Classic Triumph with a new logo. Back to the past

Triumph is the quintessence and icon of Britishness, but it was founded by… Germans, and in the 19th century. Siegfrid Bettman, who moved from Nuremberg to England, was already running a bicycle factory in 1880. The entrepreneur "hooked up” with another German – engineer, designer Maurice Schulte. It was then that the factory in Coventry earned the name it uses to this day. The company was called Triumph, as it is a very international word, and one that has extremely positive connotations.

What is more interesting, in parallel with the factory in Coventry, almost identical Triumph motorcycles were also manufactured in Germany. However, the period of cooperation ended with the significant deterioration of international relations, which was crowned by World War I. German Triumphs from that time are now a great rarity, and can be distinguished from British ones by a slightly different logo. In the case of the Germans, the tail of the letter "T" runs upwards, above the inscription, while in the case of the English it runs downwards. The British Triumph continues to this day and is doing well, while the German one was forgotten long ago.

Over the course of a century, not only motorcycles have evolved, but also the company's logo. There's nothing surprising about that - progress, and consequently the tastes of customers, are constantly moving forward. Over the course of the company's more than 120-year history, the Triumph logo has changed several times, and the current one (the one in the triangle) appeared in 2013. However, the most famous one (with the characteristic font and the tail of the letter "R" at the bottom) first appeared in 1934 and has remained to this day. We can see it on, among others, the Modern Classic series tanks. Now that will change.

For the 2025 season, Triumph has prepared a nice surprise for classic enthusiasts and presented the "Icon Edition” collection, in which an even older logo has been restored – the one from the years 1907-14. This marking, not seen on motorcycle tanks for over 100 years, will be marked only seven iconic motorcycles from the Modern Classic series, combining the brand's heritage with classic style and great performance. The honorable logo will be marked on machines from the series: Bonneville T100, T120, Scrambler 900, 1200X, 1200XE, as well as Bobber and Speedmaster.

Triumph are confident of the success of the new (albeit very old) design. Sales Director Paul Stroud said: "Triumphs in the Modern Classic range have an enduring reputation for original style, high quality build quality, premium finish and modern performance. It is this authenticity combined with the heritage and passion embodied in the 1907 logo that will appeal to both young and old riders. With striking new paint schemes, personalised graphics and custom logos, the Icon Editions perfectly combine heritage, style and contemporary potential, making them ideal for riders looking for a classic yet still enjoying contemporary performance…”

I don't know about you, but our editorial team is impressed by the new style of the Modern Classic series.