Story and Photos by: Shannon Hammett

Chuck and Judy Tilley, of LaFayette, Ga., brought their Jasmine Yellow 1969 Triumph TR6 out to show at the World of Wheels, Chattanooga. Mr. Tilley purchased the TR6 in 1996. Although Mr. Tilley was quite happy with his new car, Mrs. Tilley did not share his enthusiasm.

“When I first saw the car, I thought, what were you thinking? Why? It was in terrible shape. We were putting one of our two daughters through college when he bought the car, so the restoration was a slow process. It took him about five years to finish. He started out building model cars as a kid, and worked his way up to this. He basically lives in the garage,” laughed Mrs. Tilley. “A lot of blood, sweat and tears went into this car. I put up with a lot. He had the car seats sitting in my living room for a while. That is where he re-covered them. After that, he tried bringing the carburetor into the living room, but that’s where I drew the line.”

Although Mrs. Tilley’s first reaction to the TR6 was less than enthusiastic, this little car has definitely grown on her. She enjoys coming out to the shows, and even sets up and arranges the many trophies surrounding the car on the display.

“We’ve really enjoyed this car. My husband drives it in the homecoming events and Christmas parades. We have two grown daughters and four grandchildren. They all love the car. When our youngest daughter got married, we brought the car to the wedding and she had wedding portraits taken with it,” said Mrs. Tilley.

This is the TR6’s sixth year at the World of Wheels. It has taken home numerous awards from an array of shows, including first in its class at the World of Wheels five years in a row. This is the sixth year that the Tilleys have shown the car at the World of Wheels, and it could very well be its last year. Mrs. Tilley admits that the TR6’s days with the Tilley family may be numbered.

“As much as we love this car, we have been thinking about selling it. We were looking online the other day, and found out that these cars have gone up in value. Chuck has been wanting a Porsche, and I’ve had my eye on a Jaguar. So, we’ll see what happens,” said Mrs. Tilley.