The Gentleman and the Thunderbird
Collecting objects of function and beauty, such as ancient motorcycles, is not driven by the desire to have a hobby or adopt an attractive lifestyle choice but is universally characterised by an all-consuming passion. In this collection of photographs, we see Men’s File friend M. Lauren Vronski aside his 1955 Triumph Thunderbird 6T with an Avon Streamliner fairing and original steel Rodark side cases. A committed Parisian, this businessman, engineer and educationalist acquired this piece of pure retro-futurism from a former British owner and has restored it to pristine condition in his own workshop. Since completion the Triumph has won first prize in the Style and Restoration contest at the Motors & Soul festival 2018 and was selected in the same year to be one of 20 motorcycles at the Salon Moto Legende. But don’t be fooled, this is no show bike and has been ridden hard and fast through all weathers by the current owner who maintains this machine himself and the others he has including a 1956 Ariel Square Four, a 1948 Vincent Rapide B, a 1965 Panther M120, a 1941 Indian 4, a 1948 Indian Chief and a 1941 Harley-Davidson Knucklehead.
This publication is about independent individuals and here we can see a person of elegance and taste unencumbered by any need to confirm to the fickle caprices of social pressure in dress or style. While embracing the power of technology he maintains elements of a chivalrous past like other knights of the road who may be found from Sydney to Saint-Germain. Vive l’indépendence!
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