A 52 Year Love Affair
I bought my first Triumph 52 years ago – a Signal Red, 1962 TR4, with black interior and overdrive. Over the years the car was never restored, just fixed to keep it running. It remained my daily driver until 1970. When the time came to do a full restoration, for cost and expediency reasons, the decision was made to replace the car instead.
I searched all over North America for the best car I could find – without spending ridiculous money. On a business trip to the Okanagan Valley, I contacted Len and Scott Drake (Drakes’ Motors) about looking around their shops. I had no intention at that point of buying a car when I set out to meet Len Drake that Saturday morning, but was smitten once again. Upon returning to Ontario, I showed Chris pictures of the cars and kept talking about one in particular. Finally, she said “Why don’t you just buy it?” Does a British Car aficionado need any more encouragement than that?
The replacement, a Signal Red, 1962 TR4, with black interior and overdrive. CT1218LO came from California via Kelowna BC. Because it was one of the first 1200 TR4s made, it has several features not found on later cars. Additionally, some aspects of the restoration were incorrect. Having access to the earlier car as a “rolling blueprint” allowed correction and even the transfer of some missing pieces.
After 52 years, I thought it would be very difficult to let go of my old friend. We had been together longer than many marriages and had shared many exciting moments together. However, I had found another TR upon which to lavish my care and attention. After a five year overlap of owning both 1962 TR4s, the time had come to pass my first one on to another owner to provide the care I was no longer able to give. As the motto of the Toronto Triumph Club states, “All to preserve and drive the Triumph”.