Triumph launched the 6T Thunderbird, their first post-war 650cc motorcycle, in the autumn of 1949. And what a motorbike! I photographed this 1951 model on the stand of the National Motorcycle Museum at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. I was looking to get photographs of SMITHS branded gauges on classic cars and motorcycles for my client Caerbont Automotive Instruments (CAI). The Triumph 6T Thunderbird motorcycle is a special classic, named by Triumph boss Edward Turner after the Native American mythical eagle-like Thunderbird, which was believed to unleash thunder, lightning and rain. The photographs have subsequently been used in a blog for CAI – SMITHS Speedometer Measures Speed of Triumph 6T Thunderbird Motorcycle – and widely on social media.
Related galleries: Photographs of classic cars and motorcycles. To discuss a photography assignment, please contact Paul on paul@paulfearsphoto.co.uk
