When Triumph introduced the original Bonneville T120 in 1959, people went bananas. Here was a machine with a refreshed parallel-twin whose 649cc heart was capable of punching out 48.8 pretty ponies, shooting the T120 to a new (and very speedy) 115-mph top speed.
It was an addicting set of specs, and sales of the T120 went through the roof for America as a result.
In line with Triumph’s turning point come the successes of ‘the world’s most iconic guitar brand’ – namely, Gibson’s Les Paul.
Sure, maple-carved mahogany guitars were (and are) nice to crank an ear at given the killer sustain, rock-solid build, and mellowing humbuckers…but the real magic of these units lay in their versatility, attracting meccas of music history from Bob Marley, to Slash, to Jimmy Page and everything in between.
Thanks to the endless possibilities of this guitar, 1959 was a special year for the Les Paul label as well.
So here’s where things get fun.
Triumph and Gibson think that their T120 and Les Paul Standard are similar – so similar, in fact, that RideApart tells us they are going to reveal a custom project currently in the works.
We aren’t going to be given anything until March 22nd of this year (beyond the fact that the prokect has been christened ‘1959 legends’), but we’re getting the vibe that Les Paul’s iconic finish will have something to do with it – and if I had my way, the ‘sunburst finish’ would be all over the tank.
Stay tuned for March 22nd, subscribe to our newsletter for the latest from wBW proper, and as always – stay safe on the twisties.
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