When Dennis Poore announced in 1973 he was moving the manufacturing of Norton Villiers Triumph (NVT) from the Meriden factory in the West Midlands to the BSA site in Small Heath, Birmingham, shedding 3000 workers in the process, they did not take it well and staged a two-year sit in. As a result, Triumph Motorcycle (Meriden) Limited was created in 1974 to continue manufacturing 750s and selling them NVT as their sole customer, but it was the beginning of the end for Triumph.
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They very nearly made it to the new/old Triumph car factory in Cash’s Lane in 1983. But it wasn’t to be, even with this in the pipeline
The Cash’s Lane site was lost due to West Midlands County Council’s and West Midlands Enterprise Board’s internal delays to the purchase. Laid off Triumph workers on the dole had already spent over 3000 manhours making it ready.
The Meriden factory and site was sold to Tarmac Homes.
The Factory contents were sold to John Law Machinery
Spare Parts and works in progress were bid on by Andover Norton, Racing Spares and Wassel
The intellectual property rights were bid on by John Bloor, Racing Spares and an Indian Consortium.
The intended investment by John Bloor in the West Midlands was the obvious preferred direction.
I don’t believe it could have worked out any better.
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