The Scrapbook series : BSA
Birmingham Small Arms (BSA) was the largest motorcycle maker in the world. The firm enjoyed a reputation for building quality, affordable machines, aimed at riders of all types, from the commuter to the sportsman. BSA was a byword for good, honest motorcycles, for generations of riders.
Mortons Media Group has the old archive of both Motor Cycle and Motor Cycling, the two weekly motorcycle magazines that their were in their pomp at the same time as ‘the BSA’ and so, naturally, there is a wealth of BSA pictures and related items in the Mortons’ archive. The bookazine will provide the opportunity for some of this material – of which a lot is previously unpublished – to finally get a deserved airing.
Favoured by everyone from the Post Office to international motocross riders, BSA manufactured a wide range of machines to suit all needs, from Bantams to Gold Stars, from ‘Round Tanks’ to Road Rockets – this appealing diversity will be celebrated in the second of The Scrapbook Series, on sale 24 September 2009.
Format: Glossy A4 perfect bound Bookazine
Pages: 132
Colour: Full Colour & B/W images
On sale: Order online NOW - available in most W H Smith stores from 30 September
• Read more from Scrapbook Series - BSA on www.mortonsbooks.co.uk
The Scrapbook series : Triumph
The scrapbook series recaptures the look and feel of scrapbooks, traditionally put together by enthusiasts (young and old) to detail their particular pastime.
With the Mortons archive a goldmine of images - both famous and unpublished - we have created a unique collection of images covering the history of triumph - in scrapbook form.
There will images charting the history of the company, from its early days, through war service, economic boom and down turn, hard times and good, plus pages dedicated to sporting achievement and participation. It will, hopefully, provide a ‘history by picture’ of the company - in this case Triumph - and prove a hit with both die-hard enthusiast, and those with a casual interest.
Format: Glossy A4 perfect bound Bookazine (Digital issue only now available)
Pages: 132
Colour: Full Colour & B/W images
On sale: Secure online NOW (Digital Issue Only)
* To navigate images, hover mouse over top left / right fo the image to show the 'Next >' and '< Previous' controls. Click [X Close] or outside the image box to quit.
INTRODUCTION
Getting started and established
Triumph as a brand began in 1886 when young London-based German entrepreneur Siegfried Bettmann reckoned he needed a new name for his fledgling bicycle-building business, rather than tagging the cycles with his own name. Bettmann had come to Britain in 1884 and initially worked for Kelly’s, a company which published directories. In 1885 young Siegfried – born in Nuremburg, Bavaria but fluent in English and French – decided to branch out on his own and set up an import/export business, having worked in a number of jobs establishing contacts.
The go-ahead Bettmann initially exported Coventry-built motorcycles bearing the Bettmann name before switching to the Triumph moniker in 1886. Triumph was born. In 1887, another ambitious young German named Mauritz Schulte was recruited to the infant company and then in 1888 Bettmann, Schulte and Triumph moved to Britain’s centre of cycling, the city of Coventry. Premises were found in Much Park and rented from local politician, Albert Thompson. Indeed, not only was Thompson the landlord but he was significantly impressed enough by the two young Bavarians to invest, in partnership with local financier Alfred Freelander, to the tune of £2000 in the company. Bettmann and Schulte now had powerful local allies and as Bettmann managed to raise another £500 from family connections for investment and Schulte only £150, it gave Bettmann a 70 per cent shareholding advantage over Schulte.
The Coventry based firm nowwent from strength to strength. Schulte, particularly, had an interest in motorcycles andwas keen to branch out into powered two-wheeledmanufacture. Meanwhile, Dunlop had been impressed by the company and persuaded Harvey du Cros to investawhopping £45,000 in the Triumph concern. No longer was Triumph a strugglingminnow – the company was becoming a big player in the two-wheeled world and the natural progression was intomotorcycles. In 1902, Schulte fitted a Belgian-built Minerva engine into a Triumph cycle and the first Triumph motorcycle was created.
Belgian company Minerva was at the time regarded as among the best units available and though JA Prestwich (JAP) and Fafnir proprietary engines were used, by 1905 Triumph was making its own engine in-house. It was a remarkable progression – in just three years Triumph had progressed from bolting an engine to a cycle frame, to a producer of complete motorcycles. The thing was that as well as becoming established quickly, Triumph built a good product.
The first Triumph engine was a 363cc side-valve, for which 3hp was claimed. There was nothing flash or complicated about the engine – it was just well engineered and carefully put together and soon the Triumph reputation was growing. By 1907, a 453cc engine was beingmade – that was upped to 476cc in 1908, then 499cc in 1910. Meanwhile, though, a second design of engine was also introduced to run alongside the initial motor. At the first Isle of Man TT in 1907, Triumph’s Jack Marshall and Frank Hulbert finished second and third in the single cylinder class – a result that Marshall improved the next year, winning the class on what was possibly the world’s first purpose-built racer.
Other endurance runs, including Reverend Basil H Davies' (aka Ixion) 200 mile epic in 1906 and then the efforts of Ivan Hart-Davies and Albert Catt, all helped to ensure Triumph was well and truly on the map.
Introduction by James Robinson, editor
On sale: Secure online NOW.
