Bob Kasper

North Coast Triumph, TR3, TR4, 250,TR6, TR7, TR8

MY TRIUMPH STORY

By Bob Kasper

My love affair with Triumphs started back in 1962 when a Triumph TR4 was offered as a prize on the game show “Say When”. From that point on I was hooked on Triumphs and was bound and determined when I was old enough I would own one.

Fast forward to 1969, a year before my high school graduation. Scanning the classifieds as I had been doing since I was 10 years old I found a 1963 Triumph TR4 for sale in Chargrin Falls for $750.00. I withdrew all of my Plain Dealer route savings and headed for Chargrin falls with my older brother. When we arrived there was a white TR4 sitting in the driveway that was destined to be my first Triumph. We went on a test drive, with my brother driving because at the time I had never driven a stick shift. Halfway through the test drive we switched seats for my first lesson. I was a natural I never stalled it once. It needed a little work but that didn’t stop me from buying my dream car. I drove it back and paid the man in cash.

During the summer I worked on the body, in between driving it to my summer job. In the fall I started driving my Triumph to high school I was the object of envy as I drove by my walking classmates even though the school was only a half mile away the next summer I finished the bodywork and had it painted a deep maroon.

Then I joined the navy to avoid getting drafted, so I decided to sell my beloved TR4 with the thought that I would not be seeing land for the next 4 years. In the spring of 1972 the aircraft carrier that our squadron was attached to was deployed to Vietnam. During our stay a pamphlet was circulated in our living quarters. It was a brochure sent by an auto broker stating that they could sell us any car from around the world for less that we could buy it in the states. I naturally went to the page with a TR6 on it. According to the brochure I could buy a new TR6 with overdrive, tonneau cover, and a removable hard top for $4000.00. I was excited so I borrowed the money from the navy credit union so that the car would be paid for when I got out of the navy. I actually ordered a 1972 but by the time the paper work was completed and a delivery date was arranged I ended up with a 1973.

Our ship pulled into Mayport, Florida, at the end of January. My car had already been delivered to a dealer ship in Baltimore at the beginning of January. So I went from Florida to Baltimore to pick up my car. When I got to the dealer ship there were 2 TR6s: one green, one blue. The blue one had my name on it.

Imagine the excitement that I felt at 21 to be the first person in my family to own a brand new car and a TR6 at that! I headed back to Cleveland driving my shinny new TR6 through the snow on a two-week leave. When my leave was over I drove it back to Virginia Beach where I was stationed the next year and a half.

When I got out of the navy I vowed never to sell it! 31 years later I still have it. One day I hope to fully restore it. So my love affair with Triumphs continues…

Submitted by Bob Kasper

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