The last Triumph Trident, a police-specification machine destined for Saudi Arabia, rolled off the production line at Small Heath in 1975.
The financial collapse of BSA in 1973 (Triumph had been part of the BSA Group since 1951), precipitated a series of events that saw the disintegration of the once mightly British motorcycle industry.
In short, Norton-Villiers-Triumph (NVT) was the result of a government sponsored merger with Norton-Villiers, all owned by Manganese Holdings. Control of NVT was given to Dennis Poore, the boss of Norton. Poore’s plan was to close the Meriden factory, sell it to Jaguar, and move Triumph production to Small Heath.
Manufacture of the Triumph Trident did move to Small Heath in March 1974. The resulting strike and sit-in by thousands of disgruntled Meriden workers resulted in the Bonneville and Tiger still being made at Meriden, But that’s another story.
