c1939 Triumph T100 500cc (incomplete project)

Description

With the sales success of the Triumph Speed Twin, Edward Turner's mind turned to further developing the potential of his new parallel twin motor. With this came the introduction of the lighter and more powerful new Tiger 100 (T100) for 1939, developed as a sports enthusiasts machine, where as with previous models the '100' referred to its claimed maximum speed. Technical changes over the Speed Twin included forged alloy pistons, an early use of this technology. Secondly, the cylinders were forged in a single casting and held in place by eight studs, instead of the Speed Twin's six. Thirdly, the Tiger 100 used a single Amal carburettor, made possible due to the 360-degree firing interval of the two cylinders. Finished in silver and costing 5 Pounds more, new features included a larger fuel tank and detachable silencers also. In March 1939, Triumph came up with an unorthodox 'launch' of the new Tiger 100. Using a Tiger 100 and a Speed Twin straight from dealers showrooms, endurance was tested with a run of over 1800 miles then to the Brooklands circuit for six hours of continuous high-speed laps, where riders Ivan Wicksteed and David Whitworth averaged 78.5miles per hour (126.3km/h) with a final lap of 88.5miles per hour (142.4km/h), winning Triumph the Maudes Trophy. The Tiger 100's sporting pretensions were later further proven through Freddie Clarke's 1939 lap record at Brooklands of 118.02miles per hour (189.93km/h) on a bored-out 503cc Tiger 100.
The Triumph works was destroyed by German bombers on the night of the 14th November 1940 - along with much of the city of Coventry bringing production of the Tiger 100 to an end until after the war. When Triumph recovered and began production again at Meriden, the Tiger 100 re-appeared with the new telescopic fork.