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1970's
The 1970s were disastrous for Triumph. Sturgeon died three years after taking the helm and Lionel Jofeh replaced him – a man who, like Sturgeon, was on the ‘outside’ of the business. He didn’t last long and was replaced by Brian Eustace. Management of the BSA group as a whole was in a state of flux, constantly changing and with no consistent strategy.
Ironically, the three cylinder motor was proving almost unbeatable on the race track and in its ‘Slippery Sam’ guise won the IoM Production TT five years on the trot from ‘71-‘75, as well many Formula 750 races.
Thanks to the internal confusion, and the rapid progress of the Japanese factories, Triumph was in deep trouble, with the BSA group recording a loss by 1971 of £8.5m. A year later a £3.3m loss was posted and things were looking bleak. In July 1973, in a government sponsored move, a new company was formed - Norton-Villiers-Triumph. Against the wishes of the Triumph workforce Norton Villiers Triumph planned to move Triumph production to the BSA factory at Small Heath, Birmingham.
As a result the Meriden workers staged a sit-in that lasted almost two years. It ended finally when in March 1975 a workers’ co-operative was set up purely to manufacture the Bonneville in 750cc form, primarily for the American market.
Although there were some noteworthy bikes built during this period – such as the ’77 Bonneville Jubilee Special and T140D Special with cast wheels - the writing was on the factory wall.
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