Rare, one-year-only model supplied with factory Racing Kit, 1953 Triumph 498cc T100C Project

Registration no. PKC 87 Frame no. 41912 Engine no. T100.C.41912

• One of fewer than 600 T100Cs built
• Long-term family ownership (since 1957)
• Off the road in dry storage since circa 1970
• Offered for restoration

"In 1953 and for one year only, Triumph produced a factory hot-rod, the 500cc T100C Tiger. This was street-legal but with the previous year's optional Racing Kit now factory fitted... In all, the mods brought output to 42bhp, a useful 10bhp increase over the standard T100." – Ian Falloon.

The Tiger 100 sports version of Edward Turner's trend-setting Speed Twin was launched in 1938, reappearing in 1946 with telescopic forks in place of the original girders, and separate dynamo and magneto instead of the pre-war version's magdyno. Produced almost unchanged for the next three years, the Tiger gained Triumph's distinctive headlamp nacelle in 1949 when the range was restyled. A die cast alloy cylinder head and barrel were adopted for 1951, these and other engine improvements boosting power to 32bhp. For Tiger owners who wished to go racing, Triumph offered a kit of performance parts that included high-compression pistons, 'hot' cams, up-rated valve springs, twin carburettors, megaphone exhausts, etc. For 1953 the racing kit was dropped but most of the parts found their way onto a new competition-orientated production model: the T100C. Produced for that year only, the T100C is one of the rarest and most collectible of post-war Triumphs.

This matching-numbers T100C, one of fewer than 600 built, comes with an old-style continuation logbook (issued 1961) showing that it was first registered to the current vendor's father on 9th February 1957. Its registration number indicates that the machine was first registered in Liverpool in December 1953. Last on the road circa 1970, since when it has been garage stored, the Triumph has belonged to the vendor since his father passed away some 12 years ago. Original and un-restored, the machine has been inspected by a VMCC examiner and we are advised that he was happy with his findings with regard to the frame, engine, gearbox, etc. Original spares with machine include a rear light; twin-carburettor inlet manifold; carburettor float chamber and pipework; throttle twist-grip; and a front numberplate. Additional documentation consists of a V5C document and copy of the late owner's HP payments book.