Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/126261
Triumph Motorcycle America president Brenda Price, Sales Vice President Tom Cates, and the '77 BonneviRe. " Trium ph people do . stick together," •• Triumph just ~ight, alter all By Charles Clayton ANA HEIM , CA , MAY 6 . Every Tuesday night 100 mil lio n Americans gather before the TV scree n to watch a biker cha ra cter named "T he Fonz." It is no accident that the st ar of A merica 's number o ne T V ' program struts a ro und o n a Triumph m ot o rcycle. If eve r a two-whe eler ca ptu re d the spi ri t of those " Happy Da ys" it was the cle a n -cut ve rti ca l t win fro m Meriden . England. Meanwh ile . the br and t ha t, should be be nefiting fro m all t hat free TV exposu re h ad fallen on unhap py days . Labor , management, and fina lly pol it ical prob lems nearly scrap ped the m a nufacture of Triumph motorcycles. Bu t no w t he worst is past , a nd future supp lies of Me ride n Triumphs seem assured . - I rea ch that co ncl usion after visiting · the new Tr iumph d istr ibut o r . operation a nd mee ting the bo ss-lad y. Brenda Pri ce . President of Triu m ph Mo to rcycle Am erica , Inc . Ch armin g , pretty, with some resembla n ce to the Queen . Brend a is m arried , but uses her m aiden name in her ca reer. Sh e had been a Triu mph Engi nee ring acco u nta nt since th e d a ys of Ed ward ' T u rner, who re t ire d in 1964 . Brenda was hired by th e Me rid en wo rker s to come , to th e U. S. a nd set up the ad m ini st r at io n of th eir American sales. " We Triumph peopl e d o stic k together," Bren d a says, re calling th e siru gg le . to keep th e br and from follo wing BSA , Ma tchl ess, etc. u po n the scra p heap of Bri tish in d ust ry. T om Cates, V. P . in cha rge of sal es. affi rms that they sti ll have 500 lo ya l Am erican Trium p h dealers , a n d they intend to se ll a bo u t 6 ,50 0 -7 ,00 0 Bonn ev ille s here th is ye ar. T hat 's about o ne T riu m ph a mont h per deal er on the average .. . m odest by Tokyo sta nd a rds . " Bu t righ t now we a re givi ng p arts priorit y." T o m adds. Pa rt s stocki ng , on a sing le m odel th at doesn't cha nge very much . will be centere d in A na hei m, N ew J er sey, a nd a new wareh ou se in Chicago . Fine a nd dandy. But we've heard promises from T ri u mph dis t ri b uto rs before . W hy sho u ld part s su d de n ly becom e ava ilable now? " Beca use we have d ir ect backing fr om the fa ctory." Brenda Price explai ns to the ske ptica l reporter. Before. o rders had to go' through m id dl em en . " Now th ere is a direct lin e to the fact ory ." W hat do you thi nk brought o n th e trou bles of th e Br itish m ot orcycle industry? we ask ed . "High-powered exe cutive s , " th e lad y e xec u t ive promptly replied . Sh e is not high po wered . doesn 't ride bik es, never has , p robab ly d oe sn 't eve n want t o . AJthou gh m anagem ent is her ca lling , Brenda is a worker . not unlike the 150 (Cont inued on pag e 48) We have over 400 parts and accessories that make doing-ft-yourselfeasy. ' Riders: You 'll find our skin' packed line convenientl y displayed at over 8000 dealers across the country . ~ You belong on yo ur motorcycl e. Not bump ing a round in parts stores . Tha t's wh y we ha ve over ~oo parts a nd accessories th at mak e repair-work easy. We package th em a nd label them clearl y so you ca n find what you need in a snap. And if it's a job you can do yourself, you can be s ure we ma ke .the part. Beck/ Arnley. If you look for our name; you won 't have to look very hard at all. ,r:::~ ~~Ee;t#~y~ Dealers: Coritact your nearest Beck!Arnley Distributor Now 'BECK/ARNLEYCORP.' 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