Walneck's Classic Cycle Trader - September 2008 - (Page 92)

SPECIAL FEATURE STORIES DEATH OF A LEGEND Death of a Legend: An Eyewitness to the End of the Triumph Cooperative By Mike Brown “ I t was a foggy night with the moon coming through the mist, right out of a Sherlock Holmes movie,” Mark Appleton recalled of his 1983 visit to the Triumph factory in Meriden just before it collapsed under debt. “It was late at night but there were still all these people in the factory. I wanted to get a tour.” Mark, current owner of British Cycle Supply and then a Triumph franchisee, traveled to England on a mission of both personal and business interest. He’d done everything he could to keep the company going on his side of the pond as a dealer, a mission he still takes personal pride in, but he’d heard too many rumors that the company was on the brink of ruin. Long distance questions to Triumph yielded no concrete information, so on-site inspection was in order. As he told one customer recently, “Never trust anything you hear and only half of what you see.” Mark decided to get his 50 percent’s worth in person. When he reached the Meriden gate Mark said a guard calling himself Taffy greeted him. “I think he may have had a couple of pints in him,” Mark continued, adding that while friendly, the guard didn’t admit him that evening, even though Mark identified himself as a Canadian Triumph dealer. Mark left that night with only Taffy’s promise to do what he could the following day. Fortunately, Taffy’s word was good and Mark gained entrance to Meriden in the morning. “All you could hear in the building was compressed air leaking and birds flying around,” Mark said of his initial impression. Some called Meriden the “Ghost Factory” because so much of the huge plant was no longer being used. Mark had been ready for a lot of open space, but not the kind of opening he found. “Workers had knocked a bulldozersized hole into the side of the building,” Mark said. “If the building was declared decrepit, they did not have to pay such high taxes on it.” Mark explained that the plant, although in Meriden, was taxed at Coventry rates, much higher and beyond the current meager financial capacity of the struggling cooperative. Self-destruction as a tax dodge seemed a bit desperate, but there was worse to come. 92 SEPTEMBER 2008 I WALNECK’S CLASSIC CYCLE TRADER® I WALNECKS.COM http://WALNECKS.COM

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Walneck's Classic Cycle Trader - September 2008 Contents American The Buzz w/Buzz Walneck Motorcycle Tips w/Mike Brown Wood It Run? Riding the Jack Pine Run S&S 50th Anniversary Bench Racing w/Mark Zimmerman Parts, Accessories, Want Ads Davenport Show Guide British Biker of the Month Triumph Factory Rhinebeck Review European Japanese Competition Road Test: 1965 Velocette 500 Scrambler Road Test: 1967 Harley Davidson Sprint CR-TT Motorbikes & Scooters Memorabilia Antique Cycle Clubs How to Place a Word Ad How to Place a Photo Ad Area Code Directory How to Subscribe Let Us Help You With Your Event

Walneck's Classic Cycle Trader - September 2008

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