1959 T120
Owner: Alan Stopford
STARTING WHERE it all began is Alan Stopford’s 1959 model. Alan cheerfully admits classic bikes are
‘a bit of a disease’ when I collar him for a chat about his superb Bonnie. At the event with son Paul (who has also brought his own Bonneville along), Alan is a veteran of the restoration game. “Most restorers seem to go for the Tangerine and Pearl Grey ’59s,” he says. “But the Azure Blue was a midseason change because the ‘Tangerine Dream’ colour scheme didn’t prove to be that popular at the time. This one is actually from South Africa – a friend of mine from over there tipped me off about it. I’ve had it for about five years now.”
The bike was part-finished when Alan bought it. “The previous owner had the engine rebuilt,” he confirms. “But the cosmetics have taken a lot of work. Cliff at Ace Classics supplied most of the parts I needed though. I’ve been doing Triumphs for about 25 years now, starting with Speed Twins, so Cliff and I have become mates over that time. I live in Preston, though, so it’s a bit of a trek down to see him in London. But we always meet up at shows and other events.
“Probably the hardest thing to find for this bike were the correct Dunlop rims. The little details are important. I’ve had the Dunlop front tyre since 1983, but it looks so much better on the bike than a modern tyre. It’s probably a bit hard by now, but I won’t be riding this machine, so that’s fine. I’ve got plenty of other Triumphs to ride.”
‘THE TANGERINE DREAM SCHEME WASN’T THAT POPULAR AT THE TIME’