British sports car is healthy dose of fun

What the doctor orders is usually just what you need. But in Greg Ostrowski's case, it was a patient who had a desired remedy.

Greg was 21 in 1968 and in need of a car, one he could call his own. The college senior couldn't wait to stop borrowing his parent's stodgy Dodge Lancer. What he wanted was something fresh and flashy - and also new.

His dad, Fabian, was a physician near the family home in Cicero. That spring one of his patients suggested the doctor and his son come out to his car dealership. The man owned Carrera Motors in downtown Lombard. He was sure a couple of his British offerings would interest Greg.

It turned out, this patient was right. As soon as Greg walked in the showroom he was smitten with a wicked 1968 Triumph GT6. He purchased it for $2,900 - all the money Greg had saved since he was a small child.

"It was exactly what I had in mind. I loved the green paint and the wire wheels," the Riverside resident said, thinking back to that special day.

After graduation, Ostrowski's first job was teaching in the Maercker School District in Westmont. "The students thought the little car was the coolest thing," Greg recalls. The Triumph was also used to court his soon-to-be wife, Dawn. They were wed in February of '69 and drove off from the church to their Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, honeymoon.

With summers free, the newlyweds had plenty of downtime to road trip. They motored to California twice, Canada three times and to Maine - all on camping trips. Their gear (tent, sleeping bags and luggage) managed to squeeze inside the Triumph with them.

"It was hot on those trips - and not in a good way," Greg jokes. "There's no A/C and the transmission gives off a lot of heat."

The young family soon grew to three and Greg and Dawn would put their son, Jason, in a crib in the hatch area for around-town trips. Big changes came in 1972 when the vehicle's rear end broke. For a while, Greg contemplated trading it in, considering an offer of $300. His other option was a repair, which totaled $200.

Greg settled on the latter and also made plans to enter a new phase of motoring: racing. The Triumph was eventually outfitted with a roll bar, big wheels and tires, and he spent time modifying the brakes, engine and suspension. Once he had a helmet and fire suit, Greg was all set.

For the next ten years he competed in a Showroom Stock class, running wheel-to-wheel on area tracks. "Racing was one of the best things I ever did," he says. "It was some of the most exciting times in my life."

Despite the racing highs, his interest turned to other things in 1985. The run-hard GT6 rolled into a storage shed and sat. There it remained until 2008 when a frame-off restoration commenced.

The process took close to three years. Much of that time went to bodywork because the car's days on salty, wintry roads had taken their toll. Upon completion, it looked better than new.

Now, the GT6's commuting, camping and racing days are over - at least with Greg behind the wheel. It is preserved for car shows and special occasions, but many more memories are still to come.

"I'm passing it on to my grandkids," Greg says, "so they can continue to enjoy it, too."

• Share your car's story with Matt at auto@dailyherald.com.