Having developed back pains from sitting on a stool and pounding on a full drumkit for more than 25 years, Gil Moore finds comfort is more important than style for his car.
That’s why Moore, the drummer of Canadian power trio Triumph, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary and has plans to commemorate it, has chosen the Cadillac Escalade for the last 20 years as his vehicle of choice. He’s had several editions, including the 2025 he is currently driving.
“I just really like the setup, my back appreciates it,” Moore told me. “The seating position is really good for me because I’ve got some L4-5 (spinal) issues going on from too many years of playing drums. It’s a good ride from that point of view. The independent four-wheel suspension on this one is outstanding. I got the long-wheel base, which is a lot better too than the short-wheel base modal.”
Moore called the Escalade a “golf mobile” because he is an avid golfer.
“You get that rear seat row down and you can get all the golf gear you want in the back,” said Moore, who has a single-digit handicap. “I have my own pro shop in the back of my truck, spare parts whether it’s balls, towels, shoes and shirts. If it’s a cold day and you want to layer up, you’ve got to have it all. Rain gear, you’ve got to have it all. Spare parts because every now and then a putter ends up in the bottom of a lake.”
He said the first car he ever got was a barely-used 1968 AMC AMX, a two-seater with a 390 four-speed transmission.
“It was an amazing car,” he said. “I think I paid $1,600. Cars were cheap back then. Nothing like now. You could buy a brand new Corvette for $6,600.”
He said shortly after that he got a 1956 Thunderbird to restore it.
“I didn’t do the best job in the world, but it was a fun car to get started on,” he said.
He indicated he is more into classic cars than modern cars.
“I wouldn’t give you 10 cents for a Ferrari or Lamborghini or anything like that,” he said. “I wouldn’t be caught dead driving one, to be honest. But classic cars I like, cars from the 60s. The Shelby Cobra Mustangs were awesome beasts. I never owned one, but I should have. I had some pretty cool Corvettes back in the day, kind of wish I would have held on to one or two of them. But times change, right?”
I asked him if he ever lived like a rock star owning expensive cars, and he laughed.
“I think every guy likes cars,” he said. “It’s hard not to like cars. I was no different.”
I persisted on the rock star questioning, wondering if he ever wanted to drive a $400,000 car so people would know he was Gil Moore of Triumph.
But he just laughed again.
“I don’t know about that,” he said. “I don’t know how to answer that. I just like cars and I like driving. I had a Lowrider Mercedes when AMG started to modify Mercedes-Benz’s. I had a really great version of that, a 500SEC with a German motor in it, which is more powerful, and a sports transmission. It was decked out in the AMG paraphernalia on the suspension and ground effects and all that. I had that ride for quite awhile. That was a nice car.”
I wondered if he could have any car in the world – brand new, classic, regardless of price – what would it be?
“I wouldn’t trade what I’m driving now for anything because I think it’s amazing,” he said. “But if I could just rub Aladin’s lamp, it would be a 68 Shelby Cobra Mustang. I think I appreciate it more now. I think it’s one of the best muscle cars ever made. It’s very rare. When it’s there and it’s in front of you and it’s new, it doesn’t seem as unique as it does now. There’s very few of them around. It’s not the most valuable classic car, but you’re asking me what my personal favourite would be and that would be it.”
I thought for sure he would say a Triumph. After all, that was the name of his band.
“I never thought of that,” he said.
Incidentally, his band wasn’t named because of the car. He was looking for a band name and someone suggested Triumph and he thought it sounded good. Triumph sure created some nice sounds with multiple hits that included Lay It On The Line, Magic Power and Never Surrender, to name a few. That contributed to make the threesome one of Canada’s most revered bands. It also enjoyed a following in some parts of the U.S., in particular Texas.
An album of Triumph songs covered by many musicians from the 80s and 90s is slated to be released in June. It is called Magic Power: All-Star Tribute to Triumph. Music producer Mike Klink, who worked with Triumph on its album The Sport Of Kings, came up with the idea.
In addition, Moore and Paul Dexter, who has been involved in hologram tours featuring Ronnie James Dio and Frank Zappa, have been working on a mixed reality concept of Triumph music. It is slated to debut later this year or early in 2026 in North America and possibly go international after that. It will include musician Phil X, who was a Triumph band member and later became part of Bon Jovi, and two others. They will perform songs mixed in with virtual footage of Moore and Triumph bandmates Rik Emmett and Mike Levine. Moore calls it “the world’s first six-piece power trio.”
Other technological elements, some of it three dimensional and a lot of artificial intelligence, will be incorporated into the experience.
“The most important thing in the show besides the musicians and conceptual aspect is the narrative,” Moore said. “We want people leaving the theatre feeling completely uplifted. We zeroed in on what the fans tell us. It’s about the songs – Never Surrender and Follow Your Heart – those sorts of concepts, thoughts of perseverance and positivity.”
Perry Lefko is the Content Manager of The Car Magazine. He can be reached at perry.lefko@thecarmagazine.com. Feel free to forward any story suggestions or comments.