Commonwealth Classics is a long-standing LBC repair shop perched in a garage on the east side of historic Vancouver Barracks, Washington.  I first learned of the business about 18 months ago while touring the barracks (and Fort Vancouver National Historic Site) as part of a military history conference; one of my compadres said, “Hey Mark, isn’t that a TR6?” and I was off to the races (so to speak).

Anyway, during my recent three-day TDY to Joint Base Lewis-McChord and subsequent four days visiting kids and grandkids in Vancouver and Lincoln City, I timed my drive through Vancouver to coincide with Commonwealth Classics’ monthly “Classics & Coffee” gathering, similar to the local Cars & Coffee events.  What a hoot…great bunch of people (aren’t all LBC owners?) and a pretty entertaining assortment of cars, including two TR250s, two TR3s, two TR6s, three Morgans, a TR7, MG TC and MGB, along with a ’40 Packard 110 (!) and Jensen-Healey. The guy at the garage next door concentrates on Chevys, so he rolled out a ’63 Biscayne police car. AND, someone showed up in a ’49 Ford coupe. Pretty eclectic.

In the shop, another Morgan (a flat rad…I’ve been keeping an eye out for one of those for years, almost bought one when I was at flight school in Pensacola 42 years ago), a Jensen Interceptor, MG Midget, TR4 (at least I think it was a 4; it might’ve been another 250) and a Jaguar XK120 FHC.

Again, great bunch of people (the local TR club is the Portland Triumph Owners Association; we swap newsletters with ’em) and a truly great way to spend a couple of hours on the north bank of the Columbia. Shoot, they don’t only offer coffee; I also enjoyed a pretty good brekfast.  If you ever get out to Portland-Vancouver, look up the PTOA to see if they have any events planned, and stop by Commonwealth Classics to say hi to owner Bob McNabb.