Beschreibung:

First-of-the-line examples of iconic models are always highly prized by collectors, and none more so than the new-for-1959 Triumph T120R Bonneville, which was introduced in the autumn of 1958 for the forthcoming season. Hurriedly prepared for its debut at the '58 Earls Court Show (it was too late for inclusion in the 1959 catalogue) the 'Bonnie' arrived at a time when young motorcycle enthusiasts wanted style as well as substance and had the money to pay for it. Finished in striking two-tone Tangerine/Pearl Grey with matching mudguards and black cycle parts, the bike was a real looker, and the name 'Bonneville', chosen in honour of Johnny Allen's record-breaking achievements with his Triumph-powered streamliner at the eponymous Utah salt flats, was an inspired piece of marketing. Although, ostensibly, the Bonneville was little more than a T110 fitted with the splayed-port cylinder head and twin carburettors, there was, of course, more to it than that. As well as the performance-enhancing top end, the Bonneville, together with the rest of Triumph's twins, incorporated a new, stronger crankshaft assembly that development had shown was necessary to cope with the increased power. The latter now stood at 46bhp, an improvement of some 15% over that of the contemporary single-carb T110. Works tester Percy Tait had achieved 128mph at MIRA on a development bike, and even though this figure proved beyond the reach of the production version, the Bonnie was at least as fast as the opposition and much better looking, which was all that mattered. That first 1959 Bonneville was the only one of the many versions to feature the headlamp nacelle. Only the first series produced had the distinctive 'Tangerine Dream' livery, while other features unique to these early 1959 models were the stepped dualseat and touring handlebars. As usual, there were minor differences between the UK and East/West Coast USA models. This 'Tangerine Dream' Bonnie was built as part of the first production batch, which was completed between 4th September and 9th September 1958 commencing at '020377' and ending at '020576', making this machine the 63rd made. Completed on 5th September 1958, '020439' was exported new to the USA and remained there until circa 1988. Restored and purchased by the current vendor in 1989, it has seen summer use only in dry weather since then, covering 9,000-or-so miles on local runs. The machine is finished in the correct Tangerine/Pearl Grey livery with black battery box and oil tank that characterises the early Bonneville (the colour scheme changed to Royal Blue/Pearl Grey with Pearl Grey battery box and oil tank part way through 1959). A pair of 'chopped' Amal Monobloc carburettors served by a single rubber-mounted float chamber was another distinguishing feature of early models, lasting until the start of the 1961 model year when it was superseded by a pair of conventional Monoblocs with integral float chambers. Twin conventional Monoblocs have been fitted to this machine together with stainless steel wheel rims and a crash bar. (The original rims and a chopped Monobloc are included in the sale). Presented in 1st class condition throughout, this rare early Bonneville is offered with dating certificate, current road fund licence, MoT to August 2011 and Swansea V5.