FEATURE
E
xactly 60 years ago on
September 6, 1956,
American rider Johnny
Allen set a new two-wheeled
World Land Speed Record at
214.17 mph/345.188 kmh on
the Bonneville Salt Flats. He
was riding the so-called Texas
Ceegar streamliner built in Dallas
by Stormy Mangham, out of a
discarded F-4 Phantom fighter
aircraft fuel tank, and powered
by an unsupercharged 650cc
Triumph Thunderbird twin-
cylinder motor tuned by fellow
Texan, Jack Wilson.
Two years later, the Triumph
Bonneville street bike was
launched by the British
manufacturer in recognition of
that achievement, and this has,
of course, since become the
most iconic model produced
by any European manufacturer,
ever since production began
back in 1959.
Now, six decades later, British
P92
TRIUMPH INFOR ROCKET STREAMLINER
S H O O T I N G F
Guy Martin and Triumph are aiming to
next month. Have they got a
BY ALAN CATHCART
PHOTOGRAPHY BY PHIL HAWKINS
