More From the Loop

          Here are some more of the cars that were on display at the Sharonville Car Show held earlier this year. It was a great turnout, as it always is, despite a bit of bad weather. Because this is always such a big show there are lots of cars and lots of different cars on display for all to enjoy. For that reason I'll be spending a few days just posting pictures that I haven't been able to upload to the blog as yet. Hope you all enjoy them.

The TR 6

          In 1969 Triumph introduced an updated version of the TR line, the TR 6. As always it sported some changes, including a new front and rear end. The car was designed to basically be a stop gap as the highly successful and dramatically different TR 7 was being readied for production.

          Along the way, though, something happened that not only affected Triumph but all auto makers selling in the United States: new regulations. A stern batch of new safety and efficiency rules hit all car manufacturers and the changes, such as safety bumpers and "desmogging" fittings, were enacted and had to be met in order for new cars to be sold here. These changes took place during the TR 6 years as the designers and engineers worked on how to incorporate them into the TR 7 design without sabotaging the quality of the car.

          The TR 6 did suffer a bit from being this stop gap models but you couldn't tell it by the turn out of these cars at the recent British Car Day show. Here are the TR 6 models that were put on display for all to enjoy.

Early TR Models

          From 1953 until the end of 1981, Triumph made a splash with a line of sports cars. The TR was the first sports car that Triumph made. Though the TR 2 was initially slow to catch on, it soon was discovered by  sports car enthusiasts who turned the line into an absolute dynasty.

          The TR 2 debuted with a 90 horse power engine that provided a fantastic weight to power ratio. Add to that how nimble the car was an exceptional value. Being very affordable drew in more buyers. Yes the car gave a rough ride but it was, after all, a proper sports car and then, as now, people often didn't buy one of those kinds of machines expecting a luxurious ride.

          In fact, there was one group of sports car nuts who practically craved the hard riding TR 2: Americans. So crazy were they about this car that it became one of the best selling imports for the time.

          When the TR 3 came out in 1955 it offered a slightly more powerful engine and slightly thereafter, standard front wheel disc brakes to help to stop the car. But why would you want to. It was a quick little car that was a blast to drive. And it was driven off sales lots to the tune of around 20,000 per year.

          Italian styling came into the picture with the introduction of 1961's TR 4 that also offered rack and pinion steering, an all synchromesh gear box, a wider wheel base and such luxuries as wind up windows. By 1965 the TR 4A had an all new chassis with coil spring independent rear suspension.

          Triumph's next move was to drop a 150 horse power 2.5 liter fuel injected six cylinder engine into the mix and call it the TR 5.

Triumph Spitfire

          The other great featured marque at this year's British Car Day event was the Triumph Spitfire. While it seems as though I have made a number of blog entries about the MG cars, I seem to be lacking with my coverage of Triumphs. Perhaps this is because I just haven't encountered many of them at the shows I've attended.

          In any case, the Spitfire was begun in 1960 but shelved until a new owner for Triumph, Leyland Motors took control of the line and had the project ready to drive off the lines in 1962. What started as a sporty version of the brand's Herald saloon (sedan) style car. What it became was one of Britain's longest running and most successful sports cars ever.

          For 18 years the classic Spitfire, whose namesake was the fighter plane that helped win the War of Britain during World War II, rolled off the lines. Originally it sported an inline four cylinder engine though in 1966 the GT6 was introduced that had a six cylinder power plant.  With a body that could have graced an Italian sports car, thanks mainly to the consulting designer, Michelotti, the car was lively, nimble and offered a soft ride with a cockpit that was roomier than it's MG competition. Though it did have a tendency for the read end to lose grip and break away, especially on a wet surface, the car handled quite well and was everything that a sports car was supposed to be.

          During its life the car's engine size and power increased as did its reputation. Selling over 20,000 its first year alone, the car also scored heavily on the race track, including pacing out at 130 miles per hour over the 24 hours of Le Mans. Overall, more than 350,000 Spitfires and GT6 models were sold making it one of the most revered sports cars to come out of Great Britain.

This TD Really Scored

          From the end of the 1920s into the mid 1930s, MG, a one time dealer and repair shop known as Morris Garages that turned into a manufacturer of its own right, was doing a booming business with a series of open aired cars it called Midgets. The Midgets were small sports cars that had won favor throughout Britain because of their size, light weight, ease of handling and zesty engine.

          By the middle of the 1930s MG had been sold to the Nuffield Group which decided to change the Midget design a bit and rebrand it the T Series. While the body of the new TA didn't change much from the previous Midgets, what was under the hood did, becoming more mundane. This turned off many of the car's potential enthusiasts. But once they got inside and took it for a drive they discovered that the car had more room and even though it lacked the raw growl they were use to in a Midget, was actually faster.

          In 1939 the car was updated with a new, modern cockpit and was re-dubbed the TB. It also received a larger 1250cc engine that added boost to an already fast car. Then in 1945, at the conclusion of World War II, it got a minor update to the interior and rode on a little wider chassis and was called the TC. The TC was the first of the MG Midget line to have substantial exports to other countries.

          By 1950, still sporting a Morgan-esque 1930s style skin, the car received a major make over within the cabin as well as under the hood. The TD had a totally new chassis, an advanced gear box and even steel disc brakes, the first MG car to sport this stopping technology. Perhaps the biggest news about the car was that it was also available in a left hand drive version. American drivers loved it and for that reason there are many TDs that will show up at car events in this country. Just look at the number that were on display at the recent British Car Day show and you will have an idea.

          While the TD got another face lift a couple of years later and became the TF, it soon gave way to a new, modern looking MG model called the MGA. Still, it was the TD that turned heads in North America and convinced new owners, the British Motor Corporation, that they could greatly expand their reach and increase sales.