Six-figure Triumph
To many enthusiasts, the name of the Triumph Thunderbird will always be associated along with that of Marlon Brando and his character Johnny Strabler in the 1953 film The Wild One. Based on Frank Rooney’s book ‘The Cyclist Raid’ which covered the sensational media coverage of the AMA’s rally that got out of hand on July 4, 1947 in Hollister, California, the movie did little to enhance the image of motorcycling to the masses. In fact, the Board of Censors considered it to be unsuitable for British cinemagoers and it was 15 years after it was made before it was eventually given an X certificate, with the first public viewing at the 59 Club in Paddington in 1968.
Brando’s bike was his own slightly customised 1950 Thunderbird, but if you happen to see his life-size image in Madame Tussauds waxworks, you will see he is stood next to a later 1957 model, a similar bike that we have lined up for this month’s road test. This T-bird belongs to Dorset enthusiast Ron Axon –
