Dozens of shiny Triumph cars filled the oval of Vernon's Polson Park for the All-Triumph Drive In car show Saturday, July 27.
Triumph vehicles were a British brand that manufactured cars for nearly 100 years. The company was acquired by Leyland Motors in 1960 before being retired in 1984. BMW acquired the branding in 1994.
While they are no longer manufactured, Saturday's event showed there is still plenty of enthusiasm for the stylish British vehicles.
"They seem to be kind of popular among a particular type of person," said Andy MacLean, with the B.C. Triumph Registry that organized this year's event. "A lot of people just relive their youth with a sports car."
MacLean said 90 Triumph cars registered for the event, which saw a strong turnout of people checking out the vehicles in ideal weather.
He said the event is hosted on a rotational basis among B.C.'s Triumph club and clubs in Oregon and Washington. The last time B.C. hosted the event was in Penticton in 2019, and the province will host its next Triumph Drive In in 2027.
"We have to find a venue that will accommodate upwards of 100 cars and a hotel that's big enough to take 100 room guests, and a banquet facility and the whole works, and we were fortunate to find that in Vernon this year."
MacLean said the event drew in one car from Nevada, 10 from California and the rest were from Washington, Oregon and B.C.
"Vernon is a great place for this," MacLean said. "We love it here."
Brian Thomlinson had his Triumph car on display at the car show alongside his wife.
"This is a hobby that we've had for 32 years," he said. "I did a restoration, but I drove it for 10 years before I restored it."
He said the car show isn't just a place to show off your wheels; it's a place to socialize.
"For a lot of the people here, cars bring us together," Thomlinson said. "We've all got a tremendous interest in Triumph cars specifically."
He said he got interested in the cars at an early age.
"When I was eight or nine years old my brother brought home a British car, and I learned to love them."
Thomlinson's Triumph car isn't just for show; he drove it over 9,000 kilometres last year and has added another 3,200 kilometres to the odometer so far this year.
