Like most of you who have found your way to these pages, Jack Tripp's interest in sports cars and motor sports in general began in his teen years when he began building model cars and airplanes and collecting every magazine on motor sports that was available.

Through the years, until achieving the ripe old age of 18, he collected many magazines on the subject of sports cars and racing, and built model after model -- even winning a few model contests along the way. His appetite for competition had been whetted, if only in 1/25 or 1/32 scale...

Jack was not lucky enough to own a car as a teenager. However, he did have the use of his father's 1956 Chevy. Hardly a sports car, but it was a start. In those days, the elite few who could afford cars of their own would modify them by lowering the rear end, which was usually done via various suspension modifications. Of course, Jack could not do this to his father's car, so he cleverly achieved the same look for less money, and in a manner which was easily reversible... Jack hid a few concrete blocks down the road from his house. When he had a date, he would leave the house and head down the road, only to stop and load the concrete blocks in the trunk and away he would go, cool as ever. Jack, of course, wasn't into the drag racing scene, but then this story is about sports cars! When he turned for home, Jack would unload the blocks at the same spot and then head home, normal as ever.

At nineteen Jack joined the U.S. Air Force. After two years in Fairbanks, Alaska, his tour was up and he was transferred to Florida.

"I needed a car at that time and I had my eye on a 1956 Austin Healey 100-4 in Norfolk, Virginia. My father tried to drill into my brain that I should not buy a foreign car since I would not be able to get parts, etc. Of course I didn't listen, and ended up buying this beautiful machine."

The Healey was in great shape and looked very sharp. Jack drove the car regularly in Florida during his last two years in the Air Force. He had many good times with the car during those years, particularly driving to Sebring and Daytona for the races, and watching the likes of Stirling Moss, Jim Clark, and Graham Hill do their stuff. The more he attended the races the more he wanted to get involved. But like most of us at 21 years old, Jack could not afford to buy a race car much less the cost to maintain and campaign one.

Upon completion of his tour in the Air Force, Jack began a twenty-six year employment with Pan American World Airways. He counts himself very fortunate to have had the opportunity to travel the world and to work and live in many interesting places...