Famous film bike star of new Triumph centre
Famous bike is the star of new Triumph centre
THE MOTORCYCLE ridden by one of Hollywood’s most iconic actors in a classic war movie scene takes pride of place in the new £4 million Triumph Factory Experience visitor centre in Hinckley.
The fully restored 650cc Triumph TR6R used by Steve McQueen in his vain attempt to jump a border fence in The Great Escape is the star attraction at the free to enter complex.
Following the film, the now priceless Triumph was apparently employed by a farmer to herd cows, then stored in a barn for decades.
Back in perfect working order, it still has 95% of its original parts and underwent a four-week restoration process, meticulously sticking to the original 1962 specifications to preserve what has become a true icon of the silver screen.
It even sports marks and dents from filming, left in place for added authenticity.
Triumph chief commercial officer Paul Stroud said: “We are delighted to be able to unveil the bike as the centrepiece of our all-new Factory Visitor Experience.
“This is a privileged opportunity for visitors to the facility to see this instantly recognisable bike in all its original glory.”
Opening on November 1 at the Normandy Way site the centre also features the Speed Triple ridden by Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible 2.
While the two movie machines may be the biggest crowd pullers there is the whole history of Triumph to explore, right back to its origins and the very first motorcycle manufactured in Coventry in 1902.
Visitors will also get to see a 1919 Triumph Trusty, used during the First World War and a 1959 Bonneville, which was launched as the fastest production road bike in the world at the time.
Other classics include the Hurricane X75, T595 Trident and ‘94 Speed Triple
n top of the free experience, visitors will be able to pay £15 for 90 minute guided tours of the vast factory on the outskirts of the town.
Management also announced the business had its best year ever with more than 63,000 bikes built at its Hinckley and Thailand factories - 13% up on last year.
It marks four years of growth with more than 85% of that coming from outside of the UK.
Triumph is now the number one big bike 500cc-plus brand in Britain and the second-biggest European brand in the world in the 500ccplus segment, with 13 subsidiary operations including the USA, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Brazil, India and Thailand.
Mr Stroud said: “Investment in developing worldclass new motorcycles has been critical to our success over the last few years.
“We have significantly increased our investment in the design and engineering teams here in the UK, which has allowed us to launch 15 new models in the last two years, including the striking Bonneville Bobber - the fastest-selling Triumph in our 115-year history.”
Visitors to the new centre can also sample the Triumph 1902 café, which offers freshly-ground coffee, a comprehensive menu and free Wi-Fi.
There is also a new Triumph Shop for anyone who wants to mark their visit with a range of merchandise, clothing and limited-edition visitor experience souvenirs.
The experience is open to the public from November 1 with tickets available for purchase now at www.triumphmotorcycles.co.uk/visitor-experience