A success story: Triumph

In the English industrial city of Coventry, German emigrant Siegfried Bettmann and engineer Mauritz Johann Schulte joined forces in 1898 to manufacture and sell bicycles under the Triumph brand name. Nine years later, the business partners were able to expand, equipping a bicycle with a Belgian Minerva engine. The first Triumph motorcycle, later known as “No. 1,” was born. After selling over 500 motorcycles, Triumph began developing its own engines. With success, because in 1907 and 1908 the company was able to demonstrate the capabilities of its engines at the “Tourist Trophy” race on the Isle of Man. In the first year, Triumph riders took second and third place, and the following year, rider Jack Marshall won the infamous race. As in almost every company’s history, World War II meant great change in the company. After the Coventry plant was completely destroyed by the German Luftwaffe in 1940, it was rebuilt near the small town of Meriden near Coventry. The company now produced mainly motorcycles for the military. Only after the end of the war did Triumph concentrate on manufacturing for private use. New to the post-war models was a telescopic fork with oil damping for a lighter feel. “Triumph, The Best Motorcycle in the World,” read the company’s factory brochure. The U.S. in particular was the biggest buyer of these post-war models at the time.

To drum up publicity in the States, Triumph took part in numerous world record attempts on the dried-up part of the salt lake Lake Bonneville in Utah. During one test ride, Johnny Allen set an all-time world record of 345.2 km/h. In honor of this ride, the company launched the Triumph cult bike “Bonneville T120”. To this day, this Triumph vintage bike is one of the brand’s most sought-after collector’s items.

Not only on the race track, the Triumph vehicles thrilled the audience. In various Hollywood films, movie stars such as Clint Eastwood drove Triumph motorcycles. In the early 1960s, Triumph Engineering Co Ltd. was the largest manufacturer of motorcycles. After more than 120 years of expertise in the field of engine manufacturing, Triumph still brings new and promising models to the market.