The Triumph Trophy was a product of the dark days of the immediate post war period.Born out of competition and export necessity,it was a factory bitza with engine parts from a wartime bomber and a ridged frame, but something about it ticked all the boxes, many say it was the best looking bike that Triumph ever produced....

Buying it

Everyone (including me) will say that a ‘basket case’ is an expensive way to get a motorcycle. That price will look tempting but who in the sales environment can ascertain what is missing?

I have done it before when I built a series ‘D’ Vincent from a box of bits, but in that case I know Vincent’s inside out,and the costs of spares and the asking price made it a viable activity. (See www.oldracer.co.uk/kinghamracing.).

In the case of the Trophy my heart ruled my head, I have wanted an early Trophy for years ,I am a relative late comer to Triumphs having had a 7R and Vincent’s on the road before starting racing, and so I sort of missed out on the parallel twin bit. I did build a 58 Thunderbird wreck into a Trophy replica (which I still have) and did a few MCC Trials in sidecar and solo trim, but it was the rigid Trophy I wanted most (My wife also likes it which helps).