Classic Velocity

Siegfried Bettman co-founded Triumph bicycles in Coventry, England in 1886. He returned to his native Germany 10 years later to start a Triumph factory in Nurnberg. The British and German factories produced almost identical products, and when they began producing motorcycles in 1902, the Nurnberg factory started producing the same item in 1903. Engines from Peugeot and Fafnir were mated to Triumph frames. This continued until the late 1920s when Germany’s exports with the name Triumph caused issues for the British who were trying to do the same. Germany briefly used the name Orial for exports, but that conflicted with a French firm. A legal battle over the name ensued, and the German factory eventually settled on TWN for Triumph Werke Nurnberg. The British and German models quickly began to drift apart as local sources were used for parts. The Nurnberg factory leaned toward 2-stroke engines vs 4-strokes in Coventry. This divergence grew wider until WWII.

Following the war, TWN produced 100cc, 200cc, and 250cc models. These were twin pistons in a single combustion chamber, sometimes referred to as “twingles” . The Cornet was a popular model in this configuration. As the 1950s began, they also introduced 350cc engines including a handsome model called the Boss. Sales wer strong for a while, but they declined for TWN, and many others in the mid 1950s. The company was forced to merge with Adler in 1956. Some mopeds continued to be produced for a short time using the TWN name, before it disappeared for good.