Triumph Motorcycles (America) Ltd., announced today that its dealers retailed 10,726 units in the US during 2006. This is the first time Triumph's retail sales have exceed 10,000 units in a single calendar year since Triumph's return to the US in 1995. This is a significant milestone for the Hinckley, UK based Motorcycle manufacturer.
Triumph is one of the oldest and most famous names in motorcycling. The name dates back to 1885 when Siegfried Bettmann settled in Coventry and started selling bicycles. Triumph began building motorcycles in 1901, which makes it the oldest name in motorcycles.
Triumph was absent from the US market for a little over a decade after the company fell on hard times in the early 80's. Entrepreneur John Bloor purchased the revered brand in 1983 and relaunched it to great acclaim in 1990.
Today, Triumph is a privately owned British company and it is the only British motorcycle brand still producing bikes today. Triumph's main factory, located in Hinckley, Leicestershire, is the most modern motorcycle manufacturing facility in the world. This, together with its diverse model range and aggressive development program, places Triumph firmly at the forefront of motorcycling.
Triumph`s growth in recent years has been driven by innovative new products that set the British manufacturer apart from the competition. With ground-breaking models like the 2,300cc Rocket III cruiser, the stylish Sprint ST sports tourer and the Daytona 675 sport bike, Triumph offers consumers a broader product line than any other European road bike manufacturer. The Rocket III played a special role in Triumph's growth as its unique design and industry-leading capacity generated significant consumer awareness.
Triumph's growth this year was led by the new Daytona 675. This "Incomparable" new bike reinvented the middleweight sports bike category with its distinctive triple-cylinder engine. The 675's unique design combines light weight, compact dimensions, and class leading power and handling to deliver what many in the press are hailing as the best middleweight sports bike ever built. Both "Cycle World" and "Motorcyclist", the 2 leading motorcycle publications in the US, have awarded the 675 "Best Of.." honors. More recently, the Daytona 675 was named "International Bike of the Year" by the editors of 15 international motorcycle publications.
Triumph's growth was also spurred by the introduction of the new Scrambler. As the original manufacturer of modern classics, Triumph continues to lead the industry with innovative new designs that hearken back to the classic bikes from the middle of the last century. The Scrambler embodies the true nature of a modern classic. With styling that pays homage to the classic Meriden-era TR6 and a thoroughly modern engine and chassis, the Scrambler offers a unique mix of old and new. The Scrambler is an ideal bike for motorcyclists looking for a cool motorcycle that rides as well as it looks.
"All of us at Triumph are proud of achieving this important milestone." said Mark Kennedy, Chief Executive Officer, Triumph Motorcycles (America) Ltd. "I'd especially like to thank all of our dealers who pulled out all the stops to hit our numbers this year. Now we're all going to focus on breaking Triumphs all-time US sales record of 28,500 units which was set in 1967 within the next 5 years."
Triumph expects its strong growth to continue with the introduction of exciting new models like the Tiger 1050. This completely redesigned update of Triumph's venerable Tiger is the ideal bike for riders who need a single motorcycle that can do virtually anything including carving corners, urban commuting or 2-up touring. Looking forward, Triumph has plans to introduce 2 new or redesigned models in each of the next several years.