The thrill of the triumph

In the last three editions of the Valletta Classic Car Grand Prix, the category for the two-litre class sprint was always won by the same person: Charles Vella of Mġarr.

The sounds, the smells, the spectators, the roar of the engine as it picks up speed, the flow of adrenaline – I felt that at long last, I was in my element

On meeting him, one better understands why he has been so successful and why he has such a fascination with the Triumph brand.

“I have always had this irresistible attraction to Triumph cars,” Vella says.

“When I got my driving licence in 1977, the first car I bought was a Triumph Herald 12/50 saloon. It needed a partial restoration – the body had rust, and the engine needed a ‘rebore’. In 1985, the vehicle was damaged in an accident, and I took the opportunity to carry out a full restoration project on it. The result was satisfying; however some time afterwards I got married, and I had to sell the Triumph because it is not a family car.”

However, Vella’s love for the marque eventually got the better of him, and in 1993, he bought a 1970 Triumph Vitesse Mark I. The red convertible, powered by a six-cylinder, 2-litre engine, was in a very good condition.

The Vitesse is a compact car built by Standard-Triumph between 1962 and 1971. The Vitesse name had previously been used by the company on one of its pre-war vehicles between 1936 and 1938. In the early 1960s, Triumph started developing a sports saloon based on the Herald, a successful model which had been introduced on the market a few years earlier.

They turned again to Italian designer Giovanni Michelotti, who came up with a vehicle that harnessed almost all body parts from the Herald, a six-cylinder engine, a new front end with a slanted four headlamp look, and an improved interior.

Vella has always had a soft spot for speed:

“In the 1990s, I used to participate, as a navigator, in night rallies organised by the Island Car Club, achieving good results,” he reminisces.

“When the rallies were replaced by hill climbs, I did not have an adequate vehicle to take part with, but I stayed around and helped out as a marshal.”

His experience served him well, for when the first Grand Prix de Malte was organised in 2007, he was in the marshal pool that managed that unforgettable two-day event.

“In reality I wanted to participate in the races with the Vitesse, but it was not to be.”

The Grand Prix de Malte was not held in 2008, and doubts were expressed whether such an event would be held again. But the local classic car community put its thinking cap on, and the Grand Prix was held a year later.

This time there was no stopping Vella and his Vitesse from taking part, and winning their category.

“Taking part in such a race brings on feelings and emotions which cannot be easily described,” he admits.

“The sounds, the smells, the spectators, the roar of the engine as it picks up speed, the flow of adrenaline – I felt that at long last, I was in my element.”

Come 2010, Vella was back for another Grand Prix edition with his red Vitesse, first racing along the Valletta ring road, and then collecting another class winner’s trophy on the podium.

There were many changes in the 2011 Valletta Grand Prix . Due to the ongoing public transport reform arrangements, the activity could not be held around the capital city.

The organising committee opted to hold it around the hills surrounding Mdina. In the meantime, Vella wanted to give the Vitesse a well deserved rest. However, this meant working all out on a three-month nut and bolt restoration project on another, similar 1970 Triumph Vitesse which had been gathering dust in his garage for seven years.

“I worked flat out to get it ready in time. The chassis was dismantled bit by bit, and a similar process was applied to the engine and the gearbox. The only problem was to get it together again.”

He concedes the great disadvantage of the Vitesse was in its rear suspension, as its single leaf transverse spring leads to negative camber when going around a corner, with subsequent narrowing road holding and unevenness of road friction. He carried out all the work himself. Vella is a professional panel beater and a qualified mechanic.

The Vitesse was painted in old English white, and in preparation for the Grand Prix, the lowered hard top was manufactured in fibre in order to reduce weight and gain speed.

Come the day, Vella left the other classic cars in his category behind, collecting the first place trophy for the third year running.

“These three awards take pride of place in my home, for the Mdina Glass trophies are a distinctive work of art in themselves. Every year an integral part of a car is replicated in glass. As a result I now have a piston with a connecting rod, a sparkling plug, and a steering wheel, all made of glass, in a prominent wall unit.”

Talking of original design, Vella is proud to point out that his daughter Claudia, an architect, was very much involved in the mapping out of the alternative Mdina Grand Prix racing circuit, the spectator pits, as well as being the designer of the event posters, which were later auctioned.

While admitting to the personal high which comes from gathering speed in races, he nevertheless gets caught in the dilemma that in the process, his vehicle is damaged by the wear and tear of the exertions.

“I try to reduce the strain by, for example, adjusting the gearbox. My advantage is that I started early in racing, am experienced on Triumph cars, and thus know the vehicle better”

Today the Vitesse is sought-after by classic car collectors. In Malta, there are only five on the road and with two trophy-winning Vitesses in his stable, one would think that Vella is sitting back, resting on his laurels. However, a few months ago, another marque member entered the pen: a 1971, black Triumph GT6, a six-cylinder two-litre relative of the Vitesse.

“The body needs restoration, but the engine is in perfect condition. If I had the time, I would surely restore it – to participate in a future edition of the Valletta Grand Prix, needless to say,” he concluded.

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