LOT 14

1966 Triumph 649cc T120R Bonneville Registration no. DRS 351D Frame no. T120R DU 38160 Engine no. T120R DU 38160

Sold for £5,900 inc. premium

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Lot 14

1966 Triumph 649cc T120R Bonneville

Motorcycles Online - The Summer Sale|24 June 2024, 12:13 BST|Online, Milton Keynes

1966 Triumph 649cc T120R Bonneville
Registration no. DRS 351D
Frame no. T120R DU 38160
Engine no. T120R DU 38160

Hurriedly prepared for its debut at the 1958 Earls Court Show (it was too late for inclusion in the 1959 catalogue) Triumph's Bonneville arrived at a time when young motorcycle enthusiasts wanted style as well as substance and had the money to pay for it. Finished in striking two-tone Tangerine/Pearl Grey with matching mudguards and black cycle parts, the bike was a real looker, and the name 'Bonneville', chosen in honour of Johnny Allen's record-breaking achievements with his Triumph-powered streamliner at the eponymous Utah salt flats, was an inspired piece of marketing. Its newness notwithstanding, the Bonneville remained recognisably similar to Edward Turner's Speed Twin of 1938. Unitary construction of engine and gearbox was already a feature of the 350 and 500 twins though, and this innovation duly appeared on the 650s in 1963. The café racer's favourite since its launch in 1959, the Bonneville continued in this new form as Triumph's top-of-the-range sports roadster.

This smart example of the iconic Bonneville was originally dispatched to Baltimore, USA on the 13th April 1966 where it lived until being imported into the UK in 2016 by the current vendor. All necessary import paperwork were completed and is UK registered where it has been used sparingly in the UK by the current vendor on warm days and was run recently. Offered with a V5C, original instruction manual and sales brochure, invoices and Triumph Owners Club dating certificate.
Offered with key

Footnotes

All lots are sold 'as is/where is' and Bidders must satisfy themselves as to the provenance, condition, age, completeness and originality prior to bidding.

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