03-28-2015, 06:52 AM
(03-28-2015, 06:38 AM)JustPassinThru_imp Wrote: Triumph was desperate.
At the time, Triumph had been part of the new British Leyland conglomerate - a collection of unprofitable vehicle manufacturers merged together at the behest of the ruling Labour Party government. With untenable costs; and nationalized by 1975.
Morale was in the dumper. Quality control was an alien concept at any of the BL plants. While Honda and other Japanese companies were setting new heights of manufacturing quality.
MAYBE Triumph had a superior design. I had never looked closely at one. They certainly had the tradition.
It wasn't enough. The Honda was, hands down, the superior product. And the memory of Triumph in its nadir, still stays - I wouldn't trust a Bonneville, even though, by style and design, it appeals to me.
JustPassin, I didn't realize they were under the British Leyland umbrella at the time. That explains a lot. It's sad really, I liked British vehicles back in the day -- I lived the first 8 years of my life in England as an Air Force brat -- and loved many of their cars. It's just too bad they didn't invest anything to compete with modern products.