Triumph wins Maudes Trophy !

In the 1920s the manager of the Exeter branch of Maudes Motor Mart decided that it would be in the best interest of customers if a completely impartial observed test for motorcycles was organised and so he presented a trophy to be awarded annually by the ACU (Auto Cycle Union).

It wasn't until the early thirties that Triumph first participated when Harry Perrey, trials rider and flamboyant salesman became interested. After a successful win with the Val Page 650 vertical twin in 1933 he turned his attention to the three (250cc, 350cc and 500cc) Tiger singles in 1937 and devised a three hour, high speed thrash around Donington Park race track, after running in the engines. This was followed, the next day, by a maximum speed lap of the famous Brooklands circuit. The key factor of the test, as laid down originally, was that the machines were chosen from dealers stocks and so were not specially prepared. The event was not entirely trouble-free with Freddie Clarkes Tiger 90 having trouble with the oil pump after some grit got under one of the ball-valve seats, a problem not unknown to many Triumph riders. He did also suffer a flat tyre but that doesn't really count.

The Brooklands results for the 1937 test were:
Tiger 70. Rider: Ted Thacker. Average speed: 66.39 mph
Tiger 80. Rider: Allan Jefferies. Average speed: 74.68 mph
Tiger 90. Rider: Freddie Clarke. Average speed: 82.31 mph

In March 1939 Triumph decided to push the boat out and devised a really impressive demonstration for their new twins, particularly the Tiger 100 which had only just appeared. Again, models were chosen at random from dealers stocks. The Speedtwin from a dealer in Biggleswade and the Tiger 100 from Sheffield. The reliability and performance of these new bikes meant that a long-distance run could be combined with a high-speed demonstration and so a route was planned from the factory to the extreme North of the country at John O'Groats in Scotland, all the way back down to the extreme South at Lands End, Cornwall, and then across to the Brooklands circuit. A total of some 1800 miles. With no problems at all to that point the two bikes then started a marathon 6 hours continuous high-speed lapping of the circuit.

The Brooklands results for the 1939 test were:
Speedtwin. Riders: Allan Jefferies and Freddie Clarke.
Average speed over 6 hours: 75 mph. Final lap: 84.4 mph
Tiger 100. Riders: Ivan Wicksteed and David Whitworth
Average speed over 6 hours: 78.5 mph. Final lap: 88.5 mph

This last part of the test did result in one minor problem, a fractured oil feed to the oil gauge on the Speedtwin, which was simply crimped off to stem the leak. The publicity material subsequently released mentions press coverage in March but not the Maudes Trophy as the award was not announced until November 1939. Therefore the poster and leaflet material illustrated was probably released between those two dates.