February 11, 2012
The Ed Kretz dealership was a well know stop for riders looking for a new top-of-the-line Triumph in Monterey Park on the sunny west coast. Evocative shop label of a muse atop the Thunderbird ‘paper dart’ logo.
A cool image of a bikers line-up along the shop front.
Ed’s Senior and Junior (left & right) with another “Hall of Famer”, A.J. Lewis. Standing by an early 50’s racing Triumph.
Kretz Sr. was friends with none other than James Dean, both in terms of motorcycling as well as racing. Here they chat awhile as Dean sits in his 1954 Porsche 356 Speedster. He traded this car for the infamous Porsche 550 Spyder later that year. Two Legends!
Posted in 50's, Triumph Motorcycle |
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February 8, 2012
A brief scene in the 1986 movie “Peggy Sue Got Married” shows a classic ride of the time, a pre-unit speed twin Triumph (probably). The rock ‘n’ roll age was blooming, kids were dancin’ to the tunes and the bikes were fast and cool. Kathleen Turner is P.S. and her beau is Nick Cage – later to be the fiery Ghost Rider. The inspiring music is of course the incomparable Buddy Holly.
Posted in 50's, Gals, Movie, Triumph Motorcycle |
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January 28, 2012
After yesterdays sixties bike chic; here’s the previous decades look: James Dean, the Original Rebel, on his Triumph. Collar up, cigarette askew, amgst-laden frown.
Posted in 50's, Movie, Triumph Motorcycle |
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January 24, 2012
The sun not only didn’t set on the Empire; it also shone on the chrome details of British Iron. The motos of Triumph, BSA, Norton, to name a few, were shipped around the world. One of the great exports! Indeed in the early fifties the BSA Group was the largest manufacturer of motorcycles in the world. Here is an appropriately named Coventry City being loaded with crated bikes stamped ‘Handle With Care’.
Posted in 50's, Photography, Triumph Motorcycle |
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January 16, 2012
After Johnny Allen took his ‘Ceegar’ on that smokin’ run Triumph presented this model. The R1, GSX-R, Ninja of it’s day.
Posted in 50's, Motorcycle Poster, Triumph Bonneville |
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January 14, 2012
A couple from Hollywood CA, Mr & Mrs Nelson, wished to take an adventurous tour of Europe, so they arrived in the UK in the summer of ’52. After taking both delivery and instruction of a beautiful Thunderbird and Swallow sidecar from the Meriden factory they set of on a three month exploration. I bet that photo album is work looking through!
Posted in 50's, Sidecar, Travel, Triumph Motorcycle |
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January 10, 2012
So where did the Bonneville get its name? The salt flats in northwestern Utah were named after Benjamin Bonneville, a french born Army officer known for his expeditions to the intermountain region of the United States. Though mapped in the 1830’s it was a century later when its long flat hardpacked surface was seen as the optimum location for speed records. Then in 1956 a motorcycle racer by the name of Johnny Allen brought his Triumph twin 650cc powered “Texas Ceegar” streamliner and took it for a run on ‘the salt’ attaining a speed of 214.40 mph. The bike was built by Stormy Mangham and tuned by Jack Wilson and their savvy engineering was able to tromp the dominating NSU factory team. Triumph took this victory over the germans to heart and within a couple of years named their fast new twin-carb 650 the Bonneville. The rest is history!
Sadly the original Ceegar was severely damaged in the infamous fire at the British National Motorcycle Museum in Birmingham UK in 2003 however it ashes were resurrected by a determined team in the US. After a brief sojourn to Bonneville it returned to its home in Birmingham.
Here’s our man on an unfaired speed machine obviously set-up for going top velocity in a straight line.
Here he is with racing pal, Peaches Hainer; hardtails, high boots, big twins and a grin.
Posted in 50's, Racing, Triumph Bonneville |
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December 22, 2011
These kids are dressed up as if they’re going for a jaunt along the balmy Riviera and not so much a ride across the South Downs with a brisk damp northerly breeze. I’d take a blighty spin any day but a sun-kissed tour along the Mediterranean aboard a sky blue Thunderbird, khakis, fisherman’s sweater and sandals garb completing the picture, wouldn’t go amiss either!
Posted in 50's, Motorcycle Poster, Triumph Motorcycle |
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December 15, 2011
…in the quartermaster store (behind the door). Yet ANOTHER “It’s Easy on a Triumph” poster. How many are there? This time some oblivious tar (and his parrot if you look closely!) is heading home on shore leave and tangles in the mooring line thus affecting the berth of his ship.
Posted in 50's, Motorcycle Poster, Triumph Motorcycle |
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November 17, 2011
James Dean looks on somewhat bemused as Jim Backus (Mr. Magoo among other roles!); possibly extolling the virtues of wearing a frilly and flowery pinafore. Jim played Frank Stark, Dean’s anguished character Jim’s father. “You’re tearing me apart!!”
Lovely Thunderbird sits waiting for a twist of the throttle. Fancy a ride up to the Observatory?
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November 13, 2011
Johnny Strabler taking a laid back approach to life as the Black Rebels Motorcycle Club leader in the classic biker picture The Wild One. A movie loosely based on the events of a fictiionalized hell-raising by a motorcycle gang in Hollister CA in the early Fifties. A Time magazine article spread the word about the Bad-Boy image of bikers that still lives to this day; helped with a not too bad part of Brando in the lead role.
Atop his Triumph Thunderbird 6T, this film andoubtedly promoted the popularity of Triumph motorcycles in the US when they, along with BSA, were the dominant world force of motos. A reign that would last two strong decades until the Japanese bikes came along. His white t-shirt, askew cap, black leather jacket, engineer boots and turned up jeans and surly sideburned appearance became the image of the rocker-rebel for generations.
Posted in 50's, Movie, Triumph Motorcycle |
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November 8, 2011
Rosie the Riveter watch out! Here are some gals ready for the off at a period hare across some sun drenched desert. Hair scarves to keep the locks in check, bikini (see the second one on the Triumph dressed for a tan) as cooling attire.
A mix of British and Yankee Iron.
Posted in 50's, Racing |
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September 29, 2011
Another in the poster series of speeds that can be attained on your trusty Triumph! This time chasing a UFO; no doubt from a time when more sightings were rampant after Area 51. However our intrepid ‘collector’ would seem more at home pursuing flitting butterflys across an English meadow; tweed, breeches, satchel ‘n’ all!
Posted in 50's, Motorcycle Poster, Triumph Motorcycle |
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September 28, 2011
Back in the thirties T.E. Lawrence took his Brough along an airstrip and raced a Bristol Bulldog Fighter; here’s Triumph implying their bikes can take on one of ‘them new fangled jets’; Actually an Avro Vulcan Strategic Bomber. Itself hot off-the-presses for the RAF!
Posted in 50's, Motorcycle Poster, Triumph Motorcycle |
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July 30, 2011
Here’s Joe Brown, hard mountain man of the 50’s and 60’s, riding what looks like a Speed Twin up Snowdon in North Wales. Well it’s one way to get to the craggy Cloggy over on the north side!
Posted in 50's, Triumph Motorcycle |
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