A history of Triumph TS 1L'O’

under second owner Richard Hewitt

Preface: this is mostly stories that I remember Richard telling me years ago, I regret that while I bugged him to put some of it to paper or atleast audio record neither happened before he passed. That said it always made me a little sad that his ownership and the only time TS 1L'O’ was ‘just a car’ and used as one isn't anywhere online as it is arguably some of it's most important history. I apologize in advance for any details I misremember or any exaggerations I fail to omit or correct.

~ ‘54 or ‘55

Richard Hewitt after seeing the Triumph TS 1L’O’ tearing up and down the highway in full speed-test trim (underbody fairing, wheelcovers, tonneau cover) decided to go and talk with the men who were recording it’s speed. First off just to ask what on earth this little roadster was, it was unusual for the auto-nut he was to come across a car he didn’t know about. After talking with them for some time the speed testing must’ve finished up because one way or another he’d ended up buying it straight up off the side of the road. There was only one problem with that day, see Richard didn’t have his driver’s licence yet! He hadn’t had any reason to, so he’d had to recruit a friend from work to drive it home for him.

~1957 summer

One night after coming home from a midnight shift at the tool and die shop (hey that’s time and a half pay) Richard loaded up the TS 1L’O’ and took off from Toronto to the Florida keys, a roughly 1550mile or 2500km trip one way. He spent most of the next month fishing and camping his way around the state only coming home when he did because he was chased all the way up the coast by a hurricane!

~’57 and ‘58

Richard fell into a dodge sedan that he hated and never really used as far as I know, but in 1958 he bought a ‘57 corvette c1 (that is still in the family) and the triumph was largely retired as his daily driver.

~1959

Richard tore the TS 1L’O’ down to nuts and bolts in his parent’s garage for a

thorough rebuild, when his father found out he was furious and threatened to call a dumpster up to throw the whole lot away if it wasn’t back together either by end of week or within three days I forget the exact timeline. But with that fire under his ass the triumph made it back together without much time to spare and was ready for the road again.

It was likely during this rebuild that he noticed the handwritten ‘CANADA’ in the doorcards and started properly looking into why his tr2 had always seemed a little off.

(Richard’s 57 vette and Triumph TS 1L’O’ behind castlefield ave ~1959 or 1960)

~1964

One of the triumph’s last drives a short run from Richard’s parent’s house on

Castlefield ave over to Dorward drive in Etobico where He and his family lived till 2009

(TS 1L’O’ at Dorward ~1964 to 1966)

~1966 spring

During the winter of 1965 the corvette, which was still the daily driver at the time, spun into a snowbank on the highway and needed some fairly extensive bodywork and repair. For this period the TS 1L’O’ was pressed back into service.

~1975

By ‘75 the Triumph TS 1L’O’ having not being kept up or driven for just under a

decade was in a fairly sorry state. And having just finished restoring his 57 corvette with son Ted Hewitt he decided to sell the Triumph on. It was bought up by Gordon Warburton of new york, loaded onto a flatbed and taken away.

(one of the photos taken to advertise the TS 1L’O’ for sale 1974)

Postscript:

As well as everything else above TS 1L’O’ made many weekend hunting, and fishing trips all over ontario especially around luther marsh or lake simcoe and on dozens of cross country and downhill ski trips during winter. Over the course of Richard’s ownership the motor was fully rebuilt atleast 3 times to my knowledge, with some parts being re-hardened

to improve their durability. One thing that Richard was particularly proud of was during one rebuild he specced every part to half the factory tolerance in what he called “racing tolerances” I believe this was still how it was put together at the time he sold it.

After it’s sale to Joe Richards the Triumph TS 1L’O’ could finally start to rest, it's time as just a car had passed and from this point on it could enjoy it's retirement. Meticulous care and pampering, world travel, and crowds of fans everywhere it went.

A timeline of TS 1’s entire life, as close as I’ve been able to research.

February, 02, 1953 TS 1L'O’ construction begins. Banner lane factory in coventry

September, 07, 1953. TS 1L'O’ shipped from England to Montréal. Plated 280 BI and shortly afterwards driven to Toronto for exhibit in the 1953 CNE auto show

Late 1953 - mid 1954 Driven by the president of Standard Triumph, one C.D.S Phillips and exhibited at various triumph dealers

February, 1954 the tr2 loaned to motortrend for testing in california is believed to be TS 1 however this is unconfirmed and maybe even unknowable

Mid 1954 TS 1L'O’ sold to Tom MacKinsey

Mid to late 1954 sold from Tom Mackinsey to Richard Hewitt 1974 Joe Richards starts the national triumph registry of america 1975 TS 1L'O’ registered from Toronto

Late 1975 sold from Richard Hewitt Toronto to Gordon Warburton of New York state

https://youtube.com/watch?v=UyHIojO5DUc&t=2s&pp=2AECkAIBygUUdHMxIGxvIGZpcnN0IG9mIG1hbnk%3D

1976 TS 1L'O’ sold from Gordon Warburton to Joe Richards

1976 - 2003 meticulous restoration to as near as possible TS 1's factory specification

2003 Joe Richards attempts to make the 200 mile drive to the annual Triumph Registry of America gathering held this year in Auburn indiana, breaking down roughly half way to finish the journey on a flatbed.

2004 flown to england to be displayed with it’s sistership TS 2 for the U.K. triumph registry’s annual meeting September, 03-07, 2008 after taking TS 1L’O’ to many more shows and meetups Joe added another roughly

3000 miles to the odometer before selling it on to the next owner Robert Smith from Hawaii. During the 2008

kastner cup TS 1 served as a pace car for the formation lap, as well as making several laps of the historic glen road course layout.

2011 sold from Robert Smith to Phillip Hoopes, sandy utah 2012-2015 restored by macy’s garage (Tipp city, Ohio)

April, 18-21, 2024 Exhibited at the 2024 kastner cup in Sonoma