Land of Enchantment

[The Skip]

As a permanent resident, I am a relatively new arrival to New Mexico. My TR6 will not arrive until at least July, 2019.
In general, I find that New Mexico lives up to its claim of enchantment. The scenery is exceptional, the roads are in good repair for the most part, and the driving season is year round, although there are days in every month when it is at least imprudent to consider a Triumph outing. If you look at membership information from 6-Pack, VTR, or even the Triumph Experience, you find many folk who own, or who are at least interested in Triumph automobiles.
So...how can it be that there is no 6-Pack chapter, and no VTR-affiliated club closer than Denver or Phoenix? If you live somewhere, anywhere, in New Mexico, and would be interested in forming a 6-Pack Chapter, a VTR affiliated club, or both, I am in, and will assist. To be clear, any club needs to be more active than coffee and BS once a month. Daytrips, weekend outings, rally, autocross, and shows, of course, really have to be part of the package. Also, although I am a senior myself, I believe that it is essential for the survival of the cars that we love that every effort should be made to appeal to younger people who do not remember when our cars were current and often seen on roads.
Who’s in?

[UberXY]

Do you have a cars and coffee nearby? I go to two local ones, and find that they are great alternatives to organized car clubs.

[phil73]

I would agree with you that its a beautiful area of the country. My wife (Barb) and I spent a week there in September and are considering moving there at some point. If we do we can form our own chapter with 2 cars

Might be a number of years till that happens though.

[bkahler]

Maybe 3 cars.....

New Mexico is one of the areas I'm considering moving to once I retire. That's still 2 to 3 years away but who knows....

[phil73]

Yeah, that was always our plan as well but retirement is at least 8 years off for me. After the week we spent there we're thinking about accelerating the move but...we'll see. That whole pesky need to make money would be a bit of an issue were we to move early

[poolboy]

There's stuff going on there.."Hawk Monster" over in Flagstaff has a collection and can tell you what he knows if he ever comes back to the Forum.
In addition I see a few people who participate on the British Car Forum http://www.britishcarforum.com/bcf/f...sh-Automobiles run around New Mexico.
You might ask over there on that Forum.

[The Skip]

Well...it is encouraging (in a way) to know that there are so many people considering New Mexico as their next home. Polly (my 6), Annie (my MG B), and I will be here waiting. I should tell you that this morning, you would probably leave your LBCs in the garage. My cacti are wearing a fresh coat of snow. On the other hand, the snow that falls on my drive is usually gone by lunch time at my 7000-ft elevation...not always, but most winter days see a high temperature of at least 40-45 degrees, and the sun will shine.
There are various car clubs in NM, of course. What I feel is lacking is a more active organization. My thought would be that there should be at least one, and two activities would be better per month through eight or ten months each year. The other peculiarity here is the number of people shown in the membership lists of Triumph-specific owner organizations, yet, for whatever reason, there is only one British car club that I have found in the state that is active. Surely a group of Triumphs with their long highway legs could be organized.
Consider these good reasons/excuses to drive your 6 in New Mexico:
El Camino Real Scenic Byway
Turquoise Trail
High Road to Taos
Trail of the Ancients
Enchanted Circle Scenic Byway
The list goes on, and there are also great, but unnamed routes.
The other objective, beyond the thrill of driving, is the preservation of these cars. In another decade or two, there will be very few people left who know or remember our cars, and, without the active intervention of those who do remember, there will be no parts, no qualified mechanics or technicians, no Triumphs. Polly deserves better...

[poolboy]

Join one or more of the clubs you've found then and get things started as a tour leader.

[smaceng]

Just to keep in mind about AZ is that it can be HOT during the summer. Many residents find more northern places to hand out during the hot months. 117 deg. F in the Grand Canyon was pretty hot.
Cheers, Scott in flaming hot CA

[SapphireBlue72]

British Enthusiasts of Southern New Mexico
British Motor Club of Southern New Mexico
British Automobile Owners Association Albuquerque New Mexico
British Automobile Association of Albuquerque

[The Skip]

British Enthusiasts of Southern New Mexico
British Motor Club of Southern New Mexico
British Automobile Owners Association Albuquerque New Mexico
British Automobile Association of Albuquerque

Well, here we are, nearly a year down the road, and time for action.
The first two entries above are defunct as of at least January this year. I believe that the two Albuquerque clubs are the same single club. I attended their one significant event in Elephant Butte in late September. They alternate between north and south locations each year, so next year’s Rio Grande Valley Regional Rendezvous will return north. I doubt that I will attend; this club has no interest in affiliation with a national organization.
In October, Polly and I attended VTR in Dripping Springs. Polly scored very well in the show (397/400 points),and I made contacts with some great Texans who said that there had once been a New Mexico affiliate. Some names were shared, and I am attempting to contact those folks.
Here’s the plan: If there is sufficient interest in forming a new New Mexico Triumph or all-marque British car club with the goal of affiliating with 6-Pack, VTR, TRA, or other national group, I will work harder than any other potential member to get the ball rolling. There is already a plan to publish a call to arms in the winter issue of The Vintage Triumph.
If there is no response, I have already formed my one-member, three-car club, Triunfo Solitario, and it is active (Polly, over 6,000 miles this year, Annie, 500 miles this year, and Sara, 800 miles since her September arrival. Others may make application for membership by forwarding the non-refundable application fee. Membership will not be approved, but the girls will keep their tanks full.
How about you? Are you living in northern New Mexico? Want to help establish a local club with aspirations for involvement with multiple national organizations? There have already been two others expressing interest. PM me for contact information.

[JonS]

Well, here we are, nearly a year down the road, and time for action.
The first two entries above are defunct as of at least January this year. I believe that the two Albuquerque clubs are the same single club. I attended their one significant event in Elephant Butte in late September. They alternate between north and south locations each year, so next year’s Rio Grande Valley Regional Rendezvous will return north. I doubt that I will attend; this club has no interest in affiliation with a national organization.
In October, Polly and I attended VTR in Dripping Springs. Polly scored very well in the show (397/400 points),and I made contacts with some great Texans who said that there had once been a New Mexico affiliate. Some names were shared, and I am attempting to contact those folks.
Here’s the plan: If there is sufficient interest in forming a new New Mexico Triumph or all-marque British car club with the goal of affiliating with 6-Pack, VTR, TRA, or other national group, I will work harder than any other potential member to get the ball rolling. There is already a plan to publish a call to arms in the winter issue of The Vintage Triumph.
If there is no response, I have already formed my one-member, three-car club, Triunfo Solitario, and it is active (Polly, over 6,000 miles this year, Annie, 500 miles this year, and Sara, 800 miles since her September arrival. Others may make application for membership by forwarding the non-refundable application fee. Membership will not be approved, but the girls will keep their tanks full.
How about you? Are you living in northern New Mexico? Want to help establish a local club with aspirations for involvement with multiple national organizations? There have already been two others expressing interest. PM me for contact information.

I just saw this. I am in the process of just about committing to getting a TR6 after poking around for a while. We moved to Santa Fe about 3 years ago. It is beautiful. In the process of looking for a TR6, I came across an owner that lives not more than a mile from me as the crow flies.