History of Triumph
Thrill, Speed, Adventure: The Triumph Story
The Triumph brand is synonymous with the sounds, sights, and smells of an era when the British ruled the roads. It’s a name that has been identified with modern classics and continues to grow and flourish as one of the most famous motorcycle brands in the world.
Triumph has always been about dreaming big and making it happen—pushing boundaries and making products that are not only functional but fun to use.
It all started in 1902 when the first Triumph motorcycle rolled off the assembly line in Coventry. Since then, Triumph has been a major player in the motorcycle industry.
Origin Story
The story of Triumph Motorcycles is one of grit, determination, and a refusal to ever give up.
When Triumph was founded, Britain was in a bicycle craze. The company's founder, Siegfried Bettmann, started by selling German-made bicycles in 1886 under S. Bettmann & Co. Import Export Agency in London, England. He later changed this name to Triumph.
In 1887, he was joined by Mauritz Schulte and they formed a business partnership. The company then began manufacturing bicycles, which it continued to do until 1902 when it transitioned its focus to motorcycles. It has been making motorcycles ever since.
The Legend Lives On
Over the years, Triumph Motorcycles has weathered World War I, bankruptcy in 1939, business setbacks during World War II, and then a final bankruptcy in 1983; but every time the company was knocked down it found a way to get back up again!
In 1983 John Bloor acquired the Triumph brand name and manufacturing rights from the original company's liquidators and set about restarting motorcycle production under the Triumph name.
Today Triumph Motorcycles is one of the most successful companies in its field and its products are sold around the world.
History
Since 1902, Triumph Motorcycles has provided a unique blend of design, character, and performance that has seen its bikes become icons on the road and silver screen. As an authentic and iconic British brand, Triumph is globally renowned for creating and developing distinctive, characterful
motorcycles that offer a unique riding experience.
Key Milestones
The company has played a big role in shaping the world of motorcycling and continues to do so today. Here is a breakdown of some of Triumph's most notable achievements over the years.
The Early Years
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1902List Item 1
Triumph launches its first motorcycle. It was an immediate success with its powerful engine and sporty style. The Triumph "No 1" was a 3-horsepower motorbike powered by a 2.2hp Minerva engine manufactured in Belgium.
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1907
The first factory built by Triumph opens on Priory Street in Coventry as bike production rises to 1000 units.
Tested on the Road. Proven on the Track
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1914List Item 1
Triumph's racing exploits had earned it a reputation as one of the premier motorcycle manufacturers.
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1908List Item 2
The first TT victory for an Englishman came when Jack Marshall rode a 3hp Triumph at an average speed of 40mph (64kph). Later that year, Triumph would launch its first V-twin model.
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1955List Item 3
Texan racer Johnny Allen reached 193 miles per hour on the Bonneville Salt Flats in “The Devil’s Arrow,” a streamliner built by a trio of enthusiasts using a tuned 650 cc thunderbird motor.
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1966List Item 4
Motorcycle racer Buddy Elmore won the Daytona 200, setting an unofficial record speed of 245 miles per hour in a streamliner called the Gyronaut X-1. Its two Triumph 650cc engines propelled it to the finish line.
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1967
Triumph racing successes included Gary Nixon's victory in Daytona 200 on a Tiger 100, John Hartle's help in bringing more racing success to Triumph in the Isle of Man Production TT, and Evel Knievel jumping his Bonneville T120 TT Special over fountains at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas.
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1969
On a Bonneville, rider Malcolm Uphill sets the record for the fastest lap on a production motorcycle at the TT.
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1970
Trident rider Peter Uphill won the Production TT race—riding a tuned three-cylinder 750cc machine with a revised cylinder head. Later that year, Triumph introduced the T120 ‘oil in frame’ range of triple-cylinder models.
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2003
Triumph celebrated its first victory at the Isle of Man TT in 27 years with Bruce Anstey's win on the 600cc Daytona.
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2008
Triumph and motorcycle racer Glen Richards clinched the British Superbike Championship. This victory marked Triumph's first British Championship win since joining forces with Hinckley.
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2014
Gary Johnson won the Supersport TT on the Isle of Man and Billy McConnell took the British Supersport Championship, both of them riding a Smiths Triumph Daytona 675R. The company also won its first Daytona 200 in 47 years, when Danny Eslick took the win while riding a Daytona 675R, giving Triumph its first win there since 1967.
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2019
Triumph returned to top-level motorsports, this time as an engine supplier to the Moto2 World Championship. The group took sixteen lap records, produced the first-ever 300 kph top speed, and helped Alex Marquez win the title.
War Contributions
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1921List Item 1
Triumph helped supply the British army with thousands of motorcycles, many of which were used as military couriers.
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1915List Item 2
Triumph launched its iconic Model H motorcycle. Powered by an air-cooled 499cc single-cylinder engine, the bike had a top speed of around 50mph and could be ridden at speeds over 40mph for hundreds of miles a day – even on rough roads – making it ideal for use by British military forces in World War I. By 1918, 30,000 Model H’s were in service with Allied Forces on all fronts of the war.
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1936List Item 3
Jack Sangster buys Triumph’s motorcycle business and hires Edward Turner as his chief designer.
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1942List Item 4
The Meriden factory opened for business and production continued until the end of World War II. More than 50,000 Motorcycles were sold to the military during the war.
Triumph Motorcycles' Film Features
International Expansion
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1952List Item 1
John Crosby began importing Triumph motorcycles into the US market; it was the first time Triumph bikes were available for purchase in the country.
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2012List Item 2
This year brought 110 years of success for Triumph—the company celebrated by opening a new plant in Brazil and releasing the Tiger Explorer and Trophy as well as updates to the Street Triple and Daytona lines.
Innovative Product Launches
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1971List Item 1
From its very beginning, the company has been known for innovation and high quality.
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1915List Item 2
Triumph introduced the type H ‘Trusty’ motorcycle with an iconic design, a top speed of 50mph, and capable of speeds over 40mph for hundreds of miles a day.
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1937
Triumph Motor Company unveiled the 498cc Speed Twin, capable of speeds greater than 90mph. Many consider it to be the definitive British motorcycle, thanks to its engine design that would define the company's bikes for more than 40 years.
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1956
The TR6 Trophy launched with a 650cc engine – and this legendary model was to become one of the most popular off-road bikes of all time. It won numerous US desert races and set many long-distance records in the hands of Bud Ekins and his brother Dave Ekins.
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1968
The first-ever production 750cc triple debuts in the Triumph Trident and the BSA Rocket 3.
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1987
Triumph started designing a whole new set of engines. The first of these—a 1,200-cc four-cylinder—was running on the test bench at their new plant in Hinckley.
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1990
Triumph Motorcycles Ltd. made a big splash at the Cologne Show, with the unveiling of unfaired Trident 750cc and 900cc Triples, touring Trophy 905cc and 1200cc Four, and sporty Daytona 750cc and 1000cc Four.
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1994
Triumph Motorcycles formed Triumph Motorcycles America, and released two new adventure bikes, the Tiger 900 and the Speed Triple. Both competed in the Speed Triple Challenge race series at Donington Park.
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1996
Hinckley welcomes its 50,000th motorcycle — the Daytona T595, an intriguing model that drew long deposit lists because of its stunning styling.
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2000
Triumph re-introduced the Bonneville line, which lured in riders of all ages with its classic styling and functionality.
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2002
This year marked the centenary of the business; a major fire at the main factory was followed by the opening of Triumph's first facility in Thailand. The super sports model Daytona 600 was launched later that year.
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2006
The 675cc Daytona entered production with a Triple engine that would go on to win multiple awards.
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2007
The Triumph Street Triple was released, a bike bringing together all the performance and handling of the Daytona 675 with the styling and entertainment of the Speed Triple. Factory Five raced to open its doors in Thailand for the first time.
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2009
Triumph released the Street Triple R. Its new braking and suspension system upgrades make it more advanced than its previous models.
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2015
With an all-new Speed Triple, a Tiger Explorer, and the new breed of Bonnevilles— the 900cc Street Twin, the 1200cc Bonneville T120 and T120 Black, and 1200cc Thruxton and Thruxton R — Triumph Motorcycles brought its classic model names back to life.
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2016
Triumph unveiled an exciting new line of motorcycles—the Bonneville Bobber and the Street Cup, Street Scrambler, Bonneville T100, and T100 Black—that took its Modern Classics range to a whole new level.
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2017
Triumph launched the Street Triple, its most innovative and accomplished model ever. The new 765cc engine won several awards. The company also announced a new partnership with Dorna to supply race-tuned engines for the Moto2™ World Championship starting in 2019.
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2018
Two iconic Triumph motorcycles make a comeback. The new Triumph Speed Twin and Triumph Scrambler 1200 bring innovative new features and exciting capability to the category.
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2020
Triumph's Trident 660 was launched and rewrote the performance rules for middleweights. The triple-cylinder machine offered rider-focused technology and class-leading handling to its riders, making it the ideal bike for new riders entering the Triumph world.
Noteworthy Statistics
Triumph Motorcycles is world-renowned, but that doesn’t mean the company doesn’t have a few secrets under its belt. When it comes to Triumph motorcycles, there are some great facts and figures that all Triumph enthusiasts should know about.
- Triumph Motorcycles has a long and storied history. It's one of the oldest motorcycle manufacturers in the world, and it's been making bikes since 1902. This means they've been in business for more than 100 years.
- It's produced over 8 million motorcycles since it was founded, and more than half of those were made after 1980.
- Producing an average of 60,000 bikes per year, and with more than 700 dealers located in 35 countries around the world, Triumph is the largest British motorcycle manufacturing company.
- Triumph has won various awards over the years, including most recently 'Best Adventure Bike', 'Best Cruiser Award', and 'Bike Of The Year 2020'.
- On average, the company sells 51,000 motorcycles per year and has over 2,000 employees worldwide.
- While Triumph is a British company, its customers are mostly outside the UK. 85% of its motorcycles are sold abroad.
- The
Triumph Bonneville was first introduced in 1959 and has been in continuous production in various forms for over 60 years. This makes it one of the longest-running motorcycle models in history.
Models by Type
Triumph motorcycles come in all shapes and sizes, but they all have one thing in common: they're the best vehicles for exploring the roads less traveled. Because they don't just travel—they take you places.
Here's a quick rundown of the different model types, so you can decide which one is right for you.
List of Services
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ClassicsList Item 1
The Triumph Classic line-up is a range of motorcycles with a level of sophistication and refinement that’s been honed to perfection. These are modern classics, designed and built to ride beautifully, featuring state-of-the-art technology, the highest quality components, and finishes, whilst retaining the character and style of their original namesake.
This line includes Triumph Bonneville T120, Triumph Bonneville T100, Triumph Street Twin, Triumph Speed Twin, Triumph Thruxton, and Thruxton R, the Triumph Bobber and Bobber Black, Triumph Scrambler 1200, and Scrambler 1200 XC.
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Adventure & TouringList Item 2
Adventure & Touring models from Triumph are built to be comfortable and able to go on long trips. The bikes are made for the rider who loves to hit the open road and experience new things and places but still have that classic British look. The Adventure/Tour bike line includes the Tiger 800, Tiger 900, Tiger 1200 models, as well as the Tiger Explorer and the Scrambler 1200.
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CruiserList Item 3
The Cruiser models are made with comfort in mind. They are not the fastest, but they are fun to ride. They are better for shorter rides and around-town trips than long-distance riding.
If you're looking for a sleek bike with all the classic style of a Triumph motorcycle but with a lower seat height and mid-range power delivery, check out Triumph's Cruiser line. The Cruiser line includes the Bonneville Bobber, Bonneville T120 Black, Bonneville T120 Ace, Speedmaster 1200, and Speedmaster 1200 Bobber.
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RoadstersList Item 4
Triumph Roadsters are renowned for their agile handling and responsive performance. Built to inspire complete confidence on city streets or winding back roads, these motorcycles deliver all the power, handling, and capability you need for any journey.
With relaxed riding positions combined with a unique blend of style and substance, Triumph Roadster motorcycles are the perfect choice for riders seeking an exciting yet comfortable ride experience on everyday roads.
The Roadster line includes Triumph's Rocket 3 GT, Rocket 3 R, Speed Twin, Thruxton RS, Street Triple RS 765cc, and the Street Triple 765cc.
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Rocket 3
The iconic Rocket 3 line is back – with more power than any production motorcycle in history and a whole new level of beautiful styling. With class-leading capability and technology, together with world-leading capacity, torque, and power, these phenomenal motorcycles have been specifically created for riders seeking the ultimate in high-performance muscle roadsters.
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