From November 1, 2017, Triumph enthusiasts from around the world have the opportunity to tour a factory visitor centre located at the company’s headquarters in Leicestershire, UK. The centre will allow visitors to see a collection of rare and distinctive exhibits “centred around the design, engineering and manufacture of Triumph’s most iconic models” as the company puts it, all at no cost. And visitors can even book a 90-minute tour of the factory to see how these motorcycles are put together for a fee of 15 GBP.
Some of the exhibits on display at the visitor centre will include famous movie bikes such as the painstakingly restored Bonneville used by Steve McQueen in The Great Escape, as well as Tom Cruise’s Speed Triple from the heart-pounding chase sequence in Mission Impossible 2. Apart from this, also open to visitors is the very first Triumph No1 built in 1902 as well as the prototype of the race engine the company has built to power the 2019 Moto2 World Championship.
Apart from these, the display pieces include some rather unique models such as the 1919 Triumph ‘Trusty’ Model H from World War 1, the 1959 Bonneville that took the world by storm, along with legendary motorcycles such as the Hurricane X75, T595 Trident and original '94 Speed Triple. Race bikes on display include the original 1920s TT racer, alongside legends from the American and British competitions of the 1950s and '60s, as well as Gary Johnson’s 2014 Isle of Man Supersports TT winning Triumph Daytona 675.
Speaking at the launch, Paul Stroud, Chief Commercial Officer at Triumph, commented, “We are very proud and excited to be able to invite Triumph and motorcycling fans from around the world to come and experience our brand first-hand, here at the factory where every Triumph starts its life. With so many important and rare bikes on display, the Visitor Experience will be a must for motorcycle and movie fans alike, but also an opportunity to help us celebrate our proud heritage and our passion for building great motorcycles. We hope this will reward and inspire every fan of the brand, and ignite a love for Triumph in a whole new generation.’’
When done checking out all the exhibits, visitors can relax at the Triumph 1902 café or even purchase some branded merchandise, clothing and some limited-edition Visitor Experience souvenirs.
Azaman Chothia
Vishal Venugopal
