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  • I am currently compiling a list of TriVette owners. If you own one or know someone who does please E-mail me their contact information at "EV(at)MW.NET". Thanks, Leo.

  • Thanks for visiting my TriVette site. I created this site mainly for two reasons:

  • 1) To document the history of the TriVette three-wheeled vehicles
    2) To serve as a reference for the care and maintenance of the TriVette vehicles

    This site has been assembled with the knowledge, help, and blessing of Bob Keyes. Bob, of course, was the designer and builder of these fine vehicles.

    It is my hope that you can find whatever you want to know about these wonderful vehicles here.

  • TriVettes were manufactured from 1974 thru 1978 and only 27 were made! 26 of these were factory made and only 1 was sold as a kit. The kit builder later sent the partially finished kit back so the factory could finish building it. 25 of the TriVettes used Fiat 850 engines and the other 2 used VW engines.

  • After buying my TriVette, I noticed that information on them was rather scarce, so it was my intention to gather all that I could and put it on this site. I talked with Bob Keyes on the phone several times about my TriVette and over time the idea for a web site developed. When I told him of my thoughts, he invited me to visit him so he could help with the site and to show me his latest vehicle -- the Vigillante!!!! Little could I have imagined that I would ever talk to Bob Keyes, let alone meet him face-to-face.

    My wife and I spent some time with Bob and his wife Diana in June 2006. They opened up their home and memories to us and we quickly became friends. Bob gave both my wife and me rides in his Vigillante and showed me the drawings and plans for his latest creation, the TriVette II. While in New York he asked me to help do some work on the TriVette II and of course I agreed. Bob was a great resource. He suggested using a tape recorder to tape our talks - so I did. He opened his files to me, selecting several TriVette pictures, newspaper and magazine articles, and of course told many great stories that dealt with designing and building these great vehicles. He also went over the TriVette in detail giving the sources of the various parts and subsystems. This information should be very useful to anyone who owns a TriVette - the information has already been a great help to me. Truly this site would not be what it is without his extensive help.

  • Bob created a great site at WWW.VIGILLANTE.COM where you can find more information on his Vigillante and his TriVette II vehicles.

  • It is with great sadness that we inform you of the death of Bob Keyes in July 2006. Bob was the designer and builder of the TriVette three-wheeled vehicle in the 1970’s and the more recent Vigillante and TriVette II. Few people in the world were as knowledgeable as Bob when it came to three wheelers, and with his degree in Physics, his vehicles were without a doubt the most stable, best performing three wheelers ever built. Bob was always ahead of his time and his innovation, creative thinking, optimism and humor will be sorely missed.

    His enthusiasm and spirit were infectious - just ask anyone who talked with him. He always took the time for anyone who called - even complete strangers. Bob had suffered heart problems the year and a half before his death and those problems finally took his life.

    I learned of his passing a very short time after our visit to New York. Since taking over his WWW.VIGILLANTE.COM site, I have been contacted by many people with many great stories about Bob. He knew about all aspects of his vehicles and could recall the most miniscule detail from memory. I feel bad that just when I was getting to know him he's gone. It was a rare privilege to meet a man like Bob. I was really looking forward to working with him and learning from him - he will be missed.

    I would like give credit to Diana Keyes for her help and support of this project. She continues to be a wonderful friend and asset for the development of this site. Thanks Diana!

         

Copyright 2010 By Leo Doyle - All Rights Reserved