Hi all,
Just rolled in from the Monterey Hysteric Old Car Festival and Bank Account
Depletion Weekend. This year the honored marque was Porsche and there were a
lot of the little Teutonic wonders. Probably half the 356s left in the world
were there as well as al the significant race cars I could think of as well as
most of the significant people. I am sure all the big mags will cover it ad
nauseum so I will just tell you about three interesting Brit cars.
First was the TR250K that Kas Kastner and Pete Brock cooked up in 68. It is a
thoroughly reworked TR250 with an interesting aerodynamic body that Pete Brock
designed for it with a very pointy nose and a high deck lid with a little
moveable flap spoiler. I remember seeing this car for sale in 1977 for $6500
when I didn't have $6500. The car is now owned by a collector in Wash. state
and has been fully restored. It originally had Lucas PI but now has Webers. It
ran in the class with the Cobras, GT350s, 914 GTs, and 911s and basically
Brock just drove it and stayed out of everyone's way.
The second was one of the works Triumph Spitfire LeMans GTs, ADU 4B. These were
the alloy bodied fastback GTs that set the style for the GT6. This car was
painfully original with the proper alloy wheels and the original paint it had
when it ran LeMans.
The last car isn't a Triumph but a cousin so to speak. It is a Morgan SLR, one
of three built based on the +4(TR engined) but with an aerodynamic aluminum
body. The cars were a joint venture between John Sprinzel and Chris Lawrence
and this particular one was raced by Lawrence with good results including a 3rd
at Spa with 2 Porsche 904s ahead and 4 behind. Appropriate that it would race
again against Porsches. This car has been run for some time in the east but it
is now owned by a Dutch collector and will be going to Europe.
Don't recall seeing many Triumphs (one TR3A for sale in the Christies Auction,
estimate 10k to 15k) but did see some folks camped out with a Triumph Travelers
banner. Yelled a greeting but couldn't have a talk as I was over the fence
doing my imitation of a Big Time Car Photographer.
Must admit I didn't drive a Triumph although I probably should have taken my
TR7. My wonderful German car lost a coolant hose and subsequently all its
coolant. I then managed to snag a large root in a parking area at Pebble Beach,
badly cracking the spoiler and dislodging a fog light. Then a bolt holding the
alternator adjusting arm undid itself, luckily ending up in the shroud under
the engine. I should shoot my mechanic but suicide is illegal.
Cheers,
Kurt Oblinger
"I am my cars mechanic"
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