Triumph may be gone, but it’s never going out of style

Why did Triumph stop making cars when they were so iconic?

In today’s world, cars are built with safety and comfort at the forefront.

And now with the 2030 ban on new petrol vehicles approaching, manufacturers are rushing to electrify their lineups. 

But even with all the innovation and progress that’s been made in the last few decades, modern car design now lacks a certain panache that was abundant in the past.

The Triumph brand had said panache in spades, creating what were arguably some of the most beautiful cars of the 20th century.

So, what is it about Triumph cars that elevates them to classic status?

Maybe it's the sporty vibe that still makes them, after all this time, undeniably cool. Maybe it's the retro dashboards refreshingly free of infotainment screens, wireless charging ports, and the endless array of digital displays that dominate modern interiors.

Or just maybe it's the fact that despite not being a petrolhead in any way, shape or form, this writer would immediately go out and buy a fully restored Triumph GT6 Mark III in magenta if she won the lottery tomorrow.

No regrets: We all have an improbable dream.

But why don't we see these iconic Triumphs on our roads anymore?

And why has car design changed so dramatically in the last few decades?

Let's dive in.

Turbulent origins

Now viewed as one of the formative classic carmakers in the UK, Triumph’s origins were significantly humbler than you might expect.

Founded in 1885 as a bicycle company, Triumph didn’t even make its first car until 1923. Obviously, the company saw an exciting future in cars because they became the Triumph Motor Company in 1930, and took their first step onto the automotive stage.

But it wasn’t smooth sailing.

The company changed hands and went through several iterations leading up to and during the disruptive years of the Second World War, with its main site bombed out.

By 1944, Triumph was almost defunct – until the Standard Motor Company stepped in and snapped it up, breathing new life into a brand that would go on to take the UK by storm.

Triumph in the 20th century 

When Standard took over, they took Triumph in a completely new direction.

The pre-war models weren’t revived, and production moved to Candley, Coventry. In 1946, the new and improved Triumph released its first new model, the Triumph Roadster.

Intended to challenge Jaguar, the Roadster was a remarkable car in many respects. A steel shortage caused by the war meant that the usual materials weren’t available for production and the Roadster’s body was mainly aluminium.

But it’s the Roadster’s unique peculiarities that make it so loveable.

64-inches wide, it boasted three-abreast seating and required three successive windscreen wipers to keep the view clear on rainy days. The Roadster also came with a dickey seat that had its own folding windscreen and a step on the rear bumper to make access easier.

Funky, right? And not something you’re likely to see on anything other than a true antique – the Triumph Roadster was the last British model to be built with this special feature.

The Roadster was followed by the Renown, a large saloon car that resembled the prestigious Bentley saloons of the time. Like the Roadster, its principal panels were constructed from aluminium.

As of 2016, it was estimated that at least 250 Renown models still existed worldwide.

Shortly following the Renown was the Triumph Mayflower, a four-seat, small luxury car that was manufactured between 1949 and 1952. A relatively short run when considering the longevity of other classic makes and models (the Ford Fiesta springs to mind).

Sadly, sales of the Mayflower – and the Renown and Roadster before it – simply failed to meet expectations.

Competition was fierce and it’s possible that these three early models didn’t find a market quite ready to appreciate them.

So, in the early 1950s, Standard decided to switch things up.

And the result was an absolute game-changer for Triumph.

A sporty niche – our favourite Triumph models

Triumph found its niche with a range of sports cars that took the UK by storm in the ‘50s, ‘60s and ‘70s.

Why? Possibly because they had renowned Italian sports car designer Giovanni Michelotti at the helm. You may not know his name, but you would undoubtedly recognise his work.

His designs were prolific across the automotive industry, and his style was timeless. He was notable for contributing not just to Triumph, but also to top luxury carmaker Ferrari.

Michelotti was personally responsible for designing many of the most beautiful cars we’ve ever seen on our roads across multiple brands.

So, his hand in Triumph’s sports car success is undeniable.

Under Michelotti’s reign, we were blessed with such models as the Triumph Herald, Triumph Spitfire and Triumph Stag, to name a few.

But the GT6 and the Spitfire are our absolute favourites of all Michelotti’s designs for Triumph.

It’s telling that over 60 years after its first iteration appeared on our roads, the Triumph Spitfire still consistently appears in lists of the best British cars ever made.

Relatively inexpensive, comfortable and effortlessly stylish, the Spitfire continued to fly out of the showroom for almost twenty years. By the end of production in 1980, over 314,000 Spitfires had been produced.

In America especially, these cars became symbols of British cool during the Swinging Sixties and 1970s, with graduates snapping them up as affordable alternatives to gas-guzzling Corvettes and Mustangs.

The most valuable iterations as of today are the odd numbers: the Spitfire MK1, the MK3 and the 1500.

The very best MK1's can reach a value of almost £25,000 – not a bad investment on a decades-old sports car.

The GT6 was born from the Spitfire, added as a coupe that took on a life of its own. With three different iterations (the Mark I, Mark II and Mark III), it's one of the most distinctive models Michelotti produced for Triumph.

With a sleek fastback design, the GT6 resembled an E-Type, but at a fraction of the cost.

The Mark I and III in particular are very pretty designs, but if we had to pick, it's the Mark III that comes out on top in terms of style.

In top condition, the value of a GT6 today can exceed £30,000 at auction.

We shouldn't forget the TR series either, with the TR6 becoming one of Triumph's greatest international success stories. With its 2.5-litre straight-six producing 150PS, it could hit 62mph in 8.2 seconds; a serious achievement for the late 1960s.

Of the 86,000 produced, 90% were exported worldwide, cementing Triumph's global reputation.

Given how beloved Triumph cars still are among car enthusiasts, it seems bizarre that the marque was retired.

Nevertheless, the brand was officially retired in 1984 by its then owners British Leyland, marking a shift in the industry that prioritised practicality and aerodynamics over fun and flair.

Why has car design changed so much? 

Everything changes with the slow march of time.

For a start, the iconic designers who are responsible for so many classic cars have left the industry, or passed on entirely, leaving a new generation of designers at the wheel.

The production process itself has also changed. 

That hand-crafted look and feel is a thing of the past, with most cars now being mass-produced in factories and built by machines instead of people.

Many of our iconic British carmakers have also become defunct, or been bought out by larger companies. A handful of conglomerates are now responsible for producing most of our cars, so there are bound to be heavy design similarities between certain brands where a chassis is shared.

And even where car makers aren’t using the same chassis and design concepts across multiple brands, the fact remains that style itself is no longer the crucial element of car design.

That wide range of interesting and beautiful body shapes is a thing of the past as contemporary designers focus on making vehicles that are aerodynamic, efficient and robust. This is not necessarily a bad thing; cars are safer now than they have ever been.

Most new cars even boast a five-star Euro NCAP rating.

However, we do miss the variation in colour. Look out at your local high street and the new cars you see will be grey, black, white, blue or red (unless you’re driving a bright little Fiat).

Long gone are the days of a magenta Triumph cruising down the road; the world is a much more monotone place than it used to be. While cars are safer and boasting a range of modern tech that’s not to be sniffed at, a lot of the fun has gone out of the window.

But while car design has evolved with the times, there are still great looking cars out there.

Even if the look is distinctively different than it once was.

If the Triumph marque was still active, no doubt it would have evolved too, to reflect the values that are so important in modern car design. While we can never know exactly what that would look like until the brand is revived, concept cars are an interesting way to explore possibilities for any future designs.

In fact, that’s exactly what’s happened with Makkina’s (a non-public facing design consultancy service) Triumph concept which was released in 2023.

The 21st century concept

We love a concept car as much as the next person, but they can be controversial. It’s always a risk when proposing a new updated version of a much-loved design.

So, what did we think of this theoretical 21st century update to the Triumph marque?

Take a close look at the Triumph TR25 by Makkina and you’ll basically see a silver brick on wheels.

While it’s supposedly influenced by the Triumph Jabbeke TR2, we see none of the flair of that classic in this modern reimagining.

There’s nothing of Michelotti’s formidable influence on Triumph in this monotone brick. In removing everything that made Triumph’s designs remarkable and long-lasting from this 21st century update, Makkina has completely missed the mark.

And, we’d argue, completely missed the point.

Had it been shown in a different colour – mustard yellow, or a deep magenta perhaps – Makkina might have redeemed this design just a little bit.

Blocky, boring, and (let’s face it) just a little bit ugly, this is as far from what we love about Triumph as it’s possible to get. But we’d love to see another Triumph concept car, one that pays a better homage to its rich history.

As it is, we’ll say no thanks to this particular 21st century update.

The TR25 might be uninspired, but the originals are never going to go out of style.

Timeless Triumphs: A legacy that lives on

While the Triumph badge may have disappeared from new cars in 1984, its legacy continues to thrive in the hearts of enthusiasts worldwide.

Recent years have seen several beloved models make triumphant returns to our roads, albeit with modern electric twists. The Ford Capri has been reborn as a sleek coupe-SUV, the Renault 5 brilliantly captures the original's compact charm, and Vauxhall has revived the Frontera name for a practical crossover.

Perhaps one day, Triumph too will join this renaissance of classic car comebacks.

Imagine a modern interpretation of the Spitfire or GT6. One that honours Michelotti's timeless designs while embracing future technology.

Until then, we'll continue to admire these beautiful machines at classic car shows and in private collections – timeless reminders of an era when British automotive design truly ruled the world.

After all, you can retire a brand, but you can't erase its style.

As we've seen, Triumph may be gone, but it's never going out of fashion.