Triumph

The case is set immediately following a catastrophic fire that destroyed the Triumph Motorcycle Company’s manufacturing facility in England. After having gone out of business in the 1980s, the company was resurrected by a British entrepreneur, John Bloor and, at the time of the fire, was in its tenth year of renewed operations. The decision facing Bloor and his team after the fire was whether to rebuild and resume their strategy as before or if another course of action might be worthwhile. Students are challenged to identify and articulate Triumph’s strategy during its renaissance and evaluate whether other alternatives might be more appropriate. This mirrors the assignment given to McKinsey and Company when they were engaged to help Triumph during their recovery. The case provides information about Triumph’s history as well as a current picture of the motorcycle industry.