TR Register New Zealand – The Origin.
The TR Register key tenants are;
- The preservation and promotion of the TR marquee by provision of relevant services, activities and investments.
- The fostering of amateur motoring and sporting events, social functions and outings through the fellowship of likeminded enthusiasts.
The journey from establishment to today is down to a dedicated group of likeminded enthusiasts, this is their story drawn from the archives written by Steve Cross.
Once upon a time, a long time ago- well, forty eight years to be exact- in a far off land in the South Pacific, there lived a group of keen young TR enthusiasts. This is their story......
Ideas for a TR Register of New Zealand were first formulated in early 1975. At this time keen owners of early TR models in Auckland were members of the Triumph Car Club, but although this club was originally started by TR owners in the 1960’s, by 1974 the club’s aims and interests no longer appealed to the owner of a car which was fast becoming a classic and in need of preserving.
The original plan was to have a TR Register incorporated within the Triumph Car Club with a representative of the committee to look after TR interests. Towards the aim, Lindsay made a list of known TR owners and in March 1975 called a meeting which was held at the home of Nigel Crossley (TR2) in Titirangi. About 8 or 9 TR owners were present including Mark Bedford (TR3A), Steve Cross (TR2), John Charles (TR2), and Phillippa Jones (who owned Francis Porterfield’s TR3 at that time). Amongst much enthusiastic discussion it was decided to put forward a motion at the next A.G.M. of the Triumph Car Club to form a Register and nominate a representative for the committee.
However, it was not to be as a few weeks later Lindsay was transferred to Wellington. He had already discussed the plans with the Triumph Car Club and wrote a letter outlining the proposals which were to be put forward at the A.G.M. The fateful meeting, however, was surprisingly very poorly attended by TR owners and those who were there were not financial members and not entitled to vote. Due to a lack of support it was not surprising that the motion was rejected.
For a while after this setback, ideas of a Register lay dormant but meanwhile Mark Bedford was adding to a growing list of TR owners and together with Steve Cross, corresponded with, and visited, many of these owners.
NZ Herald 1 November 1975.
TR2, TR3-3A owners and all TR enthusiasts. Join the new Register offering spares, service, social events, restoration information, etc. Contact Steve Cross, 8A Midway Ave, Castor Bay, or phone 469 187.
In November 1975 another meeting was held, this time at Steve Cross’s flat in Castor Bay. This time about 12 owners attended including the President of the Triumph Car Club who owned a TR6 and some constructive discussion took place. It was decided to form the TR Register as a separate organisation with possible affiliation to the Triumph Car Club and to the British TR Register. The main problem was finding people to put in the time and effort into running an organisation like this, and it was Mark Bedford and Steve Cross who agreed to get things rolling until a proper committee could be elected. A subscription of $3 was decided upon to counter costs of postage, stationery, etc.
Soon afterwards the actual Register of TRs was compiled with cars listed under commission number and with all known details of each car. The first TR register event took place in January 1976, meeting at the Albany Pub just north of Auckland, and driving up to Puhoi and its infamous ale house. There was a good turnout with 2 TR2s, 3 TR3s, 5 TR3As and 2 TR4As. No doubt the largest gathering of TRs in New Zealand for some time and a most impressive sight.
However, with the lack of a large enough nucleus, the TR Register developed very slowly over the following 18 months. The list of owners increased to about 90 and there were about 20 financial members scattered throughout the country, but the meetings were rather poorly attended. With Steve Cross going overseas in March 1977, and Mark Bedford planning to leave in December 1977, something had to keep things going.
A Special General Meeting was called for August 1977 at the home of Roger Driffel (TR2) as Chairman. With this new enthusiastic nucleus the Register developed fast with newsletters and more ambitious events being organised.
From those early days the TR Register has grown from strength to strength with active regional groups throughout the country. The 50th Anniversary of the club will be upon us in 2025, an opportunity to celebrate throughout the year.
