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57-640: The Triumph TR range of cars was built between 1953 and 1981 by the Triumph Motor Company in the United Kingdom . Changes from the TR2 to the TR6 were mostly evolutionary, with a change from a live axle to independent rear suspension in 1965 and a change from a four-cylinder engine to a six-cylinder engine in 1967. An all-new TR7, with a unit body , an overhead camshaft four-cylinder engine, and

114-399: A distinction can be drawn between systems where the spring also acts as a locating link and those where the spring only acts as a spring member. The AC Cobra is an example of a transverse, multi-leaf steel spring suspension that uses the leaf spring as the upper suspension arm. Alternatively, the 1963 Corvette 's rear suspension is an example where the transverse leaf spring is used only as

171-628: A live rear axle, was introduced in late 1974. The TR8, a development of the TR7 with a Rover V8 engine , was introduced in 1979 and was sold alongside the TR7 until TR production ended. The Triumph TR-X, also known as the "Bullet", was the first Triumph car to use the TR designation. It was first shown to the public at the Paris Auto Show in late 1950. Envisioned as a personal luxury car , it had envelope styling with aluminium body panels, spats over

228-557: A new badge in 1947 for their own models, first seen on the Vanguard , a highly stylised motif based on the wings of a Griffin . With the introduction of the TR2, a version of this badge appeared for the first time on the bonnet of a production Triumph, while the Globe continued to appear on the hubcaps. This same double-badging also appeared on the TR3 and TR4, the 2000 and the 1300. However,

285-702: A place for it . I can't think of anything that is in the production timeframe that would not be wearing a BMW badge - be it ' i ' or just BMW." In 2023, automotive design house Makkina (with permission from BMW) revealed the Triumph TR25 concept car for its 25th anniversary, as well as to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Triumph Cars itself. Based on the BMW i3S , the TR25 pays homage to the Triumph TR2 MVC575 'Jabbeke' of 1953, featuring many design cues from

342-439: A ride spring. In both examples, the leaf spring is centrally mounted, preventing displacement of the wheel on one side from affecting the wheel on the other side. In 1981, General Motors pioneered the use of a FRP plastic transverse leaf spring on the third-generation Corvette . As in the examples above, the spring used a single, central mount which isolated the left and right movements. The FRP spring reduced weight and eliminated

399-513: A second legacy brand and adding extra showrooms . In late 2007, the magazine Auto Express , after continued rumours that Triumph might be revived with BMW ownership, featured a story showing an image of what a new version of the TR4 might look like. BMW did not comment officially on this. In 2011, BMW applied for a European trademark to use the Triumph laurel wreath badge on vehicles, as well as

456-410: A wide variety of merchandise. The application was published in late 2012, and further stirred rumours regarding the revival of the Triumph brand. Piers Scott, head of corporate communications for BMW Australia stated in an interview with Drive that: "[The Triumph brand] is always there to be rejuvenated should we choose, I don't think people realise we have Triumph in our stable, but I struggle to see

513-413: Is a type of vehicle suspension design typically used in independent suspensions, using three or more lateral arms, and one or more longitudinal arms. A wider definition considers any independent suspensions having three control links or more multi-link suspensions. These arms do not have to be of equal length, and may be angled away from their "obvious" direction. It was first introduced in the late 1960s on

570-417: Is allowed to pivot inside of the mounts which allows the displacement of the spring on one side to affect the other side. This mechanical communication between the left and right sides of the suspension results in an effect similar to that of an anti-roll bar . Chevrolet Corvettes, starting with the 4th generation in 1984 have combined the dual pivot mounts with FRP leaf springs . The transverse leaf spring

627-442: Is the only component that separates the driver and/or passenger from the ground. The suspension in a vehicle helps absorb harshness in the road. There are many systems and designs that do this, such as independent suspension. This system provides many advantages over other suspension systems. For example, in solid axle suspension systems, when one wheel hits a bump, it affects both wheels. This will compromise traction, smoothness of

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684-535: The Mazda MX-5 . This new car was speculated to be branded as either an Austin-Healey or a Triumph. Development of the car took place, although production did not commence. In 2005, it was reported that BMW's Designworks studio in California proposed reviving the Triumph brand for use on the new Mini Roadster , branding and styling it as a Triumph. The idea was rejected by Mini dealers, averse to selling

741-523: The Morris marque in 1984 as well as the Triumph brand. The trademark is owned currently by BMW , which acquired Triumph when it bought the Rover Group in 1994. When BMW sold Rover , it retained the Triumph and Riley marques. The Phoenix Consortium , which bought Rover, attempted to buy the Triumph brand, but BMW refused, saying that if Phoenix insisted, it would break the deal. The Standard marque

798-674: The TR8 were terminated when the road car section of the Solihull plant was closed (the plant continued to build Land Rovers .) The last Triumph model was the Acclaim , introduced in 1981 and essentially a rebadged Honda Ballade built under licence from the Japanese carmaker Honda , at the former Morris Motors works in Cowley , Oxford. The Triumph name disappeared over the summer of 1984, when

855-603: The Triumph TR2 was initiated, the first of the TR series of sports cars that were produced until 1981. Curiously, the TR2 had a Standard badge on its front and the Triumph globe on its hubcaps. Standard had been making a range of small saloons named the Standard Eight and Ten, and had been working on their replacements. The success of the TR range meant that Triumph was considered a more marketable name than Standard, and

912-455: The differential unit does not form part of the unsprung elements of the suspension system. Instead, it is either bolted directly to the vehicle's chassis or more commonly to a subframe . The relative movement between the wheels and the differential is achieved through the use of swinging driveshafts connected via universal joints (U joints) , analogous to the constant-velocity (CV) joints used in front-wheel-drive vehicles. Suspension

969-479: The "globe" badge that had been used on pre-war models. When Sir John was forced to retire from the company this range of cars was discontinued without being replaced directly, sheet aluminium having by now become a prohibitively expensive alternative to sheet steel for most auto-industry purposes. In the early 1950s it was decided to use the Triumph name for sporting cars and the Standard name for saloons and in 1953

1026-745: The Acclaim was replaced by the Rover 200 , a rebadged version of Honda's next generation Civic/Ballade model. This was the first phase of a rebranding of the Rover Group which would also see the Austin and Morris brands disappear by the end of the 1980s and the Rover brand dominate most of the company's products. The BL car division had by then been named the Austin Rover Group , which also retired

1083-617: The Mercedes-Benz C111 prototype and put into production later on their W201 and W124 series. This is the most common, widely used front suspension system in cars today. It is a very simple and effective design that uses a strut-type spring and shock absorber that work as a team that will pivot on a single ball joint. This system was popularized in British Fords in the 1950s, then adopted by BMW (1962) and Porsche (1963). Later, this space-efficient system became widespread with

1140-524: The Spitfire, GT6 and 2000. Leyland Leyland's corporate badge, a design based on the spokes of a wheel, appeared on the hubcaps of the 1500FWD, and next to the Triumph name on the metal identification labels fitted to the bootlids of various models. It was also used for the oil filler cap on the Dolomite Sprint engine. However it was never used as a bonnet badge, with models of that era such as

1197-536: The TR-X, and negotiations with Italian firms Carrozzeria Touring and Pininfarina also failed. Material shortages caused by the Korean War ended attempts to manufacture the TR-X. Two of the prototypes were sold; it was reported in 2011 that these still existed. Sir John Black , chairman of Standard-Triumph, was determined to have a sports car to compete with Morgan , which he had earlier tried to buy. Black ordered

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1254-480: The TR6 and the TR5 it replaced was its styling. The front and rear ends of the car had been restyled by German coachbuilder Karmann , giving the car a more contemporary appearance. An anti-roll bar was added to the front suspension as well. The Triumph TR7 was introduced in 1974. While all previous TRs were evolutionary designs developed from the TR2, the TR7 was an all-new design owing nothing but its model designation to

1311-597: The TR6 and the second generation 2000 carrying a badge simply stating the name "Triumph". Stag The Stag model carried a unique grille badge showing a highly stylised stag. Laurel wreath The last versions of the TR7 and Dolomite ranges received an all-new badge with the word Triumph surrounded by laurel wreaths, and this was also used for the Acclaim. It was carried on the bonnet and the steering wheel boss. Independent suspension Most modern vehicles have independent front suspension ( IFS ). Many vehicles also have an independent rear suspension ( IRS ). IRS, as

1368-579: The Triumph marque was retired, where it remained dormant under the auspices of BL's successor company Rover Group . The rights to the Triumph marque are currently owned by BMW , who purchased the Rover Group in 1994. S. Bettman & Co. was renamed the Triumph Cycle Co. Ltd. in 1897. In 1902 they began producing Triumph motorcycles at their works in Coventry on Much Park Street. At first, they used engines purchased from another company, but

1425-412: The ability of each wheel to address the road undisturbed by activities of the other wheel on the vehicle. Independent suspension requires additional engineering effort and expense in development versus a beam or live axle arrangement. A very complex IRS solution can also result in higher manufacturing costs. The key reason for lower unsprung weight relative to a live axle design is that, for driven wheels,

1482-524: The associated factory and field-based training courses. For most of its time under Leyland or BL ownership the Triumph marque belonged in the Specialist Division of the company, which went by the names of Rover Triumph and later Jaguar Rover Triumph , except for a brief period during the mid-1970s when all BL's car marques or brands were grouped together under the name of Leyland Cars. The only all-new Triumph model initiated as Rover Triumph

1539-506: The basis of the evolution of the TR line up to the TR6 . The TR3 , introduced in 1955, had a front grille and a more powerful engine. In October 1956, the front brakes of the TR3 were changed from 10 in drums to 11 in discs. The TR3 was restyled in 1957 and was available with a larger 2.2 litre; engine; the restyled car was unofficially known as the TR3A. A further development, with

1596-569: The business prospered and they soon started making their own engines. In 1907 they purchased the premises of a spinning mill on Priory Street to develop a new factory. Major orders for the 550 cc Model H were placed by the British Army during the First World War; by 1918 Triumph had become Britain's largest manufacturer of motorcycles. In 1921 Bettmann was persuaded by his general manager Claude Holbrook (1886–1979), who had joined

1653-629: The company in 1919, to acquire the assets and Clay Lane premises of the Dawson Car Company and start producing a car and 1.4-litre engine type named the Triumph 10/20 designed for them by Lea-Francis , to whom they paid a royalty for every car sold. Production of this car and its immediate successors was moderate, but this changed with the introduction in 1927 of the Triumph Super 7 , which sold in large numbers until 1934. In 1930

1710-515: The company's experimental manager in 1934. The company encountered financial problems however, and in 1936 the Triumph bicycle and motorcycle businesses were sold, the latter to Jack Sangster of Ariel to become Triumph Engineering Co Ltd. Healey purchased an Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 and developed a new car model with an Alfa inspired straight-8 engine type named the Triumph Dolomite . Three of these cars were made in 1934, one of which

1767-427: The company's name was changed to Triumph Motor Company. Holbrook realised he could not compete with the larger car companies for the mass market, so he decided to produce expensive cars, and introduced the models Southern Cross and Gloria . At first they used engines made by Triumph but designed by Coventry Climax , but in 1937 Triumph started to produce engines to their own designs by Donald Healey , who had become

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1824-465: The creator and owner of Jaguar, Black's objective in acquiring the rights to the name and the remnants of the bankrupt Triumph business was to build a car to compete with the soon to be launched post-war Jaguars. The pre-war Triumph models were not revived and in 1946 a new range of Triumphs was announced, starting with the Triumph Roadster . The Roadster had an aluminium body because steel

1881-614: The design of a sports car using existing chassis, suspension, and engine, and inexpensive bodywork. Other design objectives were a price of approximately £500 and a top speed of at least 90 mph. The resulting car, the Triumph 20TS , was shown in October 1952 at the London Motor Show . Public reception was mixed; the front styling and the potential for speed were praised, the cramped interior, stubby rear end, and lack of boot space were not. BRM test driver Ken Richardson

1938-492: The earlier TRs. While the TR7's unit body and wedge shape were advertised by Leyland as major improvements, these were offset by the TR7's return to a four-cylinder engine and a live rear axle . The TR7 was initially available as a coupé, with a convertible version being developed after the launch of the coupé. A premium-grade version using the Rover V8 engine was developed as part of the same project. The TR7 convertible

1995-614: The following year, and in 1887 Bettmann was joined by a partner, Moritz Schulte, also from Germany. In 1889, the businessmen started producing their own bicycles in Coventry , England. Triumph manufactured its first car in 1923. The company was acquired by Leyland Motors in 1960, ultimately becoming part of the giant conglomerate British Leyland (BL) in 1968, where the Triumph brand was absorbed into BL's Specialist Division alongside former Leyland stablemates Rover and Jaguar . Triumph-badged vehicles were produced by BL until 1984 when

2052-685: The growing popularity of front-wheel drive vehicles. One problem with this system is that once the spring or the top plate becomes worn, the driver of a car with this system may hear a loud "clonk" noise at full lock (i.e. steering wheel turned to the extreme left or extreme right positions), as the strut's spring jumps back into place. This noise is often confused with CV-joint knock. Several independent suspension designs have featured transverse leaf springs. Most applications used multi-leaf steel springs, although more recent designs have used fiber reinforced plastic (FRP, typically fibers are fiberglass) springs. In addition to spring type (multi-leaf steel, FRP),

2109-455: The inner leaf friction as compared to the multi-leaf metal spring which was standard on the car. Rather than centrally mounting the transverse leaf spring and thus isolating the left and right sides of the springs, some manufacturers, starting with Fiat used two widely spaced spring mounts. This was first used on the front of the 1955 Fiat 600 and later at the rear on the Fiat 128 . The spring

2166-553: The larger engine as standard and with a fully synchromesh gearbox, was made available in 1962, the final year of TR3 production. This last version of the TR3 was unofficially known as the TR3B. Introduced in 1961, the TR4 had a completely new body designed by Giovanni Michelotti . The TR4 was upgraded to the TR4A in 1965 with the addition of independent rear suspension . In 1967, the TR line

2223-530: The merger of the British Motor Corporation and Jaguar two years earlier) which resulted in the formation of British Leyland Motor Corporation . Triumph set up an assembly facility in Speke , Liverpool in 1960, gradually increasing the size of the company's most modern factory to the point that it could produce 100,000 cars per year. However, only a maximum of 30,000 cars was ever produced as

2280-422: The name implies, has the rear wheels independently sprung. A fully independent suspension has an independent suspension on all wheels. Some early independent systems used swing axles , but modern systems use Chapman or MacPherson struts , trailing arms , multilink , or wishbones . Independent suspension typically offers better ride quality and handling characteristics, due to lower unsprung weight and

2337-677: The new car was introduced in 1959 as the Triumph Herald . The last Standard car to be made in the UK was replaced in 1963 by the Triumph 2000 . Standard-Triumph was bought by Leyland Motors Ltd. in December 1960; Donald Stokes became chairman of the Standard-Triumph division in 1963. In 1967 Leyland Motor Corporation bought the Rover company and in 1968 Leyland Motor Corporation merged with British Motor Holdings (created out of

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2394-484: The original Herald, Spitfire, Vitesse and GT6 models all carried only the Griffin badge on their bonnets/radiator grilles, with unadorned hubcaps. The TR4A appeared with a Globe badge on the bonnet, apparently signifying a return to the original Triumph badging. This was short-lived, as a policy of Leylandisation mean that neither Globe nor Griffin appeared on subsequent models from the TR5 onwards, or on later versions of

2451-447: The plant was never put into full production use, being used largely as an assembly plant. During the 1960s and '70s Triumph sold a succession of Michelotti -styled saloons and sports cars, including the advanced Dolomite Sprint , which, in 1973, already had a 16-valve four-cylinder engine. It is alleged that many Triumphs of this era were unreliable, especially the 2.5 PI (petrol injection) with its fuel injection problems. In Australia,

2508-799: The production of cars; the Holbrook Lane works were completely destroyed by bombing in 1940. In November 1944 what was left of the Triumph Motor Company and the Triumph trade name were bought by the Standard Motor Company and a subsidiary "Triumph Motor Company (1945) Limited" was formed with production transferred to Standard's factory at Canley , on the outskirts of Coventry. Triumph's new owners had been supplying engines to Jaguar and its predecessor company since 1938. After an argument between Standard-Triumph managing director, Sir John Black , and William Lyons ,

2565-542: The rear wheels, electro-hydraulically operated seats, windows, and top, onboard hydraulic jacks, electrically operated hidden headlights, and a power radio aerial. The TR-X used the Standard Vanguard 's frame and engine, the Triumph Renown 's suspension, Laycock de Normanville electrically operated overdrive , and a 94-inch wheelbase. The top speed was estimated as 90 mph (140 km/h) The TR-X

2622-565: The record breaking car. Speaking with Auto Express , Makkina director Michael Ani stated that the TR25 is intended as a concept, although the BMW platform and powertrain provide scope to bring the car to production should the opportunity arise. Globe Pre-war Triumphs carried a stylised Globe badge, usually on the radiator grille, and this was also used on the first three models produced under Standard's control. Griffin Standard had introduced

2679-443: The ride, and could also cause a dangerous wheel shimmy when moving at high speeds. With independent suspension systems, the bump primarily affects only the contacted wheel. This offers many advantages such as greater ride comfort, better traction, and safer, more stable vehicles on the road. In automobiles, a double wishbone suspension is an independent suspension design using two (occasionally parallel) wishbone-shaped arms to locate

2736-441: The summer heat caused petrol in the electric fuel pump to vapourise, resulting in frequent malfunctions. Although the injection system had proven itself in international competition, it lacked altitude compensation to adjust the fuel mixture at altitudes greater than 3,000 feet (910 m) above sea level. The Lucas system proved unpopular: Lucas did not want to develop it further, and Standard-Triumph dealers were reluctant to attend

2793-465: The wheel. Each wishbone or arm has two mounting points to the chassis and one joint at the knuckle. The shock absorber and coil spring mount to the wishbones to control vertical movement. Double wishbone designs allow the engineer to carefully control the motion of the wheel throughout suspension travel, controlling such parameters as camber angle , caster angle , toe pattern , roll center height, scrub radius , scuff and more. A multi-link suspension

2850-481: Was discontinued after three prototypes had been built. Some of the electro-hydraulic systems broke down during a demonstration of a TR-X to Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon . Standard could not develop and manufacture a car that complicated and still sell it at a profit. The car would also not have been competitive against the Jaguar XK120 . Fisher and Ludlow and Mulliners both refused to build bodies for

2907-408: Was in short supply and surplus aluminium from aircraft production was plentiful. The same engine was used for the 1800 Town and Country saloon, later named the Triumph Renown , which was notable for the styling chosen by Standard-Triumph's managing director Sir John Black . A similar style was also used for the subsequent Triumph Mayflower light saloon. All three of these models prominently sported

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2964-636: Was introduced in 1979. Also introduced in 1979 was the Triumph TR8, a premium V8 version of the TR7. The TR7 and TR8 were discontinued in 1981. Triumph Motor Company The Triumph Motor Company was a British car and motor manufacturing company in the 19th and 20th centuries. The marque had its origins in 1885 when Siegfried Bettmann of Nuremberg formed S. Bettmann & Co. and started importing bicycles from Europe and selling them under his own trade name in London. The trade name became "Triumph"

3021-552: Was invited to drive the car; his low opinion of the car's handling and driveability resulted in him being hired to the development team for its replacement. The redesign and development of the 20TS led to a longer, roomier car with a larger boot, built on an all-new frame with revised suspension and brakes and an uprated engine. The resulting Triumph TR2 was shown in March 1953 at the Geneva Motor Show . The TR2 would form

3078-675: Was the TR7 , which was in production successively at three factories that were closed: Speke , the poorly run Leyland-era Standard-Triumph works in Liverpool , the original Standard works at Canley , Coventry and finally the Rover works in Solihull . Plans for an extended range based on the TR7, including a fastback variant codenamed "Lynx", were ended when the Speke factory closed. The four-cylinder TR7 and its short-lived eight-cylindered derivative

3135-467: Was transferred to British Motor Heritage Limited. The Standard marque is still retained by British Motor Heritage, who also have the licence to use the Triumph marque in relation to the sale of spares and service of the existing 'park' of Triumph cars. Proposals were reportedly made in the early 2000s for BMW to market a cheaper, four cylinder, rear wheel drive car based on the Z4 Roadster to rival

3192-644: Was updated with servo-assisted brakes and a 2.5 L version of the straight-six engine that had been used in the Triumph 2000 . Two different models were made: the TR250 with two Stromberg carburettors for the US market, and the TR5 with Lucas fuel injection for the rest of the world. Both the TR250 and the TR5 were replaced by the TR6 in 1968, with the US version continuing with carburettors. The main difference between

3249-488: Was used in competition and destroyed in an accident. The Dolomites manufactured from 1937 to 1940 were unrelated to these prototypes. In July 1939 the Triumph Motor Company went into receivership and the factory, equipment and goodwill were offered for sale. The Thos. W. Ward scrapping company purchased Triumph, and placed Healey in charge as general manager, but the effects of the Second World War again stopped

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