Siegfried Bettmann facts for kids

Siegfried Bettmann (born April 18, 1863 – died September 23, 1951) was a very important person in the history of bicycles, motorcycles, and cars. He started the famous Triumph Motorcycle Company. In 1914, he also created a special fund called the Annie Bettmann Foundation. This fund helped young people get started in business. Triumph grew to be one of the most well-known motorcycle brands around the world. Siegfried Bettmann also served as the Mayor of Coventry in England from 1913 to 1914.

Early Life and Moving to England

Siegfried Bettmann was born in 1863 in a city called Nuremberg in Germany. When he was 22, in 1885, he moved to England and settled in Coventry, Warwickshire.

He first worked for a company called Kelly & Co. He helped them put together lists of businesses from other countries. After six months, he got a new job with the White Sewing Machine Co. There, he worked as a translator and a sales person in northern Europe. Siegfried was very good at languages, and he became fluent in English. He later married a local woman named Annie Meyrick, who was also known as Millie.

Starting the Triumph Company

Siegfried Bettmann started his own company called S. Bettmann & Co. He began by selling bicycles under the name 'Triumph' from his office in London. In 1886, he wanted a more general name for his business. So, the company became known as the Triumph Cycle Company.

Just one year later, the company officially registered as the New Triumph Co. Ltd. They received money to grow from the Dunlop Pneumatic Tyre Company. Around this time, a partner named Johann Moritz Schulte joined Bettmann. Schulte encouraged Bettmann to start making their own products instead of just selling them.

In 1888, Bettmann bought a piece of land in Coventry. He used money borrowed from his and Schulte's families to do this. The company began making its first Triumph-branded bicycles in 1889. Later, in 1896, Triumph started a branch in Germany called Orial TWN. This branch made bicycles in Siegfried's hometown of Nuremberg.

Making Motorcycles and Cars

In 1902, the Triumph company started making motorcycles at their factory in Much Park Street. The very first Triumph motorcycle in 1902 was a bicycle that had been made stronger and fitted with a 2.25 horsepower Minerva engine.

As the business grew, Triumph stopped buying engines from other companies. They started making their own engines instead. In 1907, the company expanded into a new, larger factory in Priory Street. This new factory was built on the site of an old mill.

A Triumph H 1 motorcycle from 1922

When World War I began, military leaders asked businesses in Coventry to help with the war effort. Just two weeks after Britain declared war on Germany, Bettmann received an urgent phone call. The army needed one hundred Triumph motorcycles for the British soldiers who were going to France. Even though it was a Saturday afternoon, Bettmann and his team worked without stopping. By Sunday evening, all the motorcycles were ready and delivered to the Coventry railway station. The British Army then placed many more large orders for the Triumph 550 cc Model H motorcycle. By 1918, Triumph had become Britain's biggest motorcycle maker.

A Triumph Gloria car

In 1921, Bettmann decided to also start making cars. He bought the Dawson Car Company to produce the Triumph 10/20 car. In 1927, he developed the Triumph Super 7, which sold very well until 1934. In 1930, the company changed its name to the Triumph Motor Company. They produced popular car models like the Triumph Southern Cross and Gloria ranges.

However, in 1936, the company faced money problems. Because of this, the Triumph bicycle and motorcycle businesses were both sold. The motorcycle part of the business was bought by Jack Sangster of Ariel Motorcycles. It then became known as Triumph Engineering Co Ltd.

Later Life and Community Work

Siegfried Bettmann's success allowed him to become the President of the Coventry Liberal Association. This was a political group. He was also a Freemason and helped start Coventry's Chamber of Commerce, which supports local businesses. He was a Justice of the Peace, which means he helped with local legal matters. In 1913, he became the Mayor of Coventry. He was the first person who was not born in Britain to hold this important position.

Even though Siegfried Bettmann had become a British citizen, his German background caused some issues when First World War started. Because of this, he was removed from his position as Mayor of Coventry.

In 1914, Siegfried Bettmann and his wife, Annie, started the Annie Bettmann Foundation. This foundation was created to help young people in Coventry, aged between eighteen and forty, who wanted to start their own businesses. The fund especially helped former soldiers. Today, the fund still exists and also provides money for young people to get further education. Bettmann also paid for a memorial to be built in 1921. This memorial, located in Coventry's London Road cemetery, honored the 66 Triumph employees who died fighting in the First World War.

The Triumph Motorcycle Company grew to be one of the most famous motorcycle brands in the world. Siegfried Bettmann remained connected to the company until he passed away. Siegfried Bettmann died on September 23, 1951. In 2015, the Coventry Society placed a special Blue Plaque on his former home to remember him.

See Also

• Triumph Engineering
• Triumph Motor Company
• Standard Motor Company
• Triumph (TWN)
• Triumph Cycle Co. Ltd