Mike Cook

CAMARADER IE IS ALIVE AND WELL

I GREW UP THROUGH the beginning and development of the sports car movement in America. Starting with a sprinkling of MG TCs in the late 1940s and going on through the Jaguar XK120, the MG TD and more obscure models like the Jowett Jupiter and the Morgan Plus Four, owning a sports car made you a member of a fraternity of enthusiasts. The Triumph TR2, the Porsche Speedster and others added sizeable numbers to this group and instead of a secret fraternity handshake, we waved at each other. There was a pecking order – in passing an XK120, the Triumph driver was expected to wave first then wait for the Jaguar driver to raise a languid hand, but, we were all friends with the same passion.

Sixty years later, opportunities to wave are close to nil. Convertibles cruise the highways with tops up and air conditioning on, while tinted windows obscure any friendly gesture that the occupants might make. British cars are especially scarce anyway. Except for the occasional Jaguar F-type or Bentley, British sports cars (and other nationalities) are vintage and reserved for club gatherings and Sunday drives. But the sports car camaraderie lives on, and it was proved to me several times during the 2017 Vintage Triumph Register Convention.