1939 Triumph 500cc Tiger 100
Registration no. GL 6719
Frame no. TF 601
Engine no. 9-T100 16955

Although Triumph's Speed Twin caused a sensation when it appeared at the 1937 Motorcycle Show, few can have guessed how influential the design would prove to be. Performance proved exemplary for a road-going 500, around 85mph being attainable by the Speed Twin while the Tiger 100 sports version was even faster. Performance was boosted by the use of high-compression forged pistons and polished ports and internals, the result being a machine that could touch 100mph in road trim and exceed it with the silencer end-caps removed. First registered on 1st February 1939, this Tiger 100 comes with an old-style continuation logbook (issued 1960) recording only one owner, Mr John Webster of Bath, and regular licensing between up to 1966. It should be noted that the frame number recorded therein is 'TF 454', indicating that the frame has been changed at some time. The accompanying Triumph instruction book has some brief notes inside indicating, among other things, that 8,388 miles were covered in 1939. The vendor's late father bought 'GL 6719' in December 1998. It is thought that the Triumph was restored by the immediately preceding owner. On file are various photographs taken in the course of restoration and a few invoices including one from S&T for chromium plating at a total cost of £564 (invoice dated 13.3.97). There are also sundry old tax discs, VMCC Dating Certificate and SORNs, while the last MoT expired in August 1999. Kept in storage since acquisition, the Tiger will require re-commissioning before returning to the road.