Although Edward Turner’s Triumph Speed Twin caused a sensation when it appeared at the 1937 Motorcycle Show, few of its admirers can have guessed how influential the design would prove to be. True, there had been vertical twins before; indeed, Turner’s predecessor at Meriden - Val Page - had designed one a few years previously, but Triumph’s newcomer established a formula that would be adopted by all of Britain’s major motorcycle manufacturers in the succeeding decade. And whereas previous vertical twins had suffered from excess bulk, Turner’s was lighter and narrower across the crankcase than the contemporary single-cylinder Tiger 90, and from certain angles looked just like a twin-port single. Performance proved exemplary for a road-going 500, better than 100mph being attainable under favourable conditions. The example offered here dates from 1948, by which time the Speed Twin had been upgraded with a stronger 8-stud cylinder barrel (replacing the original 6-stud) and Triumph’s own telescopic front fork. Last taxed for the road to April 2007, the machine has been stored out of doors in recent times and has suffered somewhat as a result. There are no documents with this Lot.
Although Edward Turner’s Triumph Speed Twin caused a sensation when it appeared at the 1937 Motorcycle Show, few of its admirers can have guessed how influential the design would prove to be. True, there had been vertical twins before; indeed, Turner’s predecessor at Meriden - Val Page - had designed one a few years previously, but Triumph’s newcomer established a formula that would be adopted by all of Britain’s major motorcycle manufacturers in the succeeding decade. And whereas previous vertical twins had suffered from excess bulk, Turner’s was lighter and narrower across the crankcase than the contemporary single-cylinder Tiger 90, and from certain angles looked just like a twin-port single. Performance proved exemplary for a road-going 500, better than 100mph being attainable under favourable conditions. The example offered here dates from 1948, by which time the Speed Twin had been upgraded with a stronger 8-stud cylinder barrel (replacing the original 6-stud) and Triumph’s own telescopic front fork. Last taxed for the road to April 2007, the machine has been stored out of doors in recent times and has suffered somewhat as a result. There are no documents with this Lot.
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.jpg "Source: Christie's")
.jpg "Source: Christie's")
