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Dec 07
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Triumph Collector Stumbles Across Ultimate Collectible, the 1901 Prototype

By General Posts

from https://www.autoevolution.com/ by Daniel Patrascu

At the turn of the last century, a time when horse-drawn carriages turned into automobiles and bicycles into motorcycles, most of the companies active back then wanted a piece of the new action, and turned their businesses around to include the production of the new mechanical wonders.

So did a British enterprise that went by the name Triumph Engineering, which used to make bicycles. Which, if you come to think of it, are just like motorcycles, only without engines, hence easy to re-make.

And that’s exactly what Triumph did with one of its bikes, fitting it with a Minerva engine and opening the doors to a history that has spanned so far for 120 years. That production motorized two-wheeler came to be in 1902, but as you can imagine, a prototype had to be made before that. A prototype that, like many others of its kind, was considered lost for a long time, despite rumors surrounding its existence floating around.

Extremely conveniently-timed, the first 1901 Triumph motorcycle prototype just resurfaced, having been uncovered by a collector named Dick Shepherd, and put back into the spotlight by the company itself.

According to the available details, attesting to the motorcycle’s authenticity are the engine number, “consistent with references in Minerva’s engine records of a 1901 first Triumph engagement,” and a “letter from Triumph, dated in 1937, that outlined the bike’s unique origins and provided key details.”

As far as we understand, the bike was uncovered some time ago, as the collector had time to restore it.

“As a lifelong passionate fan of the history and achievements of this incredible British brand, to have discovered this amazing survivor and restored it to the glorious condition it would have been in when it first went on display in 1901, has given me an immense amount of satisfaction,” Shepherd said in a statement.

The prototype will be, of course, included in the celebration events the British company has planned for next year, and it will be shown, together with the millionth Triumph manufactured in Hinckley, in a special display being set up at the factory.

PRESS RELEASE

4 DECEMBER 2021 – An amazing historic find, discovered and restored by leading vintage Triumph collector Dick Shepherd, the 1901 Prototype rewrites the history books, adding a whole new chapter prior to Triumph’s official sales starting in 1902.

Long rumoured to exist and referenced within advertising and reviews that appeared in 1901, this first Triumph prototype was developed from a standard Triumph bicycle, with an engine provided by Belgian manufacturer Minerva, in order to generate interest and gauge the public’s demand for a Triumph motorcycle.

Dick Shepherd said “Having been approached by a friend of a collector, who had sadly recently passed away, to evaluate an old Triumph I was incredibly excited to discover that the bike they had featured unique details that were not present on the first production Triumphs. Along with the bike, the collector had also received a letter from Triumph, dated in 1937, that outlined the bike’s unique origins and provided key details.”

“With an engine number that is consistent with references in Minerva’s engine records of a 1901 first Triumph engagement the historic significance of this motorcycle became incredibly clear.”

“As a lifelong passionate fan of the history and achievements of this incredible British brand, to have discovered this amazing survivor and restored it to the glorious condition it would have been in when it first went on display in 1901, has given me an immense amount of satisfaction.”

First unveiled at the UK’s Motorcycle Live show the 1901 prototype will feature in dedicated event at Triumph’s Factory Visitor Experience on the 14th December, where the machine will be ridden in public for the very first time in over 100 years.

This incredible, historic motorcycle will then be on display, alongside the millionth Hinckley Triumph, in a new, specially created 120-year anniversary display, hosted within Triumph’s Factory Visitor Experience.

The Triumph Factory Visitor Experience is free to visit and is located at Triumph’s HQ in Hinckley, England and is open daily Wednesday through Sunday, from 10am – 4.30pm.

Aug 06
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Rare 1901 Triumph Motor Bicycle to Make First Public Appearance in 84 Years

By General Posts

by Florina Spînu from https://www.autoevolution.com

Salon Privé Week, now in its 16th year, will once again highlight the best of the automotive and motorcycle worlds. Any car enthusiast and motorcycle aficionado will drool at the most incredible supercars and classics and alongside the rarest motorcycles.

Triumph will also take part in this year’s series of events and will create a buzz with a rare sight: its first motorcycle ever built. What began in 1886 as the Triumph Cycle Company has become one of the most recognizable of all motorcycle brands, with iconic models including the Speed Twin, Bonneville, and the famous Thunderbird 6T ridden by Marlon Brando in “The Wild One.”

Siegfried Bettmann and Moritz Schulte, the company’s founders, started out making Triumph-branded bicycles, but they gradually extended production to include motorcycles as well. That’s how the company’s first “motorcycle” was born.

It was a bicycle fitted with a 3/4hp 172cc Belgian Minerva engine. The machine had no clutch or gearbox, and the rider could adjust the rear chain with the use of a rear band brake and an eccentric crank. The Triumph motor bicycle was introduced in September 1901 for the 1902 season. The brand’s reputation for quality and durability was well established by the outbreak of WWI, which eventually led to substantial orders for military use.

The rare exemplary will be on display at on the South Lawn at Blenheim Palace as part of the Salon Privé Concours d’Elégance. Its appearance represents a unique opportunity for visitors to see this historic motor bicycle ( which is the forerunner of all subsequent Triumphs) in public for the first time since 1937.

On September 1st, Salon Privé Concours d’Elégance will include two classes: Exceptional Motorcycles and Exceptional Competition Motorcycles. Allen Millyard, a well-known motorcycle builder, will be back this year with his Kawasaki Z1 Super Six, a masterfully crafted bike based on the Z1’s double-overhead-camshaft four-cylinder engine.

World-class bespoke motorcycle builders Thornton Hundred will be among the ones showing their latest designs on the South Lawn. The 202 hp ‘World’s Fastest Bobber’ and a 2021 Triumph Bonneville Bobber Black, both debuting at Salon Privé, will be among the British company’s offerings.

PRESS RELEASE
Salon Privé Week is renowned as being a celebration of two-wheeled machinery as well as four, and this year Blenheim Palace will host the world debut of a unique and hugely significant motor bicycle. Over the course of its long and illustrious history, Triumph became one of the most recognisable of all marques thanks to legendary models such as the Speed Twin and Bonneville, while screen icon Marlon Brando famously rode a Thunderbird 6T in The Wild One.

Having been producing bicycles at its Coventry factory since 1889, Triumph moved into the world of motor bicycles at the turn of the 20th century and was a pioneering force in the burgeoning British motorcycle industry. Siegfried Bettmann and Moritz Schulte were responsible for the design, which used a 3/4hp 172cc Minerva engine from Belgium. A rear band brake was employed, and an eccentric crank to enable the rider to adjust the rear chain. The Triumph motor bicycle was launched in September 1901 for the 1902 season. By the outbreak of The Great War the marque’s reputation for quality and reliability was well established, leading to substantial orders for military use.

The example that will be on display at Blenheim Palace as part of the Salon Privé Concours d’Elégance is the very first Triumph motor bicycle ever made and actually dates from 1901. Its appearance represents a unique opportunity to see this historic motor bicycle – the forerunner of all subsequent Triumphs – in public for the first time since 1937.

The prestigious Salon Privé Concours d’Elégance presented by Aviva takes place on Wednesday 1 September, and will feature two classes – Exceptional Motorcycles and Exceptional Competition Motorcycles. Previous class winners have included renowned motorcycle builder Allen Millyard, who has claimed multiple Salon Privé awards. His exquisite Honda SS100 V-twin is a previous Best in Show winner, and in 2019 his Velocette MAC V-Twin received the Most Spectacular Motorbike award from the event host, the Duke of Marlborough.

Millyard will return this year with his Kawasaki Z1 Super Six. This beautifully engineered machine uses a six-cylinder engine that is based on the standard Z1’s double-overhead-camshaft four-cylinder unit, and uses original Kawasaki parts. Everything else on the motorcycle is standard, giving a subtle end result that looks like something the factory itself could have produced.

The judging panel for the Concours d’Elégance includes some of the most respected experts in the motorcycle world. Writer and consultant Somer Hooker will be joined by broadcaster Henry Cole, historians Dennis Frost and Mike Jackson, along with former racer Steve Parrish. The Motorcycle Awards Ceremony will take place at noon on Thursday 2 September with judges, owners and the Duke of Marlborough present.

A new addition for 2021 is the introduction of a motorcycle parade to open the event on the mornings of Wednesday 1 September and Thursday 2 September. Entrants will start outside the show field, then parade through the grounds of Blenheim Palace and into place on the elegant South Lawn.

There will also be the opportunity for motorcycle entrants to take part in Tour Privé for the first time, on Tuesday 31 August. The 100-mile route will depart from the Great Court at Blenheim Palace and travel through the spectacular Cotswold countryside, with a luncheon stop at Grittleton House in the picturesque village of Grittleton, Wiltshire.

Elsewhere on the South Lawn, Thornton Hundred will be among the brands showcasing their latest designs. The British company’s line-up will include the ‘World’s Fastest Bobber’ – a 202bhp technological tour de force – and a 2021 Triumph Bonneville Bobber Black, both are a Salon Privé debut.

‘We’re thrilled to be welcoming the first-ever Triumph motor bicycle to Blenheim Palace,’ said Salon Privé Concours Chairman Andrew Bagley, ‘and there will be a real buzz around it considering that it hasn’t been seen in public for more than 80 years. With more exceptional motorcycles already being entered into the Concours d’Elégance, this year’s event is shaping up to be a memorable celebration of motoring in all its forms.’

Some of the world’s most famous brands have chosen Salon Privé as the perfect location for a global, European or UK debut, while a brand-new element for 2021 – Salon Privé TIME – will feature the world’s leading watchmakers.

With a programme that includes Ladies’ Day presented by Boodles on Friday, the Salon Privé Club Trophy presented by Lockton on Saturday, and Sunday’s Classic and Supercar event, all the elements are in place for another unmissable Salon Privé Week.