Triumph Motorcycles Tigress 175 165
The only difference between this and the Triumph Tigress 250 is the engine, which in this case is a 175cc two stroke unit developed from the BSA Bantam.
This was in fact a copy of the German DKW machine, the drawings of which were taken in the spoils of war in 1945.
For 160 English pounds the 175cc Tigress followed its bigger brother the 250 about the same time and also suffered the ignominy of poor quality controls leading to numerous breakdowns and failures in service. The motor though proved a little more reliable and the 175cc version enjoyed a longer production life probably due to better fuel economy and buying price.
Around 25,000 machines were made over its production lifetime. In the same year, 1959 the Japanese company Honda announced their version of cheap transportation for the masses with a step through design known as the Cub, a 50cc three speed automatic. Over 10 million examples found buyers over the next two decades so one might say the Tigress 175cc is rare by this comparison.
Our example is from 1965 about the peak of the sales cycle for this model and was retired from active duty some 25 years ago although it did have a relatively trouble free life here in New Zealand.
TECHNICAL
- 175cc two stroke engine
- Other features as per Tigress 250cc model