Triumph's iconic Bonneville made its debut at the 1958 Earls Court Show at a time when Harold Macmillan had famously stated "you've never had it so good". Post war austerity was almost a thing of the past and the young motorcyclist had cash in his pocket or access to 'drip-feed' finance. The Meriden directors were aware of this and the Bonneville was aimed directly at this new generation of motorcyclists. Johnny Allen had sensationally set new records on the Bonneville Salt Flats and here therefore was a name to hang on Triumph's new model. Essentially the Bonneville reflected ancestry dating back to Edward Turner's first Speed Twin of 1938 and was essentially a Tiger 110 fitted with the splayed-port cylinder head and equipped with twin Amal carburettors. Turner's 360 degree parallel twin revved to 6,500rpm and would develop approximately 46bhp. For the 1960 season the Bonneville featured a swinging fork frame with Duplex down tubes passing under the engine. When tested by The Motor Cycle in late 1959 they commented on both speed and tremendous acceleration, these features combined with petrol economy of 52mpg. Not only did the Bonneville more than match its nearest competitors on the performance front, it far outstripped them as far as looks were concerned and this, as ever, was the strong Triumph selling point. In 1961 the T120 Bonneville retailed at £288, about half the price of a then current Morris Mini Minor. This machine was purchased about thirty years ago in a run-down condition by its present owner, a long-time Triumph enthusiast. In more recent years during this ownership it has been the subject of a major rebuild 'from the ground up' with particular care to retain original specification in all major respects. Since completion of that restoration in 2009/2010, at the time of cataloguing it has completed just 4 miles. New parts have been fitted as required during the course of the restoration to ensure that not only does the cosmetic appearance match up to concours standards but the bike has been restored to prove as reliable as possible on the road. This highly coveted model is presented in traditional silver and blue livery and comes with a Swansea V5C registration document, current MoT certificate and road fund licence and a VMCC Dating Certificate.
Triumph's iconic Bonneville made its debut at the 1958 Earls Court Show at a time when Harold Macmillan had famously stated "you've never had it so good". Post war austerity was almost a thing of the past and the young motorcyclist had cash in his pocket or access to 'drip-feed' finance. The Meriden directors were aware of this and the Bonneville was aimed directly at this new generation of motorcyclists. Johnny Allen had sensationally set new records on the Bonneville Salt Flats and here therefore was a name to hang on Triumph's new model. Essentially the Bonneville reflected ancestry dating back to Edward Turner's first Speed Twin of 1938 and was essentially a Tiger 110 fitted with the splayed-port cylinder head and equipped with twin Amal carburettors. Turner's 360 degree parallel twin revved to 6,500rpm and would develop approximately 46bhp. For the 1960 season the Bonneville featured a swinging fork frame with Duplex down tubes passing under the engine. When tested by The Motor Cycle in late 1959 they commented on both speed and tremendous acceleration, these features combined with petrol economy of 52mpg. Not only did the Bonneville more than match its nearest competitors on the performance front, it far outstripped them as far as looks were concerned and this, as ever, was the strong Triumph selling point. In 1961 the T120 Bonneville retailed at £288, about half the price of a then current Morris Mini Minor. This machine was purchased about thirty years ago in a run-down condition by its present owner, a long-time Triumph enthusiast. In more recent years during this ownership it has been the subject of a major rebuild 'from the ground up' with particular care to retain original specification in all major respects. Since completion of that restoration in 2009/2010, at the time of cataloguing it has completed just 4 miles. New parts have been fitted as required during the course of the restoration to ensure that not only does the cosmetic appearance match up to concours standards but the bike has been restored to prove as reliable as possible on the road. This highly coveted model is presented in traditional silver and blue livery and comes with a Swansea V5C registration document, current MoT certificate and road fund licence and a VMCC Dating Certificate.
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.jpg "Source: Christie's")
.jpg "Source: Christie's")
