Key Takeaways

• The legendary Triumph Thunderbird gained fame in the '50s film The Wild One, starring Marlon Brando, cementing its iconic status.
• The Thunderbird 6T, with a torquey 650cc engine, was a huge success in the States, helping Triumph pay off post-war debts.
• The Thunderbird's origins trace back to Edward Turner, who found inspiration for the name while staying at the Thunderbird Motel in South Carolina.

There's no shortage of Hollywood's biggest and best movies having a tryst with motorcycles in some way. One apparent reference that comes up more often than not when this topic is brought up is that of a certain Harley-Davidson starring in the blockbuster Terminator 2. That, however, was in the '90s. This piece focuses more on the legendary Triumph Thunderbird and how it rocketed to fame thanks in no small part to a cultural icon's film in the '50s.

UPDATE: 2024/03/28 22:33 EST BY RAUNAK AJINKYA

The Triumph Thunderbird 6T was an iconic machine by the British manufacturer. It rose to serious prominence thanks to some help from the '50s hit movie The Wild One. Given its popularity, we have updated this list to include a few more legendary film and motorcycle highlights.

The film in question is, of course, 'The Wild One', a big reason for the Thunderbird nameplate becoming as famed as it has. And this was no cameo in the movie, either; The Wild One saw Marlon Brando portray a gang leader and a rebellious motorcycle rider with the Triumph Thunderbird 6T playing a faithful ally. But there's so much more to the two stories, so without further delay...

All the information in this piece has been sourced from reliable portals across the internet.

The Wild One, Marlon Brando, And The Triumph Thunderbird

The Wild One was a 1953 American crime film directed by Lazlo Benedek. It is considered the original outlaw biker film and the first to examine American outlaw motorcycle gang violence. The film's screenplay was based on Frank Rooney's short story "The Cyclists' Raid." The movie saw Marlon Brando as the lead playing Johnny Strabler. The charade later became a cultural icon of the 1950s. Other prominent roles were led by Lee Marvin, Mary Murphy, and Robert Keith.

In the movie, Marlon Brando and his motorcycle gang roll into Carbonville (a small town in California) for a biker competition, creating enough trouble to get kicked out of town. They move to Wrightsville (a nearby town) and continue their acts of rebellious motives and criminal behavior.

The local sheriff, played by Robert Keith, is helpless to stop them, but when a rival gang arrives, he manages to arrest their leader, Chino, played by Lee Marvin. Meanwhile, Johnny finds himself attracted to the sheriff's daughter, Mary Murphy, as Kathie decides to stick around.

The bike on which Brando carried out the action-packed sequences was his very own Triumph Thunderbird 6T. The movie sparked a lot of controversies and was banned in the UK for fourteen years. Even Triumph Importers back at the time objected to the producers exhibiting their motorcycles as part of rowdy motorcycle gangs.

The Iconic Triumph Thunderbird 6T

Edward Turner, then director of Triumph, considered a 650cc engine to meet the stateside demand for more power from the Speed Twin 500cc motors. Dubbed the Thunderbird or T-bird, the proposition was a huge success across the States and helped pay off the massive debts the UK had incurred during the Second World War.

The torquey 650cc four-stroke parallel-twin pumped 34 horsepower and was mated to a 4-speed unit. The 4-speed unit in the T-bird was supposed to be much improved over the T100 but exhibited the same leisurely gear changes and an appreciably heavier clutch. Many users claimed the T-bird was regarded as the best bike in the market for covering distances in comfort with a reasonable economy and pretty good average speeds. That said, the bike came with a few niggles too.

For starters, the 6T Thunderbird was launched publicly at Montlhery Autodrome near Paris, where three standard-production bikes were ridden by a team of riders who, between them, supposedly averaged a speed of 92 mph. Not long before, many customers started to see that their T-bird couldn’t sustain more than 80 mph and quickly realized the claim was a publicity stunt and, more so, a con.

That said, a few mods would resolve the issue, like what Brando did to his bike. Modifications like two new taps and attendant connector piping to the carburetor were enough for an indicated 100 mph, which realistically would be a genuine 90. Despite all its flaws, with its evocative name, the Triumph Thunderbird 6T was very much loved by both sidecar riders and veteran enthusiasts.

1950-1953 Triumph Thunderbird 6T Specs

(Specs sourced from Motorcycle Specs)

The Thunderbird Origins

If you ever wondered where the Thunderbird name came from, it's quite a noteworthy story. The credit for the name goes to motorcycle designer Edward Turner, who, after designing the 650cc motorcycle, came up with the name while on a tour of the States.

He'd been staying at the Thunderbird Motel in South Carolina during his visit, and that's where it all began. After its launch in 1949, the Thunderbird was an instant success thanks to riders desperate for powerful motorcycles.

What followed was a record-setting run for the Thunderbird. One of the first ones the Thunderbird managed to seal was hitting the 100 mph mark, which laid the foundation for Johnny Allen to set an unofficial world motorcycle speed record on the Bonneville Salt Flats on the Thunderbird, clocking an astounding 214.4 mph.

As Rare As Hen’s Teeth

Highest Recorded Sale: $40,700

As with anything that was part of the pre-sixties era, it’s tough to find pristine examples. Much like many golden cars of that time frame, getting your hands on one is not the easiest, but if you manage to find one, you’ll have to pay top dollar.

You can find a few examples of projects and even restored Triumph T-bird 6Ts. That said, one of the highest recorded sales for the 6T was recorded at a whopping $40,700, per Hagerty. This amount might be a night’s dinner where these sorts of legends belong, but a premium considering not many people have the means to shell out that sort of money for a two-wheeled motoring icon.

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• Source for features: Hagerty, MCN
• Source for technical specifications: Motorcycle Specs
• Source for used prices: Hagerty