three. Since you own multiple Triumphs, you know just how much work is
involved taking three cars to a show. We only took the coupe to Ft.
Worth this year, towing it with my wife's truck. But it only got to
ride one way. We traveled back with some friends whose 1963 Triumph
Italia 2000 overheated about an hour or so outside of Dallas. I took my
car off the trailer, put their's on and let them drive mine back, a trip
of at least a 1,000 miles. Did that bother me? Not in the slightest.
In 1995 on our way to the VTR Convention in Rockford, IL, the 81 TR8
suffered a catastrophic transmission failure. Some friends of ours took
their newly rebuilt Spitfire off their trailer and drove it while towing
our sick car home. This year allowed me to repay to someone the kindness
shown to us in 1995. I won't mention the the 94 convention, as our club
hosted it in Asheville, N.C. a mere 200 miles away except to say I had
just gotten the
81 out of the paint shop on June 25th. It was completely dissembled
except for the rear end and the dash board. I worked every night until
2 AM for over a month putting it back together in order to have it in
Asheville by August 6th. It made it; I did just barely! Anything else
to judge me by? Well while I don't have every book ever written about
Triumphs, I have a pretty extensive library on them. I consult it a lot
not only for enjoyment, but to help research questions and problems
people pose to me regularly. Am I an enthusiast?
>
> By allowing the "common" guy to bring his machine for no fee or a nominal
>fee, you embrace the group that allowed our marque to be produced and to
>survive as long as it did. You might even end up converting some of these
>owners of 'drivers' to take up the restoration and concours hobby, bring even
>greater revenues to your clubs. You also increase the number of cars present
>at the shows so that people who come purely as observers feel less bad about
>spending money to see the cars. That means more attendance at the shows and
>even more revenue.
> Bob Coviello
> 2-'69 TR6s
> '74 TR6
> '65 TR4
I'm as common a person as they come. I think the context of which I
wrote plays a big part here. We're speaking of a National Convention,
not a local show. At The Gathering, our club's show, we do indeed have
show day only registrations for a nominal fee, but not for free. At a
national convention, allowing someone to display their car for free
would be mocking those in attendance and asking the host club to spend
money, time and effort with no chance of a return whatsoever. Embrace a
group?
You bet, the VTR and most local Triumph Clubs that I know of do a great
job of holding the doors wide open to Triumph owners of all models and
conditions. Will I ever be able to convert somebody? I doubt it. That
comes from within. But I truely do enjoy talking with people at shows,
looking at other cars and enjoying the common bond we share.
As for show being great money makers for clubs I can speak personally to
that. For the amount of work I put in on our club's show this year I
will gladly match the profit out club made out of my own pocket if
somebody else will do it next year. I hope the host club broke even
this year in Ft. Worth. I know they were worried about it all weekend.
Do clubs do these things to make money? No they do it for the love of
the cars, the people and the satifaction of a job well done. Plus they
are giving something back instead of just taking all the time. People
will join clubs and attend shows when they feel accepted. Otherwise
they will just own their cars and dream that there might be a group of
people that
appreciate Triumphs as much as they do.
Well I've certainly had writer's diarrhea, haven't I? Please don't take
this as an attempt to start a flame war, that's the last thing I want.
I accept your position, but disagree with it. I trust you'll do the
same with mine.
Bill Wood
1973 TR6
1979 TR8 Coupe
1981 TR8 F.I.
Greensboro, N.C.
> Bob Coviello
> 2-'69 TR6s
> '74 TR6
> '65 TR4
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