Description
H&H Classic Auction @ National Motorcycle Museum | Solihull, West Midlands
30th Oct, 2024 13:00
1972 Triumph Trident Ex Works Racer
Part of the Richard Darby collection
Estimate
£45, 000 - £55, 000
Registration No: Not registered
Frame No: TBC
MOT: Exempt
Genuine Ex Works Trident race bike
Tony Jefferies 1972/ 73 factory racer
One of only 8 'Lowboy' framed bikes
This genuine ex Tony Jefferies 1972 Triumph Trident factory race bike has been the pride and joy of Richard Darbys personal collection for the last few years. Richard, who sadly passed away in 2023, was a well respected character in classic restoration and racing circles, mainly as the proprietor of 3D Motorcycles. Regarded as one of the world's best restorers of classic Triumph motorcycles, Richard was respected by his many customers and friends in the UK and around the world and will be sorely missed. He not only specialised in repairing and modifying Triumphs but raced them himself and sponsored many riders over the years on bikes he had prepared.
The launch of the Triumph Trident and BSA Rocket Three models coincided with the arrival of the glamorous Formula 750 races of the early 1970s, with events like the Daytona 200 and the UK v USA Match Race series becoming the most popular bike races in the world. The new triples proved to be an ideal mount for the road bike based formula and against a background of the BSA/ Triumph groups financial troubles proved to be the last hurrah for British bikes taking on the world. In all 16 works bikes were produced, 8 in 1970 with what became known as the 'Highboy' frame and another 8 in 1971 with the now legendary Rob North designed 'Lowboy' frame. The sound of a pack of these unsilenced triples on the track is something race fans still talk about.
This genuine works Formula 750 Trident was put together in Doug Hele's experimental department for Tony Jeffries to race in the 1972 season as one of only 8 bikes made for the official factory team. It was ridden by him to second place in that years Formula 750 TT followed up by a third place finish in 1973 as well as wins at Scarborough and Brands Hatch in the MCN championship. The 1972 bikes featured Rob North's new 'Lowboy' frame surrounding a modified and tuned T150 engine with a distinctive letterbox fairing. Interestingly the engine, numbered GC04077 T150T, fitted into Tonys 1972 bike had previously been used in the Trident that had won the prestigious 1970 and 1971 Bol'd Or 24 hour endurance races in France. By 1974 Triumph's financial position forced them to close the race shop and the bike was bought directly from the factory by Mel Farrah who continued to race it, including setting a lap record at Scarborough and loaning it to John Cooper to race at Brands. Mel eventually passed it on to Richard in 2015 who recommissioned it for use in classic parades, it was last run at Beezumph in 2023 when an oil leak was noticed from the crankcase joint that will need some attention. Of the 8 Lowboy framed racers made in 1972, this is probably the most authentic example of this iconic and historically important bike. It will be supplied with an interesting letter of provenance from the previous owner, who cherished the bike for around 40 years, and an insurance valuation from the TR3OC Trident and Rocket 3 Owners Club describing it as 'probably the most complete and original of all the works bikes'.
