The first mention of Gloria Sidecars appears in The Motorcycle of November 14th, 1912, announcing their presence at Olympia.
The firm's address in 1914 was Much Park Street, Coventry. These premises were, some 25 years later, occupied by Lea-Francis. The address for Triumph in 1912 was Priory St, Coventry, just half a mile from the Gloria plant.
During the first war there were machines built using Triumph motorcycles and Gloria sidecars. A 1915 Triumph catalogue has a section on Triumph Gloria sidecars.
In the London Road Cemetery there is a memorial from 1919 commemorating the workers at the Gloria and Triumph factories who died during the Great War.
Their 1922 catalogue speaks of Triumph motorcycles with Gloria sidecars, and those of 1928 and 1929 advertise "Triumph-Gloria" sidecar combinations.
Much later, Triumph marketed some of their motorcycles under the Gloria marque.
"The Gloria Cycle Co was apparently set up in Coventry in 1898. I'm not sure at what stage Gloria became a subsidiary of Triumph, or whether it was a Triumph company from the outset, but Triumph used both names for their bicycles, the Gloria name being used for cheaper machines."
triumphbicycles.wordpress.com/triumph-gloria/
"Parma violet is the color adopted for the Gloria cycle company sidecar bodies of the Triumph motorcycles during the twenties."
Gloria Cycle Co., Ltd., Coventry.
The centre of attraction is undoubtedly the Projectile sidecar, which was recently described and illustrated in our columns. This is specially built for use with high-powered machines and is luxuriously fitted. It has a parcel-carrying receptacle in the back, and a spare tyre carrier and cover. The extreme front of the body is carried on a helical spring.
The Gloria spring wheel remains practicallv as heretofore. There are several other models of more conventional design with special extension at the back to carry a touring bag and petrol can.
1912 Olympia Show
The Motor Cycle November 28th, 1912
The Gloria sidecar ambulance attached to a Triumph motor bicycle. Standing on the right of the machine is Lady Rowley, who is said to have originated the idea of a motor cycle ambulance.
ONE of the most interesting features of the new Gloria commercial carriers is the fact that the body can be fitted to the standard No. 1 or 1A chassis quickly and without alteration. The touring body is removed and the bar connecting the rear springs left in place, and the attachment of the box carrier is effected in a most simple and convenient manner, with no inaccessible nuts to get at.
The under part of the box towards the rear of the machine is fitted with two long and substantial hooks, which slip over the above-mentioned bar connecting the rear springs, while the front rests on a similar bar joining the front springs. In addition to this, a spring bar is fixed to the bottom of the box close behind the front cross bar. This is clipped to the frame by a U clip on each side, all the nuts being outside the body and consequently easy to reach. It will be obvious that this third crossbar forms an auxiliary spring as well as a fixing, so that it is of little consequence if a heavy load is placed well forward.
The body, which may be either of wicker or coachbuilt, is cut away at the forward end so as to allow the handle-bars full motion and increase the available steering lock. In all details both body and chassis are really well carried out, and the carrier has been thoroughly tested under heavy loads.
The Motor Cycle, September 17th, 1914. p357.
03-Jun-22
clapsgate at gmail dot com
Hi - I see on the Sheldon's webpage you have original catalogue images of Triumph Gloria sidecars including the aluminium model S. I have a model S on my Model R Triumph.
I added her to the Triumph register many decades ago and, as I recall, Peter Cornelius said at the time that it was the only known surviving Gloria model S sidecar. I would be very interested to hear from anyone who knows of any other surviving examples.
Let me know if you would like a photo of the combination.
Best wishes
Jon Shaw
