At the first Isle of Man TT in 1907, Triumph's Jack Marshall and Frank Hulbert finished second and third respectively in the single-cylinder class. This result was improved by Marshall the following year, when he won the 1908 class and set the lap record (at a blistering 42.48mph) on what was possibly the world's first purpose-built racer, a tuned version of the 1908 Triumph that is on offer here. This also marked the first victory by a machine built entirely, both frame and engine, by the same marque. Triumph's reputation for endurance and speed was established by this fine single-cylinder machine. It offered a number of uncommon and successful features: its crank shaft was supported by ball bearings (an industrial first), both valves were mechanically operated and the cams were machined into the inner radii of the timing gears. In 1908, Triumph introduced its own carburettor making it one of a handful of motorcycle companies to have produced their own. With its smooth response, the Triumph carburettor was also known to be one of the period's best as it used parallel barrels for its throttle and air slide. Overall, the 1908 Triumph was well designed and beautifully made