Triumph Cycle
Encyclopedia
Nottingham
Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, was a bicycle
Bicycle
A bicycle, also known as a bike, pushbike or cycle, is a human-powered, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, having two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A person who rides a bicycle is called a cyclist, or bicyclist....
manufacturing company.
History
The genesis of what would become Triumph Cycle Company began during 1884 when Siegfried BettmannSiegfried Bettmann
Siegfried Bettmann was a bicycle, motorcycle and car manufacturer and initiator of the Triumph Motorcycle Company. In 1914 he established the Annie Bettmann Foundation to help young people start businesses Triumph became one of the most famous motorcycle trade-names of the world.-Early life:Born in...
emigrated to Coventry in England from Nuremberg, part of the German Empire. In 1885, aged 20 years, Bettmann founded his own company, the S. Bettmann & Co. Import Export Agency, in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England. Bettmann's original products were bicycles, which the company bought from other manufacturers and then sold under its own brand name. Bettmann also distributed sewing machines imported from Germany.
In 1886, Bettmann sought a more general name, and the company became known as the Triumph Cycle Company. A year later, the company registered as the New Triumph Co. Ltd., now with funding from the Dunlop Pneumatic Tyre Company, who were interested in promoting commercial use of pneumatic bicycle tires. That year, Bettman was joined by a partner, Moritz (Maurice) Schulte, also from Nuremberg. Triumph began manufacturing its own bicycle
Bicycle
A bicycle, also known as a bike, pushbike or cycle, is a human-powered, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, having two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A person who rides a bicycle is called a cyclist, or bicyclist....
s for sale during 1894.
In 1902, the company produced its first motorcycle
Motorcycle
A motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...
, and in 1905, introduced the first all-British motorcycle. Motorcycle production continued until 1982 (see Triumph Motorcycles). During the early 1920s the company also began producing motorcars, and in 1930 the company was renamed the Triumph Motor Company. In 1936 the bicycle division was sold due to financial difficulty, becoming a separate Triumph Cycle Company with new ownership.
The company's Coventry
Coventry
Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
factory was destroyed by German bombing raids during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. After the war, trading as Triumph Cycle Co. Ltd., the company produced mainly lightweight sports roadster
Roadster (bicycle)
A roadster, aka English roadster, is a type of utility bicycle once common in Britain and still very common in Asia, Africa, Denmark and the Netherlands, however, during the past several years, traditionally styled roadster bicycles have gained considerable popularity in the United States and...
bicycles, exporting significant quantities to the United States. In 1951, the Triumph Cycle Co. Ltd. was sold to Birmingham Small Arms Company
Birmingham Small Arms Company
This article is not about Gamo subsidiary BSA Guns Limited of Armoury Road, Small Heath, Birmingham B11 2PP or BSA Company or its successors....
.
The bicycle division of BSA was purchased by Raleigh Bicycle Company
Raleigh Bicycle Company
The Raleigh Bicycle Company is a bicycle manufacturer originally based in Nottingham, UK. It is one of the oldest bicycle companies in the world. From 1921 to 1935 Raleigh also produced motorcycles and three-wheel cars, leading to the formation of the Reliant Company.-Early years:Raleigh's history...
in 1956, and continued to make bicycles under Raleigh management.
See also
- Triumph Motor CompanyTriumph Motor CompanyThe Triumph Motor Company was a British car and motor manufacturing company. The Triumph marque is owned currently by BMW. The marque had its origins in 1885 when Siegfried Bettmann of Nuremberg initiated S. Bettmann & Co and started importing bicycles from Europe and selling them with his own...
, a British automobile manufacturer - Triumph Motorcycles, a defunct British motorcycle brand
- Triumph Motorcycles LtdTriumph Motorcycles LtdTriumph Motorcycles Ltd is the largest surviving British motorcycle manufacturer, which was established in 1984 by John Bloor after the original manufacturer Triumph Engineering went into receivership...
, a current British motorcycle brand - Triumph (TWN)Triumph (TWN)Triumph-Werke Nürnberg AG or TWN, was German bicycle and motorcycle company. In 1886, Siegfried Bettmann founded the Triumph bicycle factory in Coventry, England, and in 1896 he founded a second bicycle factory in his native Nuremberg, Germany, under the same Triumph name...
, a former German subsidiary