North Bay British Car Club
INTRODUCTION
-Triumph
Siegfried Bettman, German born of
Jewish parents, arrived in the United Kingdom in 1883 where he started building
bicycles, first using the Triumph name in the 1890's. He built his first motorcycle
in 1902. Triumph became well established in Coventry and had German connections
with a cycle factory in Nuremberg. The first three-wheeler was produced at Coventry
in 1903.
Some twenty years were to pass before a four-wheel Light Car was made, this
was based on the Dawson, a make that had failed, and had hydraulic brakes on
the rear wheels. The bicycle business was sold at the end of the 1920's and
in 1936 the motorcycle and car businesses were separated. The multi story motorcycle
factory at Priory Street, Coventry (now the site of the new cathedral) was not
suitable for car production, so Bettman bought the Dawson Car Company's premises
at Clay Lane and the first Triumph car appeared in April 1923. Arthur Alderson,
previously at Singer and Lea-Francis, designed it.
In 1929 Triumph competed in the Monte Carlo Rally and Tourist Trophy Race in
Northen Ireland. Single seaters were raced at Brooklands. In the 1930 Monte
Carlo Rally Donald Healey was 7th from a field of 87 in a Super Seven thereby
being the highest place British car. During the 1930's Triumph competed and
won many events. Despite this Triumph were in financial difficulties by 1939
and for a time the company was owned by Thos W Ward (A well known Sheffield
steel concern). Although initially making their own engines they turned to Coventry-Climax
in 1932 but reverting again to their own in 1936/7.
Triumph realized they could not compete with the likes of Austin and Morris
and concentrated on the top end of the family market. In mid 1933 Colonel Holbrook
took over from Siegfried Bettman as managing director. (Bettman bought the motorcycle
arm in 1936 at the age of 72). The Technical Director was Donald Healey. The
company went into receivership in 1939 and The Standard Motor Company bought
Triumph in 1945. Experiments were carried out to try to revive the former sporting
image of Triumph and eventually led to the TR2 in 1953. This car was a success
selling well in export markets. The TR3 became available in 1955 to be followed
in January 1958 by the well-known TR3A.
In 1959 the Herald was announced to replace the Eight and Ten, this car had
a separate chassis and boasted a 25 foot (7.6 m) turning circle. Also in 1959
three fibreglass bodied cars, the TR3S, were entered for Le Mans but none finished.
Another attempt was made in 1960 with another three cars, the TRS. They all
ran for the required twenty-four hours but did not qualify as they had not covered
the required distance. In December 1960 the company was taken over by Leyland
Motors.
Links to Other Marques
| TRIUMPH Intro | Spitfire |
