7. Triumph
One of the motorcycles that have been there from the beginning, Triumph that ranks 7th in our list of best-selling motorcycles of all time has stood the test of time as not only the longest-running, but also quite possibly the largest British motorcycle manufacturer. The company began importing bicycles from Germany to England in the 1880’s. Shortly thereafter, Maurice Johann Schulte—a German engineer—joined Siegfried Bettmann and together they went on to produce their first motorcycle in 1902. During the years prior to the First World War, Triumph had easily established them self in the realm of motorcycle racing, but turned their efforts towards supporting Allied Forces once the war hit. This change actually benefitted the company as they went on to produce over 30,000 motorcycles for military use. In later years, one of Triumph’s most iconic models—the Speed Twin—was developed; and within the year, the London Police chose this model for their police departments and purchased thousands for their use! The Triumph t100 was released in 1939 and became their most popular model in the United States. When WWII broke out, 1,400 of these bad boys were demanded, again for military use. As the war progressed, Triumph ends up producing 50,000 motorcycles to supply to troops. These motorcycles were bought back from the government, refurbished and then sold back to the public for civilian use. Hollywood also played a role in contributing to the fame of these British machines. Marlon Brando was featured riding his personal Triumph Thunderbird in the movie “The Wild One”; the famous scene of Steve McQueen (okay, so the stunt was actually performed by his stuntman, Bud Elkins) in “The Great Escape” jumping a fence with a TR6; and the choice brand of Evel Knievel as he carried-out many of his daring jumps atop different models of the Triumph Bonneville, and has since become one of Triumph’s most iconic models.
