Triumph owner follows in his father's footsteps

The British invasion, of the vehicular form, descended recently upon the grounds of Harper College in Palatine.

The 28th annual British Car Festival last Sunday featured hundreds of vehicles of varying makes, including rare machines from the likes of MG, Rolls-Royce, Mini Cooper, Lotus and Land Rover. From bonnet to boot, each and every one of these unusual motorcars was unique and had a story to tell, just like Ridge Howard and his 1972 Triumph GT6 Mark III.

"My dad bought it new," the Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, resident said. "A buddy at the dealership called when it arrived and said, 'You gotta come down and see this!' "

Smitten with the sleek hatchback, his father, Mark Howard, traded in his MG Midget and drove off with the new acquisition.

"As a baby, he would drive me around the block until I fell asleep," the younger Howard said. "I was (raised) to enjoy the sound of the engine."

Ironically, until Howard got the car five years ago, he had never driven it. Over the decades, his father never let him.

Howard's father drove the Triumph actively until the mid 1980s, at which point it was relegated to the side of the family house, up on blocks and exposed to the elements. "During the '90s, he had it restored and showed it, winning several awards."

However, the auto ended up being parked once again and started to rot away. A suggestion to pass on this rolling family heirloom was made in 2006. Howard, an Army mechanic, was stationed in Iraq. While on a late-night call with his father, Howard finally got the go-ahead.

"He agreed I could have it when I returned if I had a garage to put it in." As soon as he was stateside, Howard bought a house that had one. However, he'd also met a girl, and gotten married. Soon, the garage was filled, leaving no room for the GT6.

"I upgraded a storage shed to store dad's car and sure enough, he gave me the keys."

Items addressed on the 42-year-old relic include rebuilding the fuel system and chassis, overhauling the 2-liter straight six-cylinder engine and working out some wiring bugs.

Howard got the Triumph roadworthy last fall and has wasted no time in showing it off, always opting to take the windy, back roads to his destinations. He also takes it to car shows like the one in Palatine.

"Dad came with me for the first show, but everywhere I go, he always asks me to take a bunch of pictures. I think he's living vicariously through me and the car."

Howard isn't always traveling solo on his outings.

"I now have two kids and they love playing in the car," he said. "In a way, it's the automotive circle of life."