About 20 miles southwest of Manchester, England is the town of Appleton, Cheshire, where there’s an abandoned airport. Until recently there was an interesting collection of Triumphs there. There are more pictures here. Most were left had drive and at least one had California plates. They included mostly TR4s, TR6s and Spitfires. How did an SCCA racer end up here? Owner and driver Mike Mueller was the vice president of the Sports Car Club in Illinois at one time, perhaps he knows more of this story? It’s reported this was the only car saved.
In the 1990s there was a big demand for Triumphs in England. A British Motor Car Sales company bought up a bunch in the US and imported them back to England. These were running and driving cars. When interest dwindled, the left over cars were used for parts in the companies restoration business.
There were a few right hand drive cars and some that somehow survived in decent shape.
A few were fairly complete. Many of the US cars were from states where cars survive rust free.
The weather destroyed the interiors and must have led to rust in the floors.
It was a horrible waste, but a few parts might have saved other cars. This has to be a very sad story for all lovers of Triumphs, English sports cars or any car lover, really.
I thought first picture was a painting.
It’s stunning I’d love a high resolution copy of it!
I thought the same!
As a yank looking at this, I guess it’s sad, but really no different than an American junkyard full of classics. I’m sure, these cars in England are just as common as Ford’s and Chevy’s here. Most of this, aside from the Cal. TR6 rear clip, and a few exceptions, is pretty shot. Seems, most of the roadsters have that “bend in the middle” thing that happened to my MGB. Granted, it’s a gold mine of mechanical parts, and rest assured, someone will snap this up, mostly for that. Lot of good stuff here. Has Jamie’s name all over it. :)
Not the same at all. The USA market cars have made two voyages across the ocean…..only to end up like this. They probably thought they’d be wanted, on their long ride back home to England….now forgotten.
Unfortunately, Howard, it looks entirely too much like my storage area!
What I mean by tragedy is that it all went to the crusher without saving anything except the Mike Mueller car. That area has all been cleared and redeveloped. It could have been “a gold mine of mechanical parts”. Too bad someone didn’t “snap it up.”
Oops, thanks David. I missed that part. I’d still have to think there’s other collections like this in England. I mean they made hundreds of thousands of these cars. This is THEIR junkyard.
I too thought the first shot was a painting… thing that is so sad about this (whether in UK, US or anywhere else) is that these cars, were, at some point, in much better shape and allowed to deteriorate to the point that they weren’t worth bringing back… However, even in their shown state, they would have been able to donate parts to keep some others on the road. Can’t really explain it, but those who know, know what I mean.. It just puts a hole in your stomach… makes me feel ill…
That’s the “junkyard” of long time Triumph specialist “TR Bitz” who are just up the road from it and very much still in the business.
http://www.trbitz.com
There is no reason to believe anything went to waste. It had all been sitting around for decades either here or there or both.
Despite having been assembled together as a collection instead of hidden away behind some barn and STILL no one wanted the parts!
These are in no way rare and obviously the parts were too far gone, or better condition parts were more easily sourced elsewhere or as is likely, the demand is less than the supply.
Trust me, Brits will restore cars that North Americans wouldn’t even consider, so if these things languished in a junkyard there was a good reason!
I’m sick to my stomach….
These weren’t that common in England.
They exported about 90% of them,most to the US.
Looks like my uncles farm!!!!!