In this blog post, you’ll discover 7 things you didn’t know about Triumph, including:
- What the company first distributed
- A famous movie motorcycle stunt which used a Triumph
- What’s the biggest mass-produced motorcycle…in the world?
- Which renowned wizard was delivered on a Triumph?
1. Triumph used to distribute sewing machines
And by “sewing machines,” I don’t mean bikes with small engines – I mean actual sewing machines – the kind that looks like this:
2. Marlon Brando Rode a Triumph in The Wild One
Brando’s bike was a Triumph – specifically a 1950 Triumph Thunderbird 6T.
3. A Triumph Can Be Seen in The Great Escape
In this scene in The Great Escape from 1963, Steve McQueen attempts to escape the Germans by jumping the border on a stolen German motorcycle.
Or at least, it’s supposed to be a German motorcycle.
In reality, it’s a resprayed Triumph TR6 that was made to look like a German motorcycle.
(Most likely a Zundapp K500 or a BMW K75 – both of which the Wehrmacht used.)
The Triumph TR6 used in the movie can be viewed at the Triumph factory museum in Hinckley, UK.
4. The Triumph Rocket III is the largest mass-produced motorcycle in the world
Forget about it – that honor goes to the Triumph Rocket III, with its 2,294 cc engine, which puts out a widow-making 127 horsepower.
That’s almost twice the power of the second generation Haybusa’s 1,340 cc engine!
5. The Full Name of the Company is “Triumph Motorcycles Ltd”
Although the name isn’t what it used to be.
The name of the original company founded in 1885 was “Triumph Engineering.”
Then, when this company went bankrupt in 1983, another company called “Triumph Motorcycles Ltd” bought it out.
It’s this company that owns the Triumph brand name and the intellectual property.
6. A Triumph Can Be Seen in Wallace and Gromit: A Close Shave
In the 3rd Wallace and Gromit short from 1995 titled A Close Shave, the duo uses a Triumph as their workhorse for their bungee window-washing service.
Specifically, a Triumph Tiger Cub, which also makes a background appearance in A Matter of Loaf and Death:
#7. How The Triumph Bonneville Got Its Name
Although he didn’t break the record on a motorcycle, but rather a special streamliner vehicle called the “Devil’s Arrow” (pictured below), the 650cc engine came from a Triumph T-Bird.
BONUS: Guess Which Famous Wizard Was Delivered on a Triumph?
And as you probably already figured out, that motorcycle is a Triumph – specifically a 1959 Triumph T120.
