In 1961, Roger Hurst purchased his first imported car….. A 1960 English Triumph TR-3 sports car. He immediately found it was faster, easier on gas, and much more reliable than the Fords he had been driving. And, most of all, it was FUN to drive.

His first big mistake was taking the car to the local Triumph dealership for a tune up. When Roger picked the car up, his little pride and joy would barely run! The guys at the dealership basically told Roger to "Take a hike…. That was the best they could do; and, NO REFUND!" (Sound familiar?)

Having studied engineering and physics in high school and college, Roger figured the little 4 cylinder, twin carbureted engine, shouldn't require somebody with a Master's degree in Voo-doo to make it run at least as well as it used to.

With the help of a thick service manual from England, Roger had the Triumph screaming in no time. Perhaps his high school and college years as a professional musician gave him the trained ear for setting the twin carbs and timing on these high-strung cars.

With new-found performance, Roger entered competition in the Sports Car Club of America's Autocross and Rally driving events….. Garnering 22 straight trophies in his first 22 competitions and winning the coveted SCCA "Rookie of the Year" Award.

He immediately gathered a following of other local sports car owners who wanted their cars to run as well as Roger's little Triumph. Realizing the real performance potential hidden in their cars they began to bring their friends for a wave of Roger's "magic wand". The waiting lines became so long that Roger began to charge a reasonable amount "just to slow them down"….. But they just kept coming. So, in 1962, Roger left his job at Mobil Oil Company and opened Hurst Imported Car Service. The rest is history.

As an interesting side note….. Roger's parents were rather upset that he had decided to go into business for himself…. Saying "There's no security in owning your own business". 43 years later, Hurst Imported Car Service is still going strong and, yes, Mobil Oil Company is long gone from Kansas City!