by Abe Aamidor

Whatever happened to Triumph, BSA, and Sunbeam

In the years just after World War II, motorcycles were the third largest source of foreign exchange for the United Kingdom, lagging behind only automobiles and Scotch whiskey. And yet, the British motorcycle industry was essentially dead by 1975. This is the first comprehensive examination of the demise of what was once not only the largest motorcycle industry in the world, but something that virtually defined a nation for decades. With a critical look at business and trade practices, fresh information about the businessmen who built these companies and then ran them into the ground, as well as the engineers and designers who were brilliant and badly flawed, emerges alongside the full romance, beauty, and excitement of the machines and the top racers who rode them. Combining archival material and new interviews with industry insiders and living legends, this objective investigation will fascinate enthusiasts and is a cautionary tale for the currently declining American automotive industry.

Author Bio: Abe Aamidor is a university lecturer, a life-long motorcycle enthusiast, and an award-winning journalist. He has been a reporter for the Champaign-Urbana News-Gazette, the Indianapolis Star, and the St. Louis Globe-Democrat, and has taught journalism at Indiana University, Georgia Southern University, and Southern Illinois University. He is the author of Chuck Taylor, All Star. He lives in Carmel, Indiana.

Hardcover, 176 pages.