Description
This motorcycle is Lot 341 - To be auctioned by Bonhams at The Spring Stafford Sale (The International Classic MotorCycle Show) on 26th & 27th April, please see the Bonhams website for full details.
Auction Timings:
Lots 101 - 147 are to be sold from 14:00 on Saturday 26th April 2025.
Lots 201 - 410 are to be sold from 11:00 on Sunday 27th April 2025.
Public Viewing:
Available 26th & 27th April 2025 from 09:00 until 17:00, at The Stafford County Showground (The International Classic MotorCycle Show).
Lot 341
The Green House Farm Collection
1910 Triumph 3½hp
Registration no. SV 5777
Frame no. 151943
Engine no. 7861
Purchased privately c. 15 years ago
Engine stripped and rebuilt at time of purchase
Successfully completed a couple of Pioneer Runs
The first Triumph motorcycle of 1902 used a Belgian Minerva engine, but within a few years the Coventry firm - originally a bicycle manufacturer founded by German immigrants Siegfried Bettman and Maurice Schulte - was building its own power units. The first of these - a 298cc single-cylinder sidevalve - arrived in 1904. This first design was not without its weaknesses: pistons and bores wore out quickly and the curious 'tandem down-tube' frame often broke, but these shortcomings were soon sorted and within a couple of years 'Triumph' was a byword for reliability. The famous 3½hp model first appeared in 1907. Originally of 453cc, its sidevalve engine was enlarged to 476cc in 1908 and finally to 499cc in 1910 before being superseded by the 4hp model in 1914.
The company was involved in racing from its earliest days, and the publicity generated by competition successes - Jack Marshall won the 1908 Isle of Man TT's single-cylinder class for Triumph having finished second the previous year - greatly stimulated sales. By the outbreak of The Great War, the marque's reputation for quality and dependability was well-established, leading to substantial orders for 'Trusty Triumphs' for British and Allied forces.
Purchased privately, this early Triumph has been in the vendor's collection for c. 15 years. Our vendor states that the engine was stripped and rebuilt at time of purchase, receiving new valves, guides and bearings. The machine has completed a couple of Pioneer Runs since the rebuild and was last taxed to 28th February 2015.
The machine has been kept in heated, dry storage with all fuel drained and carburettors cleaned following each use. Although not used very often in recent years, it has been periodically started. The vendor is thinning down his collection, hence the reason for sale. Offered with a Pioneer Certificate and current V5C.
All lots are sold 'as is/ where is' and Bidders must satisfy themselves as to the provenance, condition, age, completeness and originality prior to bidding. Visit the Bonhams Motorcycles website for all pertinent auction information.
