In reply
>I heard tonight, from my friend, Ian Evans, (Chairman of the TR Register,
here
>in the UK), that the pre-bookings for the 75th Anniversary of Triumph
event
>that is taking place at the BMIHT Gaydon museum this coming weekend are
now at
>2,400. (I assume that is people, not Triumphs ?), whatever, I expect that
>there will be many more attendees than pre-bookings over the two days.
>Apparently, the BMIHT office staff don't know what's hit them...
Ahem, I'll refrain from comment on that one.
Don't bank on the 2,400 being people. I wouldn't be surprised to see that
number of cars!
>And to think that a BMIHT employee was heard to say (at the Club Triumph
Rally
>in July 97), and I quote: "I never realised that there was any real
interest
>in these old Triumphs", and "I thought all the interest in classic cars
was in
>MG's,Jaguar E-types, and Mini-Coopers"
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I know who it was - but then I'm only a visitor attendant referred to by
most of the
'decision makers' as "that lot downstairs."
>(perhaps Jon Macartney can help to alter their perspective ?)
For the last few weeks (and 'cos I think I'm the only ex Triumph person at
Gaydon)
I've been telling them. I know I've sounded like the voice in the
wilderness
calling "Prepare ye the way of the lord" - but in my book there are two
lords - namely Him upstairs and the cars with the globe logo. In this
instance of course,
I refer to the latter - though I thought I might call on upon Heavenly
Intervention for something
to appear in the Centre shop without it bearing the Land Rover, MG or
Austin Healey
badge - all of which I'm sick of seeing. Today, I learned that a large
consignment of
Triumph memorabilia due for sale at Gaydon has got lost by Parcel Farce -
and Parcel
Farce haven't a clue where it has gone. At the time of writing 00.06 on May
30, it's still missing.
So, if anyone is tempted to start moaning about the lack of Triumph badged
goods in the
shop this coming weekend, it isn't BMIHT's fault.
>(all we really want Jon, is more repair panels for Heralds and Vitesses,
and
>soon!)
That's up to everyone in the Triumph Clubs. In a not too recently distant
life, I was
Director and General Manager of GKN Autoparts International which means
something
in the UK. For our US cousins, GKN owns Beck Arnley, Parts Industries
Corporation
and Meinecke Mufflers to name but a few and I was involved with that. All
this was after a parts
career with BMW, Massey Ferguson and Case International, an Autoparts
Training Consultancy of my own
and one book on the subject of parts marketing.
>From that brief career resume, if you want more Triumph parts out of
Heritage at Witney, put my name forward
to Dr. Hasselkuss (who is still in Junior Playschool with a Healey 3000)
and Fred Coultas. Between them, I guess
those two have the managerial clout to unblock the lines of communication
and allow matters where I might be of more use
to prevail.
>Personally, I've been in my lock-up garage every night this week,
polishing up
>my Vitesse with rain-resistant wax, (I hate getting it wet, but live in
the
>wrong country!)
>My fingernails have turned blue with polish, but my hands smell lovely!!!
and I've been at Gaydon, my feet are killing me and if anyone else tells me
we've got it all wrong
and a 1973 built car qualifies for UK road tax exemption, I'll strangle
them!
>Anyhow, that's all for now, I guess I'd better go and recharge the video
>camera batteries now!
I'm going to lie in the bath for upwards of an hour with a bottle of whisky
and some
sweetly scented unction for 'me plates.' I expect to emerge around 02.30
stinking drunk and
smelling like a whore's boudoir (or what I feel a whore's boudoir really
does smell like as I've never
knowingly been inside one myself)
Seriously, for those of you who won't be with us in the UK this weekend
because you're all so far away
- you won't be forgotten and have fun at all your own carefully planned
local TRIUMPH celebrations
whenever they occur in 1998. TRIUMPH COUNTRY has no borders - just rather
long ditches.
John Macartney
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