Triumph-Werke Nürnberg AG

Corporate brand

Triumph-Werke Nürnberg AG, commonly known as TWN, was a German bicycle and motorcycle manufacturer based in Nuremberg. German motorcycle brand, originally produced under Triumph license

Last updated October 14, 2026

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Overview

Triumph-Werke Nürnberg AG, generally identified by the abbreviation TWN, was a German bicycle and motorcycle company established in Nuremberg in 1896 by Siegfried Bettmann. Bettmann had founded the original Triumph bicycle factory in Coventry, England, in 1886 and later created a second factory in his native Nuremberg. The two businesses initially operated under the Triumph name and developed related manufacturing capabilities, but they increasingly followed separate technical and commercial paths after the early twentieth century. The Nuremberg works entered motorcycle production in 1903, shortly after the Coventry operation began building motorcycles in 1902. In its first period, the German factory produced machines using 499 cc and 545 cc four-stroke engines associated with the wider Triumph manufacturing family. Because motorcycles from the Coventry and Nuremberg companies could be confused with one another, the Nuremberg products were marketed as Orial in some export markets. That name created a further problem because an unrelated motorcycle manufacturer in Lyon, France, was already using Orial. The Nuremberg company therefore adopted the designation TWN, derived from Triumph Werke Nürnberg. Following 1913, TWN developed a more independent product identity. The company became particularly associated with small- and medium-displacement two-stroke motorcycles, including 248 cc and 269 cc designs. Its engineering reputation later centered on split-single engines, a distinctive configuration using a divided cylinder with two bores, a shared combustion chamber, and a single spark plug. The BD250, designed by Otto Reitz, was an early example of the company's split-single approach, with production beginning in 1939. After the Second World War, TWN introduced several notable motorcycles, including the 200 cc Cornet split-single two-stroke and the 350 cc Boss, which used a split-single one-cylinder engine. The company also displayed a technically unusual 250 cc Duplex prototype in 1953. This design used two cylinders and four pistons in a split-single arrangement but was not put into series production. These motorcycles represented the last period of TWN as a significant independent German motorcycle manufacturer. In 1956, the industrialist Max Grundig acquired the Nuremberg company. He merged it with his Adler motorcycle and typewriter business, ending motorcycle production under the Triumph and TWN names. The brand therefore belongs to the historical German motorcycle industry rather than to the later British Triumph motorcycle business or the modern clothing brand using the Triumph name. Surviving TWN motorcycles are mainly encountered through historical collections, specialist literature, and owner clubs.

History

The Nuremberg Triumph enterprise originated in 1896, when Siegfried Bettmann established a bicycle factory in Nuremberg after founding the first Triumph bicycle factory in Coventry ten years earlier. The two factories shared the Triumph name and initially had related product and engineering traditions. Both eventually entered motorcycle manufacturing: Coventry began in 1902, while the Nuremberg works followed in 1903. Early Nuremberg motorcycles included machines powered by 499 cc and 545 cc four-stroke engines, broadly corresponding to engines used by the sister operation in Coventry. This common identity caused confusion in the marketplace, particularly in export trade. To distinguish some Nuremberg products, the factory used the name Orial. Since an independent motorcycle producer in Lyon already operated under that name during the 1920s, the Nuremberg company adopted TWN, an abbreviation of Triumph Werke Nürnberg. The German and British businesses diverged technically after 1913. TWN concentrated increasingly on smaller two-stroke motorcycles, including 248 cc and 269 cc models. Its later engineering identity was shaped by split-single engines. In this design, a divided cylinder contains two bores that share a combustion chamber and spark plug. Otto Reitz's BD250, whose production began in 1939, was an important example of the configuration. The postwar period brought several of TWN's best-known motorcycles. The 200 cc Cornet used a split-single two-stroke engine, while the 350 cc Boss applied the same broad principle to a larger single-cylinder motorcycle. In 1953 the company presented the 250 cc Duplex at a fair. The prototype had two cylinders and four pistons in a split-single arrangement, but the design was not developed into a production model. TWN's independent motorcycle career ended after Max Grundig took over the Nuremberg company in 1956. Grundig merged it with his Adler motorcycle and typewriter business, and motorcycle production under the Triumph and TWN names was terminated. The company is now principally of interest as a historical German motorcycle manufacturer. Its legacy survives in preserved motorcycles, specialist historical references, and enthusiast organizations rather than in an active commercial brand.

1956
Grundig takeover and end of motorcycle production
[1]Triumph-Werke Nürnberg AGen.wikipedia.org
Max Grundig acquired the Nuremberg company, merged it with his Adler motorcycle and typewriter business, and ended motorcycle production under the Triumph and TWN names.
1953
Duplex prototype displayed
[1]Triumph-Werke Nürnberg AGen.wikipedia.org
TWN showed a 250 cc Duplex split-single prototype with two cylinders and four pistons, but the model was not put into production.
1939
BD250 split-single enters production
[1]Triumph-Werke Nürnberg AGen.wikipedia.org
Production began for the BD250, a split-single motorcycle designed by Otto Reitz.
1920
Adoption of the TWN identity
[1]Triumph-Werke Nürnberg AGen.wikipedia.org
After the Orial name created confusion with an existing French motorcycle maker, the Nuremberg products became associated with TWN, meaning Triumph Werke Nürnberg.
1913
Technical divergence from the Coventry company
[1]Triumph-Werke Nürnberg AGen.wikipedia.org
The German and British Triumph factories increasingly pursued separate engineering and product directions.
1903
Nuremberg motorcycle production begins
[1]Triumph-Werke Nürnberg AGen.wikipedia.org
The Nuremberg Triumph works expanded from bicycles into motorcycle manufacturing.
1896
Nuremberg bicycle factory established
[1]Triumph-Werke Nürnberg AGen.wikipedia.org
Bettmann founded a second bicycle factory in Nuremberg, Germany, under the Triumph name.
1886
Triumph bicycle factory founded in Coventry
[1]Triumph-Werke Nürnberg AGen.wikipedia.org
Siegfried Bettmann founded the original Triumph bicycle factory in Coventry, England, establishing the industrial and brand background from which the Nuremberg operation later developed.

Products and positioning

A historic German motorcycle manufacturer known especially for compact two-stroke motorcycles and distinctive split-single engine technology.

Motorcycle · 1939
TWN BD250
The BD250 was a 250 cc motorcycle associated with TWN's split-single engineering program. Designed by Otto Reitz, it used a divided-cylinder arrangement in which two bores shared one combustion chamber and spark plug. Production began in 1939, making the model an important prewar example of the technical approach for which the Nuremberg company later became known.
Motorcycle
TWN Cornet
The Cornet was a postwar 200 cc two-stroke motorcycle and one of TWN's notable commercial models. It used the company's split-single engine concept, reflecting the brand's emphasis on unconventional but compact two-stroke engineering during the reconstruction era after the Second World War.
Motorcycle
TWN Boss
The Boss was a postwar 350 cc motorcycle built around a split-single one-cylinder engine. It represented TWN's attempt to extend its distinctive engine architecture into a larger-displacement motorcycle and is among the company's better-known surviving historical models.
Motorcycle prototype · 1953
TWN Duplex
The Duplex was a 250 cc prototype presented by TWN in 1953. Its unusual design used two cylinders and four pistons in a split-single configuration. Despite its technical interest, the Duplex remained a show or development prototype and was not manufactured as a regular production motorcycle.

Controversies

2009
Layoffs in Thailand and the Philippines
Large-scale layoffs prompted protests from trade unions across countries. Triumph expressed regret and attributed the reductions to the global financial crisis; claims that a replacement Thai site was being established concurrently were reported as unfounded.
Source
2008
Thai union-president dismissal
Triumph dismissed a Thai local-union president after she appeared on television wearing a politically controversial message. A labor union petition collected approximately 2,500 signatures, while a Bangkok labor court later upheld the dismissal.
Source
2003
French advertising regulator criticizes sloggi campaign
A French advertising self-regulatory body criticized a sloggi billboard campaign featuring scantily dressed women, while the company retained the campaign.
Source
2003
French criticism of sloggi advertising
A French advertising self-regulatory body and public figures criticized a sloggi campaign for allegedly undermining women’s dignity and negatively affecting the public image of advertising.
Source
2002
Triumph closes Myanmar factory after public criticism
The company announced the closure of its Myanmar factory after labor and human-rights groups criticized its rental relationship with land associated with the country’s military regime.
Source
2002
Myanmar factory controversy
The Berne Declaration and Clean Clothes Campaign criticized Triumph’s rental of land connected to Myanmar’s military regime. Triumph closed the factory after failing to find a buyer and said its employees had not included forced laborers.
Source

1956
Grundig acquisition and integration with AdlerM&A
Background
The Nuremberg motorcycle manufacturer faced the structural pressures affecting smaller European motorcycle companies in the postwar market.
Action taken
Max Grundig took over the company and merged it with his Adler motorcycle and typewriter business.
Aftermath
Motorcycle production under the Triumph and TWN names ended, bringing the company's independent motorcycle manufacturing history to a close.
Source
1920
Adoption of TWN brandingStrategy
Background
The Nuremberg company's use of Triumph created confusion with motorcycles from the Coventry factory, while the alternative Orial name overlapped with an existing French motorcycle maker.
Action taken
The Nuremberg operation adopted the TWN designation, derived from Triumph Werke Nürnberg, for clearer product identification.
Aftermath
TWN became the principal historical identifier for the German company and distinguishes it from the separate British Triumph motorcycle business.
Source

Recent events

2017
Triumph exits standalone UK stores[2]Layoffs in Thailand and the Philippinesen.wikipedia.org
Other
The company began closing standalone stores in the United Kingdom and shifted UK distribution toward e-commerce and concessions in department stores.
2015
Triumph sells HOM to Huber Group[2]Layoffs in Thailand and the Philippinesen.wikipedia.org
M&A
Triumph sold the French men’s underwear label HOM to Austria’s Huber Group as part of a portfolio-streamlining program.
2014
Triumph Japan recalls bras over underwire defect[2]Layoffs in Thailand and the Philippinesen.wikipedia.org
Recall
The Japanese division voluntarily recalled about 22,000 bras because of a potential underwire fault. The affected products had been sold only in Japan and no injuries were reported.
2010
Triumph acquires Swiss lingerie distributor Beldona[2]Layoffs in Thailand and the Philippinesen.wikipedia.org
M&A
Triumph International acquired Beldona, a major Swiss lingerie distributor, as part of its retail and distribution expansion.
Triumph International launches its global corporate website[3]Triumph International launches its global corporate websitetriumph.com
Other
Triumph maintains official corporate and consumer websites describing its international brand portfolio, products, markets, and company background. A specific launch year for the current website is not established here.

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