The history of tra

TRA Founder and First President Joe Richards started the club in 1974. It was Joe and other TR friends at the time who invested in the dream of a Triumph that all could enjoy. Today we celebrate those individuals as “Honorary Lifetime Members”.

Our thanks goes to: Tom Householder, Tom Mahoney, Joe Richards, Nino Richards, Jeff Zimmerman, and Jerry Zimmerman.

The Triumph Register of America (TRA) was founded in 1974 by a small but passionate group of Triumph enthusiasts who shared a deep commitment to preserving the TR2, TR3, TR3A, TR3B, TR4, and TR4A—the classic side screen Triumph sports cars and the Triumphs with the same drive train!

At the time, many car clubs focused broadly on all British marques or included the newer TR6 and Spitfire models, but this group sought to create an organization exclusively dedicated to the early TR series, with a special emphasis on originality, technical accuracy, and camaraderie among owners. The founders were largely based in the northeastern United States, where a strong core of Triumph collectors, restorers, and racers had emerged.

The vision behind the TRA was to:

  • Establish a national registry for sidescreen TR cars,

  • Create a platform to share technical information, restoration guidance, and authenticity standards,

  • Promote social connections through newsletters, regional activities, and an annual national meet,

  • Encourage accurate restorations, using a judging manual to document factory-correct specifications.

The first TRA newsletter was published in 1974, followed by the club’s first National Meet, which became an annual tradition. Early supporters and leaders of the club included Triumph enthusiasts, restoration experts, and technical contributors who helped shape its unique focus. As the organization grew, it became a cornerstone of the Triumph community in North America—a voice for the preservation of the sidescreen cars, offering technical documentation, concours judging, and a thriving membership network.

Today, TRA remains one of the most respected Triumph clubs in the world, known for its strict originality standards and for helping thousands of enthusiasts keep their vintage Triumphs on the road and true to their heritage.