Following news of the millionth Hinckley-built Triumph motorcycle, the very first Triumph motorcycle from 1901 has been discovered and fully restored.

Triumph No.1 Sees The Light Of Day Once Again

At the beginning of the 20th century, as motorcycles were starting to appear, such was the headlong rush of new marques that it was understandable if recent history wasn't given much attention. Everything was so new and there was no indication that these new-fangled inventions had a future lasting into next year, let alone 120 years. Thus prototype models often were dismantled or simply disappeared as no-one considered them significant.

Which is why it is incredible that the very first Triumph prototype has not only survived, but has been recently re-discovered and restored back to original, as-new condition.

Dating from 1901, a year before official Triumph sales started, this first Triumph prototype was developed from a standard Triumph bicycle, with an engine provided by Belgian manufacturer Minerva, in order to generate interest and gauge the public’s demand for a Triumph motorcycle.

Leading vintage Triumph collector Dick Shepherd couldn't believe his luck when he received a call from the friend of a collector who had passed away.

“Having been approached by a friend of a collector to evaluate an old Triumph,' he said, 'I was incredibly excited to discover that the bike they had featured unique details that were not present on the first production Triumphs. Along with the bike, the collector had also received a letter from Triumph, dated in 1937, that outlined the bike’s unique origins and provided key details.”

“With an engine number that is consistent with references in Minerva’s engine records of a 1901 first Triumph engagement, the historic significance of this motorcycle became incredibly clear.”

“As a lifelong passionate fan of the history and achievements of this incredible British brand, to have discovered this amazing survivor and restored it to the glorious condition it would have been in when it first went on display in 1901, has given me an immense amount of satisfaction.”

It's an incredibly significant find, possibly unique in the annals of motorcycling. The machine will be ridden for the first time in 100 years on December 14th at Triumph's Factory Visitor Experience and will then go on display in a new 120 year anniversary exhibition hosted at the factory in Hinckley, England.

The centre is open from Wednesday to Sunday, 10a.m. to 4:30pm and is free to all visitors.