Siegfried Bettmann

Infobox Celebrity
name = Siegfried Bettmann


caption =
birth_date = 1863
birth_place = Nuremberg Germany
death_date = 1951
death_place =
nationality =Orignally German became British national
residence = Coventry England U.K.
occupation = Motorcycle and car manufacturer
salary =
networth =
spouse = Annie Meyrick
website =
footnotes =
children =

Siegfried Bettmann was a bicycle, motorcycle and car manufacturer and founder of the Triumph Motorcycle Company. In 1914 he established the Annie Bettmann Foundation to help young people start up in business Triumph became one of the most famous motorcycle marques in the world and and Bettmann retained links with the company until his death in 1952. [cite web|url=http://www.youricons.macrojuice.com/content/view/233/132/|title=Triumph over adversity|accessdate=2008-10-05]

Early life

Born in 1863 in Nuremberg Germany Siegfried Bettmann arrived in England in 1885cite web|url=http://www.triumph.co.uk/australia/1531.aspx|title=About Triumph|accessdate=2008-10-05] aged 20 and settled in Coventry. He found work with Kelly & Co. compiling foreign directories for their publications. After six months, he moved to a job with the White Sewing Machine Co. as a translator and worked as the company's sales representative in northern Europe.cite web|url=http://www.sorenwinslow.com/Triumph.asp|title=125 Years of Triumph Motorcycle History |accessdate=2008-10-05] Fluent in several languages he perfected his English, married a local woman, Annie Meyrick (known as Millie) and became a British national.cite web|url=http://www.hellfire-corner.demon.co.uk/terryreeves.htm|title=Triumph and Gloria|accessdate=2008-10-05]

Business

With his friend, engineer Moritz (Maurice) Schulte (also from Germany) he founded Bettmann & Co and started selling bicycles under the name 'Triumph' from premises in London. In 1886, Bettmann sought a more universal name, and the company became known as the Triumph Cycle Company. A year later, the company registered as the New Triumph Co. Ltd., with financial backing from the Dunlop Pneumatic Tyre Company. In that year, Bettmann was joined by another Nuremberg native, Moritz Schulte. Schulte encouraged Bettmann to transform Triumph into a manufacturing company, and in 1888 Bettmann purchased a site in Coventry using money lent by his and Schulte's families. The company began producing the first Triumph-branded bicycles in 1889. In 1896, Triumph opened a subsidiary, Orial TWN (Triumph Werke Nuremberg) a German subsidiary for cycle production in his native city.

In 1902 the company diversified into making motorcycles at their works in Much Park Street.cite web|url=http://www.scripophily.net/trcycoen18.html|title=Triumph Cycle Company |accessdate=2008-10-05] In 1902 the first Triumph motorcycle was developed. It was a strengthened bicycle with a 2.25bhp Minerva engine. Once the business grew the bought-in engines were replaced with their own and in 1907 the company expanded into a new factory in Priory Street taking over the premises of a former mill.On the outbreak of World War 1 the War Office called a meeting of Coventry industrialists at St Mary's Hall and asked them to put their resources at the disposal of the military and two weeks after Britain had declared war on Germany, Bettmann received a phone call from Capt. C. V. Holdsworth of the Army Service Corps, (who later became Triumph's Managing Director) with an order for a hundred Triumph motorcycles for the BEF who were shortly to go to France. Despite being a Saturday afternoon, Bettmann and his staff worked non-stop to crate the required motorcycles and by Sunday evening they were delivered to Coventry railway station in time for the evening train. The British Army subsequently placed large orders for the Triumph 550 cc Model H and by 1918 they were Britain's largest motorcycle manufacturer.In 1921 Bettmann further diversified into car production and bought the Dawson Car Company to produce the Triumph 10/20.In 1927 he developed the Triumph Super 7 which sold well until 1934. In 1930 the company changed its name to the Triumph Motor Company and produced the Triumoh Southern Cross and Gloria ranges. In 1936 the company had financial problems however and in 1936 the Triumph bicycle and motorcycle businesses were both sold. The motorcycle business was bought by Jack Sangster of Ariel Motorcycles to become Triumph Engineering Co. Ltd.

Later life

Seigfried Bettmann’s success enabled him to become President of the Coventry Liberal Association. A Freemason and founder member of Coventry’s Chamber of Commerce, he was also a Justice of the Peace and in 1913 became Mayor of Coventry, the first non-British subject to hold the position.

His German origins led to him being removed from this position on the outbreak of the First World War.

In 1914 Seigfried Bettmann founded the Annie Bettmann Foundation with his wife to help young Coventry men and women between the ages of eighteen and forty who wished to start up in business. Preference was given to ex-servicemen and the fund, which is still in existence, was subsequently extended to include grants for further education.

The Triumph Motorcycle Company became one of the most famous motorcycle marques in the world and and Bettmann retained links with the company until his death in 1952. [cite web|url=http://www.youricons.macrojuice.com/content/view/233/132/|title=Triumph over adversity|accessdate=2008-10-05]

ee also

* Triumph Motorcycles
* Triumph Motor Company
* Standard Motor Company
* [http://www.hellfire-corner.demon.co.uk/terryreeves.htm A German Industrialist and a Coventry War Memorial]

References