Star turn and a Triumph
This diminutive lightweight machine, released in response to taxation changes, was one of several 150cc Triumphs.
In 1933, MissMarie Vernon, secretary of DeansgateMart Ltd., of 192 Deansgate, Manchester, sets off for Liverpool, after taking over the newly introduced 150cc Triumph which was being ridden round England by Triumph agents. The lady shaking her hand isMarie Burke, a then well known film and stage actress.
So why were Triumphmaking a 150cc machine? Up until then, the Coventrybased firmhad been themakers of half-litre and above motorcycles, the best known and biggest volume the 550ccModel H, which saw service in its thousands during the First WorldWar. Even the ‘Baby’ (as it was known by everyone, though officially called the LW or Junior) two-stroke – launched in 1914 – was of 225cc, whichmade the newcomer the what? The embryo?
The reason that Triumph – and several other factories, with BSA, New Imperial, Excelsior and Royal Enfield – weremaking machines of this size was simple – tax. In 1929, Labour’s RamseyMacDonald became prime minster, taking over from Conservative Stanley Baldwin, who had himself had taken over fromMacDonald, who had taken over from Baldwin. Britain, likemost of the world, was in the midst of an economic crisis, and in 1931’s budget, chancellor Philip Snowden announced a half rate tax of 15s formotorcycles of under 150cc. The idea of this was two-fold; it would help themoney of theman in the street go further, while it alsomight bring in some sales for Britain’s beleaguered motorcycle industry.
The new legislation came into force on January 1, 1932, and soon over a third of all motorcyclemakers, from AKD toWolf (AER and Zenith didn’t list a 150cc…) catalogued amachine which would benefit from the Snowden tax advantage. Many used Villiers engines (likeWolf ) though others built their own engines, just as AKD did. Among the others which built their own engines were BSA, Royal Enfield and most famously New Imperial, whose UnitMinor was probably the pick of the bunch, it remaining a sales success formuch of the 1930s.
Triumph (who weren’t the only ones) took amulti-pronged approach. The 174cc own-made two-stroke engine (from the model X) was reduced to 148cc, they bought in Villiers two-stroke engines (of 98cc and 148cc) tomake the bargain basement Gloria model, and then a 148cc four-stroke engine was designed and implemented, using the X frame and cycle parts, and becoming the XO. The two-strokes were quietly withdrawn.
During a 1933 road test of an XO, The Motor Cycle recorded a top speed of 47mph and fuel consumption figures of 112mpg at a steady 25mph. The attractive little coil ignition motorcycle featured some nice touches and was handsomely finished in black, with gold lining with a small sky blue lozenge on the petrol tank. There were inverted levers, tension spring girder forks and a stylish fishtail-esque silencer. Soon, the 148cc model was joined by a 175cc variant, while a ‘/5’ indicated a sporting model, with four-speed gearbox. The last year they were listed was 1934 and it’s reckoned less than 2000 four-strokes were made in all the various guises.
Triumph was to return to the 150cc class when, at the 1952 motorcycle shows at Earls Court, the firmannounced the all-new
149cc Terrier. Though it owed nothing to the XO from 20 years before, the cylinder barrel was tilted at a similar angle. Themaroon finished, plunger-framedmachine – which was as pretty as its older sibling – was to go on to spawn the 199cc Tiger Cub, which then went on to formthe basis of the BSA C15 and all its various offshoots, including more Triumph badgedmachines.
And as for the ‘star’ in the picture?
Marie Burke was a London-born actress, who appeared in over 40 films between 1917 and 1971, as well as being a regular on British television during the 1950s and 60s. Ms Burke (who was bornMarie Altfuldisch, though the family changed its name to Holt during the FirstWorld
War) was a foundingmember of Equity, the actors’ union. Married to opera singer Thomas Burke, their daughter, Patricia Burke, was an actress too.