Rick Burgess was a young 20-something when he bought a sporty little British sports car in the early 60s.
He was living in the thoroughly British city of Victoria, BC, Canada where a 1959 Triumph TR3 looked like it belonged on the streets of this very English city.
Rick liked the car because it was a sporty accessory to his life as a young single guy and women would like the little convertible.
He was right and eventually he met his wife while he owned the car as a young guy.
Rick eventually joined the navy and his beloved little TR3 was sold in 1964 when his life became more structured and less aligned with his former life as a carefree young single guy.
The TR3 and Rick parted company, presumably to exist only as a very fond memory from his youthful past.
Rick decided he wanted another TR3 in 2012, so he searched for one on a popular online want ad website.He discovered a 1959 TR3 in the ads that was described as “95% complete” by the seller.
He was interested enough to pursue the car because Rick “thought it was worth it”, in his words.
At the time he had no idea the car in the ad was anything other than a 1959 TR3 in very good shape and he was a motivated buyer in the fall of 2012.
Rick was even more motivated when he saw the car because it looked very familiar to him.
In fact, a closer inspection revealed a stitch repair on the tonneau cover of the TR3 was enough for Rick to reach one undeniable conclusion: this was his actual car-the one he had reluctantly sold 48 years earlier in 1964.
The repair was proof positive Rick had an opportunity to purchase the one that got away from him all those years ago. It was the stuff of warm and fuzzy legends for car guys and it really happened for Rick.
Rick’s words; “As soon as I saw the car, all the people and memories came flooding back. I worked with handicapped people (during the time he owned the car) and I had happy memories of the kids who loved the car”.
Needless to say, he was a motivated buyer and once again became the owner of the TR3 in November 2012. He waited until the spring of 2013 to hit the road in the car and spends as much time as possible behind the wheel of the car.
Rick owns a bus charter business so his idea of a “busman’s holiday” is a literal term, because it is any time he gets to spend driving the TR3 during his spare time away from his bus driver job.
The memories of the TR3 extend to his ex-wife because she and Rick still share a fondness for a time when the car was a part of their early courting days.
Rick has only one plan for the TR3 now that he has it back after a 48-year absence:He plans to “keep it forever”.
Who can argue with a car guy who got a second chance with his first love?
Jim Sutherland
