Description
27th Oct, 2024 10:00
The October 2024 Auction
1953 Triumph 5T Speed Twin
The turning point in British bike building
Estimate
£4, 000 - £4, 500
Buyer's premium: 15. 00%
Lot details
Registration: OVF 733
Frame: 42277
Odometer: 29, 815
MOT: Exempt
498cc parallel twin four-stroke
V5
29, 000 original miles
Lovely example
Recent battery
Starts, runs and rides
Matching frame and engine numbers
The Speed Twin 5T is a standard motorcycle that was made by Triumph at their Coventry, and later Meriden factories. Edward Turner, Triumph's Chief Designer and Managing Director, launched the Triumph Speed Twin at the 1937 National Motorcycle Show. It was a 500cc OHV vertical twin in a lightweight frame and the first truly successful British parallel twin, setting the standard for many twins to follow. After World War II the Speed Twin was responsible for the survival of Triumph, and several major British marques offered a 500cc twin designed on similar lines to the Speed Twin.
After the war the recovery of Triumph at Meriden was largely due to the Speed Twin, which was developed in 1946 with a telescopic fork and optional sprung hub rear suspension. The headlamp and instrument area was tidied up in 1949 with the Turner-designed nacelle, a feature retained until the end of the model line. In 1953 the Speed Twin caused controversy among traditional British riders as the generator and magneto were replaced with a Lucas alternator and battery / coil ignition system.
Further development led to the 1959 model 5TA with a unit engine and gearbox construction and styling changes including the unpopular 'Bathtub' fairing which became more and more abbreviated as the model developed before disappearing altogether for the last year of production in 1966.
The unit 500 engine continued development in the parallel Tiger 100 range, ending with the Tiger Daytona models which ceased production in 1973.
What more needs to be said about this bike. It has come to us as part of a private collection and starts, runs and rides, and is a ready to go classic British bike.
