I really can't explain it - this "dedication" to an inanimate object. I often make the joke to family and friends that when I die, just pack up a few of my favorite things and put them next to me in the Triumph and bury the whole darn thing. ;-)

It started with the initial purchase of a 1970 13/60 Triumph Herald in 1981 when I was stationed in England as part of the U.S. Air Force. Now that car had style - all the way down to it's mini-Cadillac fins! Although when I inquired about shipping the car back to the United States, that is when I found out that anything manufactured after 1964 would have to conform to the current US Safety Standards (i.e. seatbelts, catalytic converter, blah, blah, blah). So I sold the 70 and bought the 60 (Commission #GY 906) - which by the way - skated right into the country with no problems.

But then in typical Triumph fashion (at least in my experiences), about one month before the car was scheduled to be put on the boat in 1984, I was driving in the Town Centre of Ipswich - when BAM! - the engine blows.... So I had a choice - Give it up or get a "close" to original engine and get that car on the boat if it killed me. As you can see by the engine number picture on the bottom left, I believe it to be a Triumph 1200 (the "GA")..... it didn't kill me and it has hung in there for over 30 years now.

I really dig taking this car out and laughing my butt off at peoples reactions. It is even better to pull up at car shows and park next to the guys that have engines you could eat off of - mind you - that is not a bad thing, and if I had a spare $10,000 I would probably be right there chowin' down with them - but that is the whole "Triumph" part of this car..... the fact that I have managed, through all of life's adversities, to still own, maintain and enjoy this car - well, that is a triumph on it's own!

If you have any comments or questions, please feel free to drop me a line at jill@jillofalltrades.com - I'd love to hear from you. After all, I really think that there are only a select few in this world that can look at a Triumph Herald and think (to themselves, of course),