Triumph Mayflower

Infobox Automobile


name = Triumph Mayflower
production = 1949–1953. 35,000 madecite book |last=Sedgwick |first=M. |authorlink= |coauthors= Gillies.M|title=A-Z of Cars 1945-1970|year=1986 |publisher=Bay View Books |location=Devon, UK |id=ISBN 1-870979-39-7]
manufacturer = Triumph Motor Company
body_style = 2 door saloon, drophead coupé, pick-up.
successor = Triumph Herald
predecessor =
engine = 1247 cc Straight-4 side valve
transmission = 3 speed manual
wheelbase = 84 inches (2134 mm)cite book |last=Culshaw |first= |authorlink= |coauthors=Horrobin |title=Complete Catalogue of British Cars |year=1974 |publisher=Macmillan |location=London |id=ISBN 0-333-16689-2]
length = convert|156|in|mm|abbr=on
width = convert|62|in|mm|abbr=on
height = convert|60|in|mm|abbr=on

The Triumph Mayflower was a small car from Britain's Triumph Motor Company and was produced from 1949 to 1953.

The car was the first small car to be built by Triumph under their new owners the Standard Motor Company and used a version of the pre-war Standard 10 side valve engine updated by having an aluminium cylinder head and single Solex carburettor. The engine developed convert|38|bhp|abbr=on at 4200 rpm. The 3 speed gearbox, with column shift, came from the Standard Vanguard and had synchromesh on all the forward ratios. There was independent suspension at the front using coil springs but a solid back axle and half elliptic leaf springs, also based on the one used on the Vanguard, was at the rear. The front suspension design went on to be used on the Triumph TR2. Lockheed hydraulic brakes were fitted.

A car tested by the British magazine The Motor in 1950 had a top speed of convert|62.9|mph|km/h|abbr=on and could accelerate from 0-convert|50|mph|km/h|abbr=on in 26.6 seconds. A fuel consumption of convert|28.3|mpgimp|L/100 km mpgus was recorded. The test car cost £505 including taxes. cite journal | authorlink = Unsigned |title = The Triumph Mayflower| journal =The Motor| volume = | pages = | date = December 6 1950]

The Mayflower had traditional "razor edge" styling similar to its larger brother, the Triumph Renown and apeing the looks of the upmarket Bentley and Rolls-Royce cars. It was hoped this would be specially appealing to the American market. The car was of unitary construction with steel body panels and was built by Fischer and Ludlow at Castle Bromwich, Birmingham to a design by Leslie Moore, Chief Body Designer of Mulliners of Birmingham with input from Triumph's Walter Belgrove..

As well as the saloons, approximately ten drophead coupés were made as well as 150 pick-up versions in Australia.

In one of his columns, James May called it the ugliest car of all time.

Die-Cast Models

* Mikansue modelled the Mayflower in the 1980s (?)
* Lansdowne modelled the Mayflower in the 2000s.
* Oxford Diecast produced a 00 scale model in 2008.

References

External links

* [http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~nicouls/mayweb2.htm#x Triumph Mayflower pages]