Perhaps the greatest of all British marques and the only one that remains today. Began motorcycle production in 1902. The 1938 Speed Twin, designed by Edward Turner, changed motorcycling design, racing and production.

Pictured above 1947 Triumph Speed Twin. Designed before the war, this was Triumph's first "verticle twin", two cylinders right  beside each other.

During the Second World War, the Government requisitioned virtually all of the machines manufactured and, despite the Coventry factory being destroyed in the 1940 Blitz of Coventry, production continued throughout the war years, firstly at a temporary site in Warwick and then at a new factory in Meriden.  Civilian production began again in 1946 and with supply lines open again Triumph set about re-establishing a dealer network in America. In 1951 the BSA group bought Triumph, although the Triumph marque was retained and the company remained a separate concern within the group.

 

The following two decades are now regarded as the golden age of British motorcycling. Motorcycling was at the height of its popularity in Western Europe and the USA, with some of the world’s screen legends being spotted regularly on their Triumph motorcycle. Throughout this period Britain dominated the world stage, launching many famous machines. One of the best remembered of those – and an icon of its time – is the Triumph Bonneville.

 

The original T120 Bonneville, named after the record-breaking feats on the Bonneville Salt Flats by Johnny Allen, was launched in 1959 as a high-performance, dual-carburettor version of Triumph’s existing 650cc twin (the T110 Tiger). It was a huge hit for Triumph, especially in the USA.

 

By 1965 the Meriden plant was producing around 800 units per week, with 80% of these destined for the USA. In 1968, after having concentrated on twins and singles since production began in 1902, Triumph began manufacturing its first triple – the Triumph Trident.

 

Triumph motorcycle production peaked in 1969 at around 46,800 units per year, however by the early 70s the slow supply of components, coupled with tooling problems led to production delays and in 1972, in a Government sponsored move the BSA Group merged with Norton Villiers and Norton-Villiers-Triumph (NVT) was formed.

 

In 1973 NVT announced that the Meriden plant was to close – which provoked a workers’ sit in. As a result production ground to a halt and in the following year, 1974, virtually no motorcycles were built. In 1975, after much negotiation, the Meriden Workers Co-operative was formed and, with capital provided by way of a grant from the British Government, production of 750cc Bonnevilles and Tigers resumed at the plant. The co-operative subsequently bought the rights to the Triumph marque from NVT and production gradually crept up to 350 units per week. Despite further support from the Government the co-operative went into liquidation in 1983.