Gateway Relay

Vol III, No. 10 St Louis Sports Car Council June 2014

Council News & Notes Up & Coming  Getting into the end of June and 15-19 Jun 2014—NAMGBR 2014, “Drive Into a Guilded Past,” at the French no surprise, things are really Lick Resort, IN, in the Hoosier National Forest. Hosted by the Southern Indiana jumping. As this issue of the Re- British Car Club and the Illinois Flatland British Car Club. Online registration now lay goes to press, the MG faithful open at www.mg-2014.com/. are gathering in French Lick, IN, nd and the Museum of Transport is 19-22 Jun 2014—22 Anniversary American Waco Club Fly-In, at Dauster holding its annual Fathers Day Flying Field/Creve Couer Airport, 3127 Creve Coeur Mill Road. Good opportunity show. Saturday, 14 June, for classic/sports cars to hang out with classic aircraft (Gateway Healey visited marked the annual Hazlewood the fly-in a couple of years ago), info at www.americanwacoclub.com/styled-4/ Baptist Church Car Show, which index.html. apparently is turning into a major 21 Jun 2014—Cars & Coffee. Starbucks Coffee at 9616 Manchester Rd, Rock event with a huge field of vehicles Hill Plaza, 8:15-10:15 AM. On Facebook at facebook.com/groups/ of all types. We’ll present photo stlmetrocarsandcoffee. coverage of the latter in next month’s newsletter. 21 Jun 2014—Belleville Bicentennial/Oliver C. Joseph Centennial Car Show, at O.C. Joseph Dodge, 3795 W State Route 15, Belleville. Free registra-  And the fun just keeps coming, as tion 9 AM to noon, show from noon to 4 PM. 200th anniversary medallion to the evidenced by the schedule for the top 50 cars, 10 special awards. Contact John Goodwin (618)476-3175 for more weekend of 21-22 June, at the information. Oliver C. Joseph raced Jaguar XK120s in SCCA events during the right. This coming weekend fea- 50s; grandson/general manager Brad Joseph will have his TR6 and MGA on dis- tures more than enough show, play. The company served as the largest import car dealer on the east side, in- driving and gee-whiz activities to cluding Austin, Austin-Healey, Jaguar, MG, Morris, Triumph and Riley. All re- keep anyone happy and hopefully gional car clubs have been invited. out on the road. We’ll see if the StLSCC staff photographer/ 21 Jun 2014—Annual JAGSL Veterans Home and Fast Eddie’s Run. Meet reporter can keep up with the at 8:30 AM at the Veteran’s Home, 10086 New Halls Ferry Rd (I-270 and New events. Halls Ferry). Showcase cars and meet with our vets until 10 AM, then head out for scenic and uncharted territory, possibly including a crossing via the Golden  Along those lines—and as al- Eagle Ferry. Lunch at Fast Eddie’s Bon Air at 12 noon (remember, there is an ways—the Relay draws much of age restriction at the restaurant). ts monthly coverage from affiliate nd club newsletters and web pages. 21 Jun 2014—2 Annual MDA Car & Bike Show, Hooters, 7517 S Lindbergh If your club isn’t currently publish- (east of Lemay Ferry). Registration from 8 AM to noon, $20, awards at 4 PM. All ing, please keep the Relay in proceeds go to the Muscular Dystrophy Association. Info (314)329-6635. mind when scheduling events 21 Jun 2014—Streets St Charles Classic Car Show, 1520 S 5th St, St such as drives so that we can get Charles. Benefitting MDA; registration 9 AM to 11 AM, trophy awards at 2:30 PM, the word out and hopefully dis- live music, food, drinks. Pre-register for plaque (636)757-1152. patch the photo crew. AND, if you’ve had an event, send in those photos with some details. Much obliged! (Continued on page 2)

Note: Some club driving events restrict participation to club members only, primarily for national/chapter insurance reasons. If interested in joining in on a drive or other event, we recommend you contact the club’s event coordinator in advance for details.

In Print As always, plenty to choose from this month. The May 2014 issue of Thoroughbred & Classic Cars is a particularly triumphant edition, with an article the history of a TR3, its five owners and their adventures (one owner lost the car as a bet in a game of Monopoly) plus a buyer’s guide for the TR7. Octane in June 2014 has comparison tests between the classic E-Type and an F-Type coupe, a 1969

Continued on pg. 5 1

Up and Coming (Continued from page 1)

28 Jun 2014—Central Illinois Z Enthusiasts (CIZE) Car Show, Hooters, 3141 Horizon Dr, Springfield, IL, 4-8 PM. Gate- way Z Club is sending a contingent, more info at www.gatewayzclub.com. 28 Jun 2014—2nd Annual Gathering Place Church of God Cruise & Family Fest, 5500 Old Collinsville Rd, Fairview Heights. Registration 10 AM to noon, 50/50 drawing, silent auction, proceeds to the Central Illinois Honor Flight for WWII veterans. For info call (618)334-1600. 29 Jun 2014—Charity Car Show for Aiden Howard Maul, 6, undergoing cancer treatment. At the Columbia City Saloon/ Westpark Bowl, Columbia, IL, 8 AM-4 PM. $15 registration, 50/50 with profits going to Aiden and his family. 29 Jun 2014—St Louis Region SCCA Solo No. 5, Gateway Motorsports Park. Info at http://stlsolo.org/node/98. 3 Jul 2014—Twin Oaks Presbyterian Car Show, 1230 Big Bend Rd (Big Bend and MO 141). Registration 9 AM to 12 Noon, judging from 1 to 2 PM, awards. Entry fee of a donated canned good or non-perishable food item for restocking of the church’s food pantry. Food and refreshments available for purchase from Twin Oaks Christian School, day ends with big fireworks display sponsored by the village of Twin Oaks. No alcohol, no burn-outs! For info, call Gary (636)225-1575. 5 Jul 2014—1st Annual Blues on the Landing Car Show, Laclede's Landing. Gateway Z Club and Central Illinois Z Club Enthusiasts are participating with other local clubs, monitor http://lacledeslanding.com/lacledes-landing-events/ and www.gatewayzclub.com/. Event in association with annual Rockin’ On the Landing 4th of July activities. 6 Jul 2014—Boeing Sports Car Club autocross, Family Arena, St Charles, $35 for six runs, show about 9 AM. Contact Racer Steve at [email protected] for details and to get on the event email list. 13 Jul 2014—Jaguar Association of Greater St Louis Birthday Party, at the Glen Echo Country Club, 12 noon to 3 PM; gourmet lunch at 1 PM, followed by featured speaker Robert Paster, automotive reviewer for the Ladue News. Cost $37 per person. Please RSVP to Terry or Jeanne Carnack by 10 July at (314)692=0566 or [email protected]. 19 Jul 2014—Cars & Coffee. Starbucks Coffee at 9616 Manchester Rd, Rock Hill Plaza, 8:15-10:15 AM. On Facebook at facebook.com/groups/stlmetrocarsandcoffee. 19-20 Jul 2014—ChumpCar World Series/Ultimate Street Car Association (USCA) 14-hour, Gateway Motorsports Park. “Real Racing-Real Tracks-Real Cheap Cars.” Details to follow. 20 Jul 2014—St Louis Region SCCA Solo No. 6, Family Arena, St Charles. Info at http://stlsolo.org/node/98. 20 Jul 2014—CIZE Car Show, in association with the Springfield Animal Protective League, 1001 Taintor Ave, Springfield, IL, 11 AM to 4 PM. $10 vehicle registration, classes included best foreign car, 50/50 raffle with proceeds to the Springfield APL. Info Gateway Z Club is planning on sending a contingent, more info at www.gatewayzclub.com. 10 Aug 2014—St Louis Region SCCA Solo No. 7, Family Arena, St Charles. Info at http://stlsolo.org/node/98. 16 Aug 2014—Cars & Coffee. Starbucks Coffee at 9616 Manchester Rd, Rock Hill Plaza, 8:15-10:15 AM. On Facebook at facebook.com/groups/stlmetrocarsandcoffee. 16 Aug 2014—5th Annual Veteran’s Charity Car Show, Purina Farms, 200 Checkerboard Dr, Grays Summit. Registration starts at 9 AM, $20, show from 11 AM to 3 PM. Proceeds to veteran’s organizations 21-24 Aug 2014—Midwest AHC HealeyFest 2014, in Beloit, WI. Car rally, car show, tours of the Lensing Auto Museum, Anderson Japanese Garden, the Angel Museum and Spotted Cow Brewery, plus a “Fox Hunt” car rally and Beloit Country Club English Dinner. For info, contact Bernie Bowersock (815)505-7975 or email [email protected]. 23 Aug 2014—Gateway VCOA Mid-Missouri Meet-Up, Lake of the Ozarks, with the KC and Ozark Volvo Clubs. The fes- tivities start with lunch at Larry’s on the Lake, at the Four Corners of the Lake 31 Mile Marker/Pier 31; see www.larrysonthelake.com/ for directions. Activities to follow, monitor www.sites.google.com/site/gatewayvcoa/. 24 Aug 2014—St Louis Region SCCA Solo No. 8, Family Arena, St Charles. Info at http://stlsolo.org/node/98. 31 Aug 2014—Boeing Sports Car Club autocross, Family Arena, St Charles, $35 for six runs, show about 9 AM. Contact Racer Steve at [email protected] for details and to get on the event email list. St Louis Car Shows and Cruises: http://clubs.hemmings.com/clubsites/lakerscarclub.

If you or your club is think- ing about events for next year, you might consider reserving a weekend in June for a trip to Indianapolis. The Sportscar Vintage Racing Association (SVRA) held its first Brickyard Racing Invitational over 5-8 June at IMS, running Photos: Sports Car Digest on the redesigned 2.4-mile road course. A wide range of vehicles and drivers participated; the cars included classic Indy roadsters, Jaguars, Minis (yes, Minis at the Brickyard), Morgans, MGs, F1, F5000, Volvos, Datsuns, Triumphs, CanAm, TransAm, Austin-Healeys, you name it…The link to this year’s vintage event is www.sportscardigest.com/

svra-indy-brickyard-invitational-2014-report-photos/?awt_l=IzQFs&awt_m=K4m.qMyLMes.C0. Road Trip? Road 2

Roadwork: G-L-O-R-I-A

Back in 1973, efforts commenced 2014 gathering – held at the historic Elms Hotel in Excelsior among a group of the Triumph faithful to Springs – was a barn burner. And remarkably, amid all of the form a national organization for all Tri- TRs, Stags and the occasional sedan, Mayflower, etc, the par- umph owners and enthusiasts, above ticipants included three mid-1930s Triumph Glorias. and beyond the existing factory- Triumph introduced the Gloria line in sponsored Triumph Sports Owners Asso- 1933, following the “Super” series of ciation and the Triumph Register of vehicles. The Glorias continued in pro- America, which focused on the early TR duction into 1938; per the Pre-1940 sports cars. Formal organization of the Triumph Club, they constituted “…a new group, named the Vintage Triumph Register (VTR), took large and confusing range of…sporting place in 1974. saloons, coupes, tourers, 2-seater In 1982, following the demise of the Triumph marque in sports cars, drophead coupes and North America and at the request of Jaguar-Rover-Triumph, golfer’s coupes.” Save for the final two VTR absorbed the TSOA. In discussing the merger, VTR’s models, all were powered by Triumph- The English Channel newsletter noted, modified Coventry Climax four- or six- cylinder engines with overhead intake When TR-7 and TR-8 production ended in 1981, and and side exhaust valves. with the Triumph Acclaim only available in European markets, most enthusiasts familiar with the Triumph The initial 1933 cars included the Ten Source: Unique Cars & Sports Owner Association (TSOA) assumed it would Saloon, Ten Special Saloon, Competi- Parts only be a matter of time before that organization came tion Tourer, Speed Model Tourer and to an end…Since JRT did not want to leave its TSOA Monte Carlo Tourer, available from £285 to £325 (about $478 members “out in the cold,” they asked VTR if we would to $546). The cars came with a 1087cc, twin-carb 9.5 hp inline like to continue the TSOA responsibility of providing the four with pre-selection 4-speed transmission; the Monte Carlo direct channel of communication between the enthusi- Tourer booted displacement to 1232cc, good for 10.8 hp. The ast and the factory. At that time, it had already become first six-cylinder Glorias, produced over 1933-1934, included obvious to VTR that the word Vintage in our name did the Six Saloon, Six Special Saloon and Six Speed Model not reflect what VTR consisted of since local member- Tourer. They were fitted with 1476cc, twin-Solex downdraft ships and turnouts at National events reflected the total carb 12.9 hp engines save for the Six Saloon, which had a sin- range of Triumph models. gle carburetor. Total production for both the four-bangers and sixes came in at about 2200 cars. As an aside, the same issue also announced the formation of three new VTR affiliates: the Western Massachusetts Tri- The 1934 to 1935 lineup of four- and six-cylinder cars ex- umph Association, the North Florida Triumph Association and ploded, with 26 (!) different models including additional short- a group in Norfolk, Virginia, subsequently named the Tidewa- chassis, two-seat Southern Cross variants, designed by Tri- ter Triumph Register (appropriate, eh?). And, word went out umph Development Engineer Donald Healey. Changes in- concerning attempts to start a VTR chapter in St Louis. cluded increased displacement and horsepower – 1232cc/10.8 hp for the fours, 1991cc/15.7 hp for the sixes – the introduction Forty-plus years later, the organization numbers more than of SU carburetors, restyled radiator/grill and other modifica- 2600 members, with over 70 chapters in nearly every state, tions. In 1937, Triumph produced the last Gloria Twelves fitted including the local St Louis Triumph Owners Association. As with the Coventry Climax-designed engines, concurrent with is common with many marque clubs, VTR’s divided into geo- the introduction of the Gloria 1.5-litre saloon, which featured a graphic regions; for example, the two Missouri clubs, SLTOA Triumph-designed 1496cc/11.8 hp overhead valve engine. The and Kansas City Triumphs, are in the South Central Region last production Gloria was the Fourteen Six-Light saloon, built along with chapters in Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, New between August 1937 and July 1938 with a 1767cc/13.95 hp Mexico, Tennessee and Texas. Above and beyond the na- four. A total of about 500 went out the factory doors before tional VTR meet (this year’s “Back to the Blue Ridge” confab production shifted to Triumph’s Dolomite series. takes place in Dobson, North Carolina, in September), the regions tend to hold their own annual gatherings. So how well did the motoring public receive Triumph’s Gloria series? The Pre-1940 Triumph Motor Club estimates the com- The first “Mid America Tri- pany produced roughly 10,100 examples of all models between umph Regional” occurred in 1933 and 1938, with the 1935 to 1937 four-cylinder cars selling June 1981, hosted by the the best, at about 3400 units. Not bad for what was something Kansas City TRs; the first of a niche builder in the British auto industry (then again, by under the auspices of the comparison Morris turned out over 218,000 Morris Eights be- South Central Region took tween 1935 and 1937. place in New Braunfels, Texas, in 1985, with Hous- Still, the Glorias proved popular. In August 1934, an Austra- ton’s Texas Triumph Register lian automotive journalist tested one: doing the honors. Waco, The new Triumph ‘Gloria’ is remarkable, both for its Texas, served as the location appearance and mechanical features. It’s intended to be for the 2013, hosted by the a sportsman’s car. The chassis and body are designed Red River Triumph Club of for speed and hard usage as well as for beauty and Fort Worth…and this year, the comfort. Already this car has attracted considerable regional meet returned to the attention overseas, and its reputation will be increased vicinity of Kansas City. by its successes in the recent Monte Carlo trial… According to the reports coming in from the various clubs which participated, the (Continued on page 4)

3

Roadwork (Continued from page 3) Avon Standard 9 Sports Coupe In the course of its first Australian road test, in which it owned by Marj and was driven by the motoring writer of “The Argus,” this Ross Bees of the remarkable car was found to be capable of cruising at Iowa British Car more than 60 miles an hour without imposing any undue Club and two Tri- strain on engine or chassis and average 30 miles on a umph Renowns. gallon of petrol…delightful to handle, and the change No surprise, they down from top to the silent third could be made at were a huge hit at speeds in excess of 50 miles an hour without difficulty… the confab; the This car should meet the needs of the man or woman Higleys wound up who wants a sports car of quality, which has a fine per- taking Best of formance and yet is economical to run. Show as well as Specifically concerning the Southern Cross variants, automo- first place in the tive writer Gregor Grant rated the model as “…a most popular historic class. little sports car, having a most impressive competition record, Equally impres- particularly at Monte Carlo, from the date of its introduction. sive, the Sabel- Indeed, Triumph offered a two seat version of the Gloria four hauses ran their with a larger, 17-gallon gas tank and called it the “Monte Carlo.” ’37 in the auto- As for the six-cylinder version, Grant stated it was “…a genuine cross…in the rain. 80-mph vehicle, and possessed fine acceleration.” Photos: Stephen Moore Not bad for a Donald Healey, departing from group of classic, Athens, Greece, placed third in classy, nearly 80-year-old British sports cars, eh? January 1934’s XIII Monte Carlo Rally with teammate Jack “JC” Ridley finishing 13th. Motorsport noted, “Here again, careful preparation and experienced driving counted for a lot, and the small engine capacity of the Tri- umph, in comparison to that of the Hotchkiss and Chenard- Waleker makes its gallant jour- ney from the most difficult start- ing point in the Rally a feat of outstanding merit.” Ridley fol- lowed up in 1935 by placing sec- Photo via KC Triumphs ond – taking his class and the

Riviera Cup in the process – and The Motor, January 1935 in 1936 Healey placed third Sources: “A Brief History of the Gloria Models – 1933 to again, behind a Ford V8 and De- 1938,” Pre-1940 Triumph Motor Club, www.pre- lahaye. 194triumphmotorclub.org; “Triumph Gloria-First Road Test- Remarkable Performance,” The (Melbourne) Argus, 30 August Quite a background, more than adequately represented by 1934, pg. 4; ConceptCarz, conceptcarz.com; The Vintage the three Gloria Southern Crosses at Excelsior Springs. The Triumph Register, http://vintagetriumphregister.org; “VTR and three examples all came up from the Dallas-Fort Worth area, TSOA Merge!”, The English Channel, January-February 1982; their owners members of the Red River Triumph Club: a 1935 Team Dan, www.teamdan.com; “Hotchkiss Again Wins the example owned by Paul and Jane Higley (green, license plate Monte Carlo Rally,” MotorSport, February 1934; Paul BMB 621); a 1936, Duncan and Sheila Wood (blue, WH 8963); Duchene, “Monte Carlo or Bust (Part 1): The Early Years,” and a 1937, Mike and Vicki Sabelhaus (red, BRY 64). Adding Hagerty, n.d.; Gregor Grant, British Sports Cars, 5th ed to the festivities, another group of classics, including a 1931

Photo: Stephen Moore 4

Featured Events continued

Hermann MaiFest SLTOA—18 May 2014

Photo: Stephen Moore

European Auto Show 1 June 2014 Photo: Sonja Poropat

Fort des Chartres Rendezvous—Gateway VCOA, 8 June 2014

In Print (Continued from page 1)

Westland Sea King and a 2014 Lynx Wildcat (the latter two are helicopters…). The issue also contains a one-page summary of various attempts at E-Type replacements over the years. For something literally off the beaten path, the July Car & Driver takes a new construction Morgan three-wheeler out onto the dirt roads and big emptiness of Southern California in search of old ghost towns. And finally, the July Classic Motorsports contin- ues “Project Mini Cooper” (time for some serious body repairs), takes a look at the Jaguar Mk 2 and Robert Goldman’s (Moss Motors) supercharged TR4 and also features Mr. Mohsin Ikram, who organizes motoring events and rallies…in Pakistan, driving his 1954 Austin-Healey 100.

5

Featured Events Melvin Price Locks & Dam JAGSL—10 May 2014

Photos: Jaguar Association of Greater St Louis

Boeing Sports Car Club Autocross No. 1—10 May 2014

Photos: John Moore

Cars & Coffee—17 May 2014

6