Triumph 1896 - 1914

Siegfried Bettmann (1863-1951) founds the ÔDeutsche Triumph Fahrradwerke AktiengesellschaftÕ in his native city of Nuremberg.
The company is a subsidiary plant of ÔTriumph Cycle CompanyÕ in Coventry. As a manufacturer of motorbikes and cars, Triumph is an iconic name among English motoring brands. Bettmann becomes a British citizen and in 1913 is elected Mayor of Coventry. The Triumph factory is destroyed during the devastating Luftwaffe air raid on Coventry in 1940. A memorial to Bettmann today exists in the city where his factory once stood.

The Triumph team proudly introduce themselves.
Work frequently goes on from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Around 100 bicycles are manufactured every day. In order to boost sales, there is a velodrome on the site of the factory. Young and old can come to learn how to cycle. Depending on the design, each bicycle costs between 300 and 500 marks Ð for some employees this is several monthsÕ wages.

The first Triumph motorbike comes onto the market Ð a four-stroke engineÐdriven (2 or 2 & hp) bicycle with a reinforced frame.
The requirements for a roll-out of mass production have not yet been met. Thus, the Triumph factory gives up motorbike manufacturing for the time being in 1907 and concentrates on the expanding bicycle business. Annual production soon reaches 20,000 units.

Triumph buys the assets of a Nuremberg typewriter factory in liquidation and successfully launches the improved ÔNoricaÕ model.
Shortly thereafter the all-new ÔTriumph 1Õ model emerges Ð an office typewriter using state-of-the art technology. In 1911, the company changes its name to ÔTriumph Werke NŸrnberg AGÕ.

Triumph typewriters have become synonymous with quality throughout Germany and beyond. 2,000 typewriters of various models leave the factory that year, most of which are exported to Russia, Italy and Argentina. In 1913, Triumph separates from its English parent company In 1914, the First World War breaks out, stopping the upwards trend in the office market.