Triumph Cars in America

Book excerpt: As with most postwar British sports cars, a large portion of the Triumphs produced in the 1950s and 1960s were exported to the United States. As a result, the demands of U.S. customers essentially defined what a Triumph sports car would be. This automotive history tells the colorful tale of Triumph's successes in the United States, how the marque was established, its dealer network, promotional and marketing efforts, racing ventures that starred legendary drivers like Stirling Moss and Bob Tulius, profiles of U.S.-exclusive models, and, finally, Triumph's sad defeat under the umbrella of British Leyland. A huge collection of black-and-white photography, much of it archival and not seen in print for decades, imparts a sense of this British marque's jolly good run in the United States.