Are Triumph Motorcycles Still Made in England?
Does the typical BMW driver know or care that their car could have been built in any number of countries including Mexico, China, South Africa and America? How about the all American Ford with its 65 plants worldwide, is anyone shocked to learn only 8 of them are in America? Heritage is a huge part of the Triumph brand and while some may worry that will be lost as the company grows and expands, it’s not at all surprising that Triumph will no longer be mass producing bikes in England.
Should it Matter Where Your Triumph is Built?
Successful British businessman John Bloor purchased the rights to the Triumph brand in 1983. It wasn’t until 1993 that he opened the headquarters at Hinckley where the new Triumph’s were originally built. Bloor had the foresight to open Thailand plants in readiness to be able to compete on the world market and in 2002 the first plant opened to manufacture Triumph parts. In 2006 a second plant opened with a production line and paint shop, and for the first time ever Bonneville’s were built outside England. In 2007 a third plant opened and included machining and casting facilities.
Bloor’s original idea was to have parts made in Thailand and then shipped to the production line in Hinckley. Thailand has become the mecca for motorcycle manufacturing in Southeast Asia thanks to its strategic location and corporate tax breaks. There are at least 12 factories in the country which includes plants owned by Ducati, BMW and Harley Davidson. The decision of what to build where comes partly from logistics- if the majority of the market is Europe or US based, it makes more sense to manufacture in the UK, if the volume is elsewhere, it might make more sense to build it in Thailand.
Every single vehicle manufacturer is buying components from all over the world. If a motorcycle manufacturer said I’m going to source and manufacture 100% from my home country, they’d never compete. The difference between what Triumph is doing in Thailand is that instead of saying they’ll buy crankcases or engines from someone in China, they’ve acknowledged that they need to have a lower cost manufacturing process, and they’re doing it with their own people, keeping control of the engineering and quality.
Are Any Triumphs Still Made at Hinckley?
The majority of Triumph’s mass-production bikes are already made in its Thai factories. In fact, apart from the high-end Triumph Factory Custom (TFC) models, only the Speed Triple and Tiger 1200 motorbikes were still made there. Since 2002, Triumph has steadily been shifting mass production to its three factories outside of Bangkok, Thailand. Thus, we’re looking at the last Speed Triple and Tiger 1200 models to be produced in the UK.
There will still be manufacturing capability in the UK, but the role of the facility in Hinckley will be reconfigured to enable Triumph to create a more flexible and high-value capability. Triumph will continue to invest in research and development of new models, and will produce around 4,500 bikes a year, including prototypes and other more specialized projects as the need arises in the UK.
As far as Triumph is concerned, Triumph Manufacturing is Triumph Manufacturing, whether it’s UK or Thailand based, it’s all one company. The differentiating part of a motorcycle business is in the engineering, if you're in control of the engineering and the design, and you’re working with someone you trust in terms of producing, then why not take advantage of growth and opportunity elsewhere.
At the end of the day it’s up to the buyer whether or not to purchase a product based on its origin. As far as we’re concerned, Triumph is a British company, one with a solid and reputable history, where the motorcycles are actually made doesn’t change that. Ready to ride one of these British icons? Schedule a test ride today!