T minus 21...
To Malvern for Car Club Fest, to meet TS2 for the first time — and to drive her 120 miles home to Dorset.
A weekend in review
Well, that was a fairly amazing weekend. Evie and I saddled up the Tesla on Friday morning, and headed North from Dorset to Car Club Fest at Malvern to collect TS2. We’d hummed and harred about driving up in Evie’s TR4A, but opted for the ease of an electron powered magic carpet ride up the country and the guarantee of a low effort escort home. Given most of Dorset seems to be on fire at the moment, this was a good move. Air-con was certainly appreciated for the 5 and a half hour drive that unfolded on the way up, despite google’s declaration that we were perpetually 3 hours away from our destination.
Arrival
About 40 yards past the entry gate (note to self, if you’re a left handed driver with a hard top, put the band on your right wrist otherwise you can’t get waved past without contorting yourself in the seat) I caught sight of a MK1 GT6 that had inspired my own purchase of the same model a few years back. I’d spent many happy hours tailing it’s bumperless rear on the Club Triumph Round Britain Run (RBRR) in October 2023.
We pulled up alongside a trio of tents, also recognising a lovely dark blue Spit6 I’d met on the 2024 Ten Countries Run (10CR) and quickly disembarked to say “Hello!”
It took me more time than I’d like to admit to remember the drivers’ names, but Roy (owner of the aforementioned white GT6) and Mike (Spit6) quickly introduced themselves to Evie, and saved me the embarrassment. The third member of their group was Neil, with a lovely red GT6 MK2. All three Club Triumph members were very quick to welcome us into their group, and we were soon sharing food, drink and opinions as to the retro fitting of a GT6 sunroof (they won, Evie now wants to convert ours).
Spot the odd one out
Evie and I had taken the liberty of running up some co-branded Club Triumph / TR Register / TS2 / 10CR shirts ahead of time, and already TS2 started working her magic. We nipped off for supplies, and by the time we returned Roy had managed to snag James Shackford into the fold. Roy had explained our 10CR attempt in our absence, and upon return James quickly explained he’d had a considerable hand in rebuilding TS2 engine at TR Enterprises during the restoration when she was originally adopted by the Register.
James proved to have a wealth of knowledge about TS2, and discussions around the car and our forthcoming trip quickly provided a focal point within the group. We spent the rest of the evening enjoying each others company, swapping tales, ambitions, and snacks. We finally tore ourselves away, leaving just in time to make the last check-in for our B&B.
As we headed to bed that night, Evie and I realised a pattern we were to see repeated throughout the entire weekend. TS2 has the power to pull people from different backgrounds together. Whether Club Triumph, TR Register, professional restorer, or member of the public with a passing interest in cars, TS2 is a great force for unification.
Meeting TS2 for the first time
Saturday morning, and we were back on site ahead of the show opening. Brief hellos to the Club Triumph gang, and then off in search of TS2. With “TS2 Rides” featuring prominently on the event map, she was easy enough to locate, and we sidled up around 09:30 to make ourselves known.
Evie and I were warmly greeted at the TR Register stand by Keith. I soon realised this was the same Keith who’d been a great supporter of our request to use TS2 for 10CR. We’d swapped many Whatsapp’s on the run up to formal approval, so it was wonderful to be able to introduce Evie and to thank him in person.
I then found out this was Keith Read, who’d donated TS2 to the Register in the late 90s. Again, my memory for cars rather than people lets me down :)
Keith quickly began showing us around the car as there was a lot of interest forming around driving it. Howdens and The Register were sponsoring drives in TS2 throughout the event to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support. Evie managed to sneak a ride in the passenger seat before the official opening at 10am, and it felt entirely appropriate that it was Keith at the wheel.
I had to console myself with a quick sit in the driver’s seat, but didn’t get to start her up due to the rapidly growing queue of drivers assembling for the 10am slot.
The delicious bark of TS2’s exhaust would remain a constant underpinning of our time at Car Club Fest. TS2 was on the go pretty much non stop throughout both days, and the first slot the group could secure for us for a proper show and tell was 2pm on the Sunday.
We spent as much time as possible on the TR Register stand, and it was marvellous to have people I’d spoken with in email suddenly fleshed out as humans.
It was a real privilege to stand beside TS2 in such hallowed company. Left to right, James (who rebuilt her engine), myself, Keith (former owner), and Ian Evans (former TR Register Chairman).
James recognised a lot of his handiwork under the bonnet, and it was marvellous to have a hand reconnecting him with the car.
We were also able to connect with father and son, Vincent and Arthur who have rebuilt concours winning TS11L. They were very supportive of our plans, and we were encouraged to hear they’d driven from Sélestat the previous day in their Pearl White August 1953 car. It was great to be able to compare these two early cars, and quite an education for all as to the production differences. We also came across an absolutely gorgeous Belgian TR Francorchamps. Its owner, Michel took time out to share his enthusiasm and calm reassurance for the challenge ahead.
The afternoon brought a TR Register Group Leaders meeting. I won’t go into the details of the discussion, but it was clear that the Register faces the same pressures of an aging demography. With CarClubFest operating under the tagline ‘Stronger Together’, and a number of group leaders hunting us down afterwards to congratulate and carry wishes of luck from their members, Evie and I could again see how TS2 can unite and rally the membership. She was more than living up to our hopes in this regard, and we still hadn’t even driven her. I was proud to be able to introduce Evie to Mick Forey, Allan Westbury, Chris Mountford and many others who have been so supportive.
Saturday night ended with an invite to join Roy, Mike and Neil for a meal at a local pub, but by the time we’d extricated ourselves from the field, we were only in time for drinks. Afterwards, Evie and I headed into the Malvern Hills to look at the view, eat chips, and contemplate the day ahead.
TS2 comes to Dorset
Sunday morning brought quiet apprehension of the day ahead. I would be driving about 120 miles in a car I’d only once sat in and that was considerably older than anything I’d experienced before.
Hearing her distinctive growl echo across the show-ground as the morning progressed gave us confidence. The public were clearly loving the chance to drive the car that started the TR story. It reminded us again how privileged we are to be able to borrow such a significant machine. It is testament to both TS2 and her custodians that she gave such good service all weekend. Its hard work on any car’s ignition system to be started, driven slowly for five minutes, turned off for a driver swap, then get going again. My thanks to Julian Taylor and Andy Marshall for tending to her throughout. Across both days, TR Register members and public, young and old, men and women clearly enjoyed TS2’s company. Valuable proof that the appeal of a classic Triumph is by no means confined to the older male.
Evie was again pleased to have Mike’s gentle encouragement (Mike’s daughter had been substituted into 10CR 2024 as his co-pilot with almost no notice and had done brilliantly) and whilst Julian (who looks after TS2 for the Register) began to gather the documentation for handover, his partner Fiona applied her somewhat more forthright demands for equality.
Finally 2pm came around, and Evie got her first chance to take TS2 for a spin. With Julian in the passenger seat, she notched into first and pulled away from the stand, and out of sight. For about 15 minutes, we heard nothing, and then, that characteristic, almost 1940s avionic burble. “Its just like Galahad!” says Evie, likening TS2’s handling to her trusty TR4A.
I was aboard a few minutes after, taking in the glorious roads of Malvern. Feeling the pull as she climbed through the gears was a visceral treat of physicality and opera. With Julian as my guide, we discussed her idiosyncrasies and preferences, returning back to the stand some ten minutes later full of confidence and cheer.
All too soon, we had to leave. There was just enough time to squeeze TS2 into the arena for Wayne Scott’s closing piece. I think we did her justice. Wayne’s knowledge of cars is encyclopaedic, though he potentially mis-stepped when he accidentally implied Evie might be navigating rather than driving. She put him right soon enough :)
Driving out of the arena and past all our new friends and well-wishers, I began to get a first hand sense of the opportunity ahead. I was driving TS2. I was taking her home to Dorset, and soon enough Evie and I would be driving her across Europe. We got a final wave off from London group leader Mark Bulford who’d been giving sterling service ushering cars in and out of the arena all day (himself a veteran of several 10CRs) and pointed the nose towards home.
Evie did a sterling job threading our way back to Dorset. I followed in TS2, appreciative of the waves and smiles she generated as we passed. A diversion around Birdlip gave me much hill start practice, and the single track lane that seemed to be standing in for the M5 and A417 on about 40,000 satnavs gave me plenty of auto-solo style precision positioning. Much squeezing. Much reversing. Basically everything you could need to get to grips with a new car.
Finally onto the big roads, we kept a steady 63mph most of the way home. As with the best classics, keeping up with modern traffic presents very little issue. Slowing down with it, however is quite a challenge. Downshift, double de-clutch and plenty of engine braking nice and early seems to be the order of the day.
Creeping along is a challenge in any car. Stop/Start queues around Salisbury were probably the low point, where allowing half a car length to open between TS2 and the car in front seemed to be an irresistible invite to wedge a BMW saloon in it.
We arrived home moments before half seven. 89,940 showing on the clock (which James assured us had been zeroed at restoration). The smile on my face probably says it all.
