Triumph sportscars on show at Merimbula during national club's annual meet

Around 100 sportscars and their owners from the TR Register Australia car club were at Ford Park Merimbula, showing off their vintage roadsters to a huge crowd of appreciative onlookers.

Among the owners was John McCormack, president and a founding member of the club that boasts around 370 members.

He had driven from Leichardt, Sydney, in his glorious red TR2, which he has faithfully restored with all original parts.

"I've always been a bit of a car nut," he said on Saturday.

Mr McCormack said his love of the Triumph marque began in 1976, somewhat serendipitously.

"I'd had a bad surfing accident and almost died, so I thought I'd go out and buy a sports car, like any guy in their 20s would do.

"I put a deposit down on an Austin Healey and when we went into the city to collect it, he had withdrawn it from sale.

READ ALSO:

"My then-girlfriend saw across the road in another car yard a green Triumph. We bought that and I've driven it ever since.

"It's my daily driver - I go to the tip in it, to Bunnings, Coles - the people at the tip said they don't see too many of these drop in!"

In 2017, Mr McCormack then had the opportunity to purchase "two trailer loads of parts" for a TR2.

The man he was buying it from had purchased it in 1966 from the original owner, had done a little bit of work on it, but wasn't going to get around to a full restoration.

While he was getting the body repainted, Mr McCormack rebuilt the chassis, gearbox, diff and so on, using all original parts and upholstery to craft his pride and joy.

READ ALSO:

He said he invested around two years and $69,000 getting the rare model back on the road and in the condition admirers enjoyed on the weekend.

"It was worth building it back to the factory specs," he said.

Unsurprisingly, Mr McCormack was very taken with the Triumph roadsters.

"They are a lot of fun and have good performance - you don't sit in it, you drive it.

"Every boy who sees them on the street gapes at them. I have three now - the green one is part of the family!"

Also taking a close look at the Triumphs on display Saturday was Noel Schmidt from South Australia.

He was one of the judges checking out the various vehicles and their restorations, or in some cases their modern additions.

He said the "modified" category included Triumph roadsters that had been given the benefits of power brakes, power steering, or electronic ignition, among other more modern conveniences not found in the originals from the 1950s.

"I restored mine in 2010 and have won four of these.

"But I didn't bring it this time - I was too scared to bring it with the weather predictions and the state of NSW roads!"

More important however, was getting together with fellow drivers and members of TR Register Australia.

"We've got a really cool group," Mr Schmidt said.

"You only see them once or twice a year so it's really good to catch up like this, to talk about cars and what they've done with theirs since the last meet."

TR Register Australia members are spending the next few days in the region, driving through various towns and villages and enjoying all the Far South Coast has to offer.

Their visit is expected to bring about $200,000 into the local economy.

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can access our trusted content: