Every Car Has a Story-1967 TR4A

 CT72967L began life in late 1966 and was shipped to Leyland-Triumph Motors - Canada where it was purchased new in 1967 by Dr. Thussy Kaveckas. Dr. Kaveckas and her husband Anthony, also a physician, came to Canada from Austria, fleeing the war, and operated a clinic on Grand Avenue, in London, Ontario. The car was taken to a Ziebart Dealer prior to delivery and still has the paperwork and that original yellow Ziebart sticker on the backlight. Dr. Kaveckas realized that most males who loved their cars, often referred to their car as a she. Consequently, she decided her beloved car would be a he. So, this 36 000 mile, one owner car will not be an old girl, a she, or an it. He will always be a he.

Dr Kaveckas also played violin in a local, city orchestra and always drove to rehearsals and performances in her beloved TR4A. To secure her violin, she had two eyebolts installed through the parcel shelf and secured her violin case, wrapped in a tartan blanket, by bungee cords through these eyebolts. As a tribute to his first owner, the eyebolts were left in place and the new $1 000 Wilton wool carpet was cut to fit around these pieces of history.

We had just moved into a new neighbourhood and shortly thereafter, the adjacent thoroughfare began a major widening. The road was dug up and consisted of loose gravel. Consequently, we searched for another way out from the neighbourhood to lessen the length of the drive on bumpy, loose gravel. One day while taking this detour, I noticed a garage door open and as I went by was sure I saw the lines of a TR4. From then on, I watched this house every trip. The next sighting confirmed that it was a TR4 but then I had the thought “wait, was that a Surrey Top”? I kept an even more open eye from that point on.

One spring/summer day, again the garage was open, and I was able to confirm, indeed it was a white TR4 with Surrey Top. In all this time, I noticed the car had not moved.

Not wanting to intrude, my next task was to watch for a combination of events: namely the garage door open so the car was visible AND the owner of the house working in the yard outside. Eventually, these two events occurred simultaneously, and I excitedly raced home to fetch my 62 TR4 (to make a connection) and drove back hoping that the owner was still in the yard.

The stars aligned. I introduced myself to Dr. Kaveckas, told Thussy about my TR4 (owned since 1966), and asked if she might consider selling her car. Her response surprised me – no thought processes, no rationale, - just a simple “yes”. On my second trip to speak with Dr. Kaveckas, make an offer, and see the car; as well as the TR4, I brought my older daughter who also played violin, to make another connection. I introduced my daughter and after a brief discussion, the 1967 TR4A was purchased in October of 1992 but with no space to store it, Thussy agreed to let the car remain in her garage for the next several months. Eventually, the car was trailered home and the 29 year restoration begun.  

 37 years after he last moved under his own power, CT72967L roared back to life. Thussy would be pleased that her boy was back, looking as beautiful as the day he rolled off the line in Coventry.