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Léon Guyot
London England UK

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I am a government servant and presently work in computer administration etc. My hobbies: Triumphs, Photography, Writing, Travel, Meeting Triumph people. And my interests are British history, and Historic Motorsport, and eating great food, albeit with a small appetite. I am also a council member of the Triumph Sports Six Club, and have been a member continuously since 23 March 1981.

1963 Triumph Vitesse

FWIW, here is a picture of my Vitesse with me in it. Not the best ever picture of me, but then are any of them? (g) Taken at the end of the 98 season when my car had won just about every major trophy going! I didn't enter in 99, but probably will this year. About 4 weeks of very serious cleaning to do in the springtime though! (groan) This was effectively my second car, (not counting lots of temporary clunkers), Around early 1984, I was studying my Herald's dissolving bodywork, and decided to restore it. I started out on the quest to collect enough bodyparts etc to rebuild it, but after a while it appeared that I had another complete car, in pieces scattered around our house, and so modified my plans to build myself another car, and soon after that, I decided that I might as well build it up as a six cylinder Vitesse. Unfortunately, my Herald's bodywork had continued to crumble, and work on the Vitesse project ground to a halt whilst I restored my Herald. Other things got in the way, including work not being carried out on the Vitesse as I would wish, (understatement), and having to be done again, including welding the chassis incorrectly, grinding the crankshaft incorrectly, building the limited-slip differential incorrectly, and painting the entire car incorrectly.However, after all these problems, i somehow prevailed and ended up with what was effectively a brand new Triumph Vitesse, having sourced almost all new parts over the intervening period. I got to drive my new Triumph for the very first time on 18 April 1997. As it was first registered on 1 April 1963, I had to take it to be tested and it passed first time with just 8 miles on the clock. She attended her first show on 10 May 1997. It rained. We launched her with half a crate of Champagne and flutes all round. On 25 May 1997, she won the Herald/Vitesse class at the inaugural Standard-Triumph European Rally in Arcen, Holland.Exactly 35 years to rthe day since the Vitesse was released. She had a five page article in Classics magazine September 1997 issue.and was cover car on the Feb/March 1998 issue (no.18) of Triumph World magazine,with a four page article. 12 July 1998, and she finally won the coveted Best Modified Vitesse Trophy and shield at the Triumph Sports Six Club International Rally at Stafford. She appeared on the front cover of the TSSC Courier magazine October 1998 issue. AOL UK used her to advertise their Vehicles Classified pages over a six month period from about March to August 1999, for which I received three months free subscription. In 1999, I have been too busy to prepare her for Concours, but may have another go in 2000 ? We shall see. This is a difficult car to quantify: Originally a Vitesse 6 Saloon in Phantom Grey with a Spa White side-flash & red trim.Originally built on 21 January 1963.Originally first registered on 1 April 1963.Commission number: HB 7167 DL Rebuilt mechanically as a Vitesse 2L-Mk.2 Convertible in Signal Red with black trim.(although appears to be a 2-litre-Mk.1 Convertible, as I much prefer that front grille).Rebuild commenced 27 June 1984.Rebuild 'completed' 18 April 1997. Original registration date of 1 April 1963. Commission number: HB 7167 DL This vehicle is much modified:i.e.Twin fuel tanks, Triple Weber Carbs, Electric Fuel Pumps, Tubular Exhaust Manifold, Stainless Steel Full-Sports Exhaust, High-lift Camshaft, Gas-flowed Cylinder-Head, Dolomite Sprint Overdrive Gearbox, Quaif Limited Slip Differential, TR6 Clutch, AP Racing four-piston front brakes, Vacuum Servo, Laminated-tinted windscreen and tinted side glass, alloy wheels, many alloy and stanless steel parts, uprated lighting and electrics, leather seats, german mohair hood and much more. Improvements continue.