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| A general introduction to post-war models, 1946 - 1962 | |
| Landmark years: 1949. New TR5, first Thunderbird, plus ‘Jet Age’ styling. 1954. Swinging-arm rear suspension and new Tiger 110. 1957. New unit engine, bathtubs and mouth organs! 1960. New Bonneville, and the last of the pre-units | |
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The first post-war Triumph catalogue listed 5 models but only 3 were available: The Tiger 100, 5T Speed Twin and a new 350cc twin, the 3T deluxe. A limited, all twin range that reflected the austerity of the post-war years, and of which the majority were for export anyway. These early post-war models only really differed from their pre-war equivalents in the front-end design, with the new telescopic fork, and the result was a very neat looking job. The pre-war colours were continued for the 500s with the new 3T in black with white lining This range persisted almost unchanged for 1947 and 1948 although the clever sprung-hub rear wheel appeared as an optional extra in ’48. The stunning ‘Grand Prix’ model of 1948/49 must also be mentioned although it enjoyed a completely unique specification and was sold in very limited numbers. 1949 saw the introduction of the new 6T Thunderbird and TR5 Trophy although neither were listed in the 1949 catalogue. The T.bird was launched during 1949 for the 1950 season and went straight to the new style of headlamp nacelle and painted tank with the distinctive horizontal styling strips, or ‘tramlines’ as they became known. The Speed Twin, Tiger 100 and 3T gained the nacelle but continued with the painted panels on chrome (although the tank top instruments had disappeared) for one more year. The beautiful little TR5 used the famous square-barrel engine, derived from the generator set, for that year and did not incorporate the new nacelle type ‘housestyle’. These rigid TR5s consisted largely of a unique parts list and 1949/50 models weren’t even included in the sales brochures. Like the Grand Prix models they were seen as mainly competition machines. | |
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| 1950 saw the full implementation of the new style with painted tanks and horizontal chrome styling bands either side. The brilliant new 6T Thunderbird 650cc was now at the front of the catalogue and is regarded by many as the best all-round Triumph ever made. A fast, economical tourer, that was cleverly designed to share components with most of the rest of the range. It took a year for it to find it’s own colour but in 1951 it appeared in an unusual metallic light blue after a shaky start in grey. In the same year the Tiger 100 gained it’s famous all aluminium, close-finned engine, now shared with the TR5 Trophy. In addition, Triumph first marketed a race kit for the Tiger 100 in 1951 (eventually producing a race-kitted model, the Tiger 100c in 1953). 1951 was the last year for the 3T, which, although an easy, very quiet machine, didn’t really set the world on fire. With a well established, successful model range, 1952 and 1953 saw only detail changes, although these modifications began to include cost-effective manufacturing improvements as well as technical innovation and while the glory years were still to come, the best of the vintage years was over with production efficiency beginning to nibble away at the quality. | |
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| It wasn’t until 1954 that big changes started to make themselves felt again. There had been a move right through the motorcycle industry to incorporate the new swinging-arm rear suspension and by now nearly all the other manufacturers had achieved it. Some went for plunger rear-ends as a stop-gap and Triumph had the sprung-hub. However, the new high performance 650, the Tiger 110 needed the new-fangled rear suspension, and the Tiger 100 too gained the new rear end in that year. Both models also included a new, handsome 8” ventilated front brake. The 5T and 6T would have to soldier on another year with rigid frames and sprung-hubs. By 1955 sales and production had gathered pace and a serious programme of year on year improvements had started which was to take Triumph to their pinnacle in the early sixties. Improvements to crankshafts, valve trains, oil systems and other vital areas were becoming almost annual and so it becomes harder and harder to share engine components between years. NB. The 200cc ‘Tiger Cub’ appears this year too although it is not included in this summary | |
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1955 and 1956 are something of a link between the old rigid Triumph days and the brave new look that was scheduled for 1957. These two years retain the old ‘Jet age’ styling of the nacelle and tank bands, although they never looked quite right with the tall, visually heavy, rear of the machine. However, placed, as they were, in the middle of the fifties they represent many peoples idea of the classic Triumph. The colours were firmly established, the basic model range was in place and they represented a really good usable range of tried and tested motorcycles. Exports were booming and both street and race customising were getting started. The only black mark was an image problem both in the UK and US with ‘Ton up’ boys & biker gangs. The 1957 re-vamp tried, in some measure, to address this: The designers had come up with a new lightweight 350cc twin with a unit (combined engine & gearbox) engine. This machine featured bodywork enclosure in an attempt to look tidier and easy to clean. At the same time, the 500 and 650 models (now designated ‘B’ range, the lightweights being the ‘C’ range) gained some of the new styling elements, including the ‘mouth organ’ tank badge and some sleeker detailing. A hint of the sixties appeared with a flamboyant new gold finish for the old T.bird. The model range now consisted of: 5T Speed Twin, 6T Thunderbird, Tiger 110, the new ‘Twenty One’ 350, and the Trophy available as 650cc and 500cc versions. The parallel twin engine had become almost ubiquitous and Triumph was now all over the world. The police were Triumph mounted in dozens of countries and Johnny Allen had just clocked 214 mph at Bonneville Salt Flats on his ‘Streamliner’. The Triumph really did live up to it’s slogan of ‘Best motorcycle in the world’. | |
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| The following year, 1958, saw the end of the TR5, and after a career spanning 19 years the Speed Twin joined the 350 as a new unit version. Other small details included the new ‘Slickshift’ gearbox for the pre-units. The focus of the company was now on the fabulous new T120 ‘Bonneville’ for 1959. The new bike stole the show and became the most famous Triumph since the ‘Speed Twin’ appeared in 1938. The long running Tiger 100 was down-graded to ‘C’ status and the only pre-units were now the four 650cc machines: T120 Bonneville, TR6 Trophy 650, Tiger 110 and 6T Thunderbird. | |
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The first Bonneville had a bit of an identity crisis, appearing as a tuned up T110 complete with nacelle. Probably in a hurry to release the new model (not for the first time, the same happened with the Tiger 90 in 1936) it took a year, until the 1960 season, for things to settle. By then, the range of four 650s was showing a marked split: The 6T Thunderbird and the Tiger 110 were now fitted with voluminous bodywork, never a great success and now seen as a styling flop, while the TR6 Trophy model and Bonneville really caught the public imagination, especially in the USA with a purposeful, aggressive look. Sales were huge and it’s probably fair to say that Triumph were at the top of their game with these two models in particular representing the best there was in terms of performance, style, quality and value. Triumphs determination to pursue the enclosed rear bodywork was unpopular both at home and abroad. In the UK, owners replaced the bloated ‘Bathtubs’ with alloy mudguards and home-made mods, while in the USA, dealers removed them wholesale & just dumped them. American dealers had taken exception to the factory style more than once. In 1950 a batch of Thunderbirds arriving in grey was immediately stripped & repainted in black and christened ‘Blackbird’. 1961 and 1962 carried on the tradition with few changes although some of the wonderful colour schemes that were to become synonymous with the sixties started appearing. Sadly, development continues for better or for worse and 1963 brought an end to the era of the great pre-unit Triumphs forever, with an entirely new, homogenised range of unit machines. | |
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Pre-unit model runs: Bibliography: Triumph Speed Twin. H Woolridge ISBN 0 85429 722 7 Triumph Tiger 100 and Daytona. J R Nelson
ISBN 1 85960 428 5 Bonnie. J R Nelson ISBN 0
85429 257 8 Triumph Thunderbird Super Profile. Ivor
Davies ISBN 0 85429 353 1 Pictorial History of Triumph Mototcycles. Ivor
Davies ISBN 0 600 35169 6 | |
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