Triumph gave its 1959 parallel-twin motorcycle the name Bonneville, honoring Utah’s Bonneville Salt Flats.
The model was created after Triumph rider Johnny Allen set a motorcycle speed record at the salt flats in 1956 using a streamlined machine powered by a Triumph-based engine. Although the record was disputed, the location provided a powerful name for Triumph’s new high-performance road motorcycle.
The first Bonneville was the T120, introduced in 1959. Its 650 cc parallel-twin engine had twin carburetors and was developed from the Triumph Tiger T110. The “120” referred to the motorcycle’s intended 120 mph top speed.
Bonneville is sometimes mistaken for a model named after the Daytona race, but Daytona was a separate Triumph model family. The Bonneville name later continued through many generations and was revived by modern Triumph motorcycles.