From: Michael D. Porter <mporter@zianet.com>
>http://www.zianet.com/mporter/rmvr_alb.html
>http://www.zianet.com/mporter/triumphs.html
>
>It was an interesting event, but not well attended by Triumphs--there
>were only one TR4,
Beautiful car. The bit about the flames was funny. Reminds me of Alan
Arkin's BMW in "The In-laws".
>... an Ambro (custom body with a TR3 frame and running gear).
Here is what Michael wrote about that:
====================
This is the only "sort-of" Triumph seen in the bunch. For those unfamiliar
with it, as I was, it's an Ambro. This body is modelled after the Maserati
Tipo 61 (the so-called "Birdcage" Maserati) and was originally produced to
fit the ladder-frame TR cars by Bill Ames and Dewey Brohaugh in the early
`60s. The rights to the body were purchased by Bill Bonadio, Jr., and he
reproduced molds and began to produce new kits in 1990. This car has TR3
undercarriage and running gear and was built in 1990, and is run by Bob Ames
of Colorado.
====================
I first met Duane "Dewey" Brohaugh around 1969. He was running the "Pit and
Paddock" 3.2 joint near the Cathedral of Saint Paul. Later the bar
relocated to Snelling Avenue in the Midway. One night he said to me that he
was not going to allow me in the place anymore unless I showed him an ID.
He said he didn't care if it was a fake one. I reminded him that I had
never tried to buy a beer from him and that it was perfectly legal for me to
sit in his joint, drink Coke and bench-race, even if I was not 21. I
refused on principle to use a fake ID to buy Coca-Cola. He was adamant,
however, so I stayed away until I turned 21. I then walked in, slapped my
new license on the bar and ordered a Coke.
There was a very large black-&-white photo behind the bar at the "Pit and
Paddock". It was a Birdcage Maserati, on-track. I was told by various
people that the car was Dewey's and the photo was taken at Road America. I
now assume that the molds for the Ambro were pulled from that car.
In his ice-racing days, Dewey had a bad habit of drinking beer during the
race. Once, in Gimili Manitoba, he muffed a corner and then backed unto the
track in front of me. Made a real mess of both cars, but his Mini did
finish the race. My SAAB was toast, with a balljoint attempting to share
space with my right-front tire. Anyway, Dewey had been in a fire as a kid
and had several scars to prove it. He was convinced the Mini was about to
explode into flames and ran a couple hundred feet down-track almost before
the cars stopped quivering. Realising eventually that such things are rare
when it is far below zero on the F scale, he walked back. That night at the
hotel, Dewey was embalmed. He went into the sauna with a bunch of us, but
kept kicking the door open.
A couple of years ago, I heard that Dewey had passed on. Michael's race
report from the Rockies brought back a flood of memories about one of the
more colorful members of the Land O' Lakes Region of SCCA and of the
Corvettes of Minnesota. So raise your glasses, gentlemen, to a vintage
racer, and wonder how we will be remembered when we are gone.
I'm going to drink a Coke now.
Phil Ethier Saint Paul Minnesota USA
1970 Lotus Europa, 1992 Saturn SL2, 1986 Suburban, 1962 Triumph TR4 CT2846L
LOON, MAC pethier@isd.net http://www.mnautox.com/
"It makes a nice noise when it goes faster"
- 4-year-old Adam, upon seeing a bitmap of Grandma Susie's TR4.
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