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VOLUME 56 ISSUE 43 OCTOBER 29, 2019 P119 in Pasadena. Johnson recalled in a 1951 article for Motorcyclist Maga- zine one humorous incident that happened shortly after he opened the company. "On Sunday I was cleaning up the place, dressed in overalls and alone. Two men whom I imme- diately recognized as prominent in motorcycle circles, walked in. I sensed they did not recognize me, so I went about my job, but couldn't help hearing their conver- sation. The gist of it was that this chap Johnson 'will never make a success of this business' as it's been tried before without success. I gathered that I had the reputation of being most affluent and some- what of a playboy, and this motor- cycle adventure was something of a hobby." Johnson attended races nearly every weekend in the early days in order to promote Triumph. A rider named Bruce "Boo-Boo" Pearson began to achieve success on the racing circuits, but the motor- cycle publications of the era were closely tied to the American-made brands and went out of their way, according to Johnson, to ignore the Pearson's victories. After much persuasion and protest to the mag- azines, Johnson was able to get a bit of recognition for Triumph's early racing successes. Johnson worked tirelessly to promote Triumph and was making strides when World War II broke out and halted production. He kept his business alive by buying used machining equipment and operat- ing a tool and die business that supported America's war effort. When the war came to a close, Johnson moved his business from Los Angeles back to Pasadena and purchased a former luxury au- tomobile dealership showroom for the then princely sum of $85,000. At this point, he dropped his Indian franchise to better concentrate on Triumph. Johnson Motors' new dealership was state-of-the-art in every way, featuring a tall glass façade, polished tile showroom floor, a spacious parts department and six hydraulic lifts in the fully equipped service department. In fact, some thought the gleaming establishment too ostentatious for the motorcycling crowd, but they were proven wrong when the busi- ness flourished during the post- war boom in motorcycling. Johnson Motors (or JoMo as it was commonly referred to) was named Triumph's official U.S. dis- tributor in 1944. Johnson was quick to recognize the advantage of using movie stars to help promote not only Triumph, but also motorcycling in general. A plethora of TV and movie stars, including Robert Taylor, Rita Hay- worth, Robert Stack and Keenan Wynn, agreed to publicity photos for Triumph. Some stars, like Wynn and Lee Marvin, raced Triumphs in amateur events and gladly repaid Johnson's support with free publicity. A young Steve McQueen bought one of his first motorcycles from Johnson, who introduced McQueen to Bud Ekins. McQueen and Ekins became fast friends and later united to help put together an American ISDT team. Mass media proved to be an excellent way to promote the sport and Johnson again was on the leading edge in that regard. John- son Motors sponsored the first-of- its-kind weekly radio program that covered all aspects of motorcy- cling. Johnson's savvy use of the media and Hollywood stars helped create a new aura of "coolness" around motorcycling. Racing greats such as Ed Kretz Sr. and Jr., Jimmy Phillips, Johnny Gibson, Joe Leonard, Sammy Tanner, Bud Ekins, Eddie Mulder and Skip Van Leeuwen, just to name a few, all raced under the Johnson Motors banner. The one race Johnson coveted most was the Daytona 200. Ironically, he died just a few hours before Don Burnett took the checkered flag in Daytona Beach, Florida, giving Triumph its first win in the presti- gious race. Johnson Motors was eventually absorbed into the amalgamated BSA-Triumph headquarters in the 1970s. Johnson was a man of never- ending curiosity. He became a self-taught machinist, was an avid collector of guns and photo- graphic equipment, and despite his degrees, continued his educa- tion later in life via correspondence courses in writing and journalism. Johnson made many friends in the motorcycling industry dur- ing his years in the business. His leadership, acumen, business style and commitment to the sport set new standards. The Japanese motorcycle makers emulated many of his innovative business prac- tices when they came to America. Johnson believed the keynote of success in business was coopera- tion and good will. Johnson died in 1962. He was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 2005. CN Subscribe to nearly 50 years of Cycle News Archive issues: www.CycleNews.com/Archives