From 1961 learner riders in Britain were limited to bikes of 250cc or less, so the little 200cc Tiger Cub became one of the most popular entry-level bikes of the sixties. There will still be some seniors looking at this bike and wondering where the years went.
The Tiger Cub was designed by Edward Turner and launched at the 1953 Earls Court motorcycle show. Four years later, the 1957 Tiger Cub seen here benefitted from the more modern swinging arm with twin suspension units. Previous versions had a plunger rear suspension frame.
Not a great deal is known about the history of this bike. The seller acquired it as a ‘box of bits’ lacking a front end. The frame and engine have different origins but both have been traced by the Triumph Owners MotorCycle Club and the engine is four years younger than the frame.
Saved from being sold off in parts or scrapped, a front end was sought to make the box of bits complete and its rebuild was conducted alongside that of a Tiger T100. The seller’s father, an engineer, spent about three years on it.
The bike has hardly been ridden by the seller, which is why he is offering it for sale to someone with the time to enjoy it. He told us, “I’m pleased it has been saved from the scrapheap. We rebuilt it just for fun but we have created a cute, fun bike.”
There is a V5, a DVLA document allocating the registration number and a letter from the Triumph Owners Motor Cycle Club detailing the origins of the frame and engine.
Receipts for parts include long lists of components sourced from suppliers such as Greystones in Kent and add up to hundreds of pounds.
The maroon and grey paint scheme looks great, with the mudguards matching the grey of the bottom half of the tank. The frame, oil tank, chainguard, air filter box, headlamp nacelle and rear shocks are all black.
There is a hint of overspray, possibly from another paint job, on the bottom of the right-hand rear shock absorber and swinging arm. This can be seen in the detailed photograph and will no doubt be easily removed with T-cut or similar.
The rear wheel has a new rim, laced with new spokes to the original hub. The wheels wear new tyres and the seller will supply the bike with a new registration number plate, rather than the makeshift one done for riding to the photo session.
Starting life with the seller as a box of bits has meant a whole bike rebuild but the machine has not been meticulously restored. It’s clean, tidy and all there, so could make an ideal base for a concourse restoration.
The exhaust has a dent and scratches but that’s the only obvious evidence of the bike’s 60-year journey. Everything else is solid with so many new parts, including replacement original bolts and screws, rather than cut-down longer ones. Once an engineer, always an engineer.
Replacement engine parts include a main bearing and full gasket set. The neat brass-capped distributor sits on the top of the right-hand crankcase and still sends current to the spark plug.
What is there not to love about the little Triumph Tiger Cub? Most at home on the twisty back roads, which will not test its 65mph top speed, the first taste of true freedom for so many riders in the sixties lives on to do the same today. And even if the Tiger Cub was not your first love, it could be your next.
The rebuild work has been carried out to a high standard resulting in a lovely little bike that will appeal to all enthusiasts, young and not-so-young. It’s simply gorgeous.
Notice to bidders
Although every care is taken to ensure this listing is as factual and transparent as possible, all details within the listing are subject to the information provided to us by the seller. Car & Classic does not take responsibility for any information missing from the listing. Please ensure you are satisfied with the vehicle description and all information provided before placing a bid.
As is normal for most auctions, this vehicle is sold as seen, and therefore the Sale of Goods Act 1979 does not apply. All bids are legally binding once placed. Any winning bidder who withdraws from a sale, is subject to our bidders fee charge. Please see our FAQs and T&C's for further information. Viewings of vehicles are encouraged, but entirely at the seller's discretion.
Car & Classic's secure payment system protects buyers and sellers. At the end of the auction, the winning bidder transfers payment into a third-party escrow account. Once the transfer of the vehicle is complete, both parties confirm they are happy with the sale and the money is released to the seller.
More about buying with us
1957 Triumph Tiger Cub
About Max Bids
The max bid process allows you to bid without any hassle.
Enter your maximum bid and we will then bid on your behalf to ensure you're the highest bidder - just enough to keep you in the lead and only up until your maximum.
Anti-sniping
Car & Classic prevent auction snipers from bidding in the last seconds to win an auction.
Auctions are extended by 3 minutes if anyone bids within the last 2 minutes to allow other bidders to react and counter-bid.
Auto-bidding increments
If your maximum bid is equal to or below the reserve price, your maximum bid will be applied in full if you are the highest bidder.
If you are the highest bidder and place a maximum bid above the reserve, we will automatically put in the reserve as your first bid.
Once the reserve has been met, Car & Classic will make sure you are the highest bidder using only the bidding increments stated below.
We will keep you in the lead up until your maximum bid OR the increment closest to your maximum bid, providing your maximum bid is enough to cover the increment value.
Bid Amount
Increment
£0 to £9,999
£100.00
£10,000 to £49,999
£250.00
£50,000 to £99,999
£500.00
£100,000 +
£1,000.00
Automatically outbid immediately
When you place a max bid and are outbid immediately that means that another bidder has placed a max bid limit which is higher than yours.
You can bid again and we will use our automatic bid system to try and get you as the highest bidder.
Matching max bids
When there are two max bids of the same value, the one placed first remains the lead bidder.
Pre-authorisation
We may hold a pre-authorisation charge on your card until the end of the auction when the hold will be cancelled. If you win, we'll take a security deposit which counts towards the payment for the vehicle and isn't any extra cost to you.
What are pre-bids?
A pre-bid means you're able to place a bid before the official start of the auction.
You will be notified whether or not you are the highest bidder when the auction starts.
Problem with your bid
Bids are contractually binding. To help protect you, we have some rules in place if we think it's been mistyped. Please check and amend what you have entered.
