When the Meriden factory closed in 1983, that could have been the end of Triumph. Les Harris, owner of a successful business supplying spares for Nortons, BSAs and Triumphs, bid for the name, intending to build T140s with a number of ex-Meriden workers, including designer and engineer, Brian Jones. The rights went to John Bloor but he granted Les a five year licence to manufacture the 750cc Bonneville. Because of that agreement, Triumph claim to have been in continuous production since 1902, making them the oldest continuous production motorcycle manufacturer in the world.
Leslie Frederick Harris, the "“saviour of the British motorcycle industry”, died this day in 2009.
Thanks, Les.
