Shropshire Magazine

One of Simon Beresford’s four classic Triumph TRs

Andy Richardson talks to an enthusiast who treasures his TRs . . .  Pictures: Alex Taylor

When Simon Beresford was 15, he wanted just one thing: a Triumph TR4. He got the car of his dreams 33 years ago and loved it so much that it still has pride of place in his garage.

The vehicle was bought in America, where Simon and his family lived. He shipped it back to the UK and drives it thousands of miles each year. 

“It’s probably done about 250,000 miles,” he says. “I could never part with it.” Simon was born in England but emigrated with his family at an early age. His father, a professor of anatomy, secured a post in West Virginia and the Beresfords relocated. There were obvious benefits for car enthusiast Simon. “You could get a full driving licence at the age of 16,” he says. “So at 15 I was already looking for my first car.” Most students favoured bullish, all sizzle and no steak vehicles like Camaros and Mustangs, but Simon preferred that classic British look. 

He says: “I wanted to be different and, I guess, being born and raised in England I had a natural preference for British cars. The TRs always struck me as being very rugged and sporty. They were also easy to fix. Everything I wanted from a car could be found in a TR.”

Simon bought his first TR at the age of 16 for $200. He upgraded a year later to a gleaming white model, complete with navy stripes along the bodywork. The car sits in his garage today. “It goes like a dream,” says Simon. 

Simon was in good company – his father and brother were also car enthusiasts. “We probably had a dozen cars on the drive by the time I was 16,” he says. After graduating, Simon moved to the UK where he met his wife, Helen. His beloved TR, however, remained with his father in West Virginia.

“We returned to the US to attend my sister’s wedding,” Simon says. “My TR had been garaged and so we decided to find out how much it would cost to ship it to the UK. The cost wasn’t prohibitive so we shipped it back right away. It was with us within two weeks and hasn’t left us since.” 

Soon, Simon added more vehicles to his collection. His garage now features four TRs, as well as two vintage Volvos. “I just love TRs. They’re so versatile. 

“After we’d shipped my TR back to the UK, we realised there was a market for them. So my brother shipped 20 of them to England. I had the pick of them and chose a beautiful little sky blue car.” Inevitably, Simon still has that one too.

“I drive to work in my vintage Volvo,” he says. “But we use the TRs all the time. My kids use them too. They are not here just to look at. We like to get them on the road. TRs are utterly reliable and easy to fix. 

“We’ve just returned from a European TR meeting. We drove through Denmark, Sweden, Germany and Holland. It was great fun.” 

Simon Beresford, Alex Kearns, Helen Beresford and Reg Holding of the Shropshire TR Register.

Simon is a co-founder of Shropshire’s TR Register, the club for all TR owners. The group was formed in 1994 by Simon along with the late Chas Perks and fellow TR enthusiasts Richard Scott, Stuart Heaton and Diane Heaton. 

“We’d been involved in the TR Register for Stoke-on-Trent and decided there was sufficient interest for us to form our own for Shropshire,” says Simon. The club meets each month at the Pheasant Inn, at Admaston, and organises regular events. The highlight of its annual calendar is the annual Wharf Classic Car night, which is a get-together for car enthusiasts from across north Shropshire, Cheshire and north Staffordshire. 

Simon says: “This year’s event was a huge success. We had around 150 people turn out. It’s always great fun and we get to meet lots of other classic car owners.” 

TRs are in Simon’s blood, and he fully intends to pass his enthusiasm on to the next generation of Beresfords. 

“The TR Register is a great club to be in because it organises so many events. When our kids were young, we’d go to TR events around the country. We’d take the tent and drive down to Devon or up to Yorkshire. As the kids got bigger, they outgrew the TR. So we simply bought another one and made our way to events in two cars. Now they’re hooked, just as I was.”

A garageful of glory.

Social

The social aspect is one that inspires new recruits to the TR Register. The organisation has an AA-like system that provides emergency assistance to other owners.

“We had a couple who had gone down south and were making their way to Scotland. A water pump went on their TR and they needed help. We were on the emergency list so they called us up and asked if we could do anything for them. We fixed them up with a new water pump and they continued their journey to Scotland. 

“When they returned home, they returned the pump and told us how glad they were to receive our assistance.” 

Shropshire is a hotbed for TRs. Simon has four on his drive and his friend Reg, who lives 100 yards away, also has one. One of their neighbours has a TR6 and a TR4, while another has two TR4s. 

“There are so many enthusiasts in Shropshire,” says Simon. “The county has a real passion for TRs. 

“The club nights are great because we can all get together and talk about our vehicles. We can also swap tips and information. The end of meetings always ends up being a bit like a swap-shop, where people will be exchanging gearboxes and all sorts of other parts.” 

• The TR Register always welcomes new recruits. Information is available on www.shropshiretrregister.co.uk or by emailing shroptr@hotmail.com