For many years Triumph was justifiably King-of-the-Desert, a hard-earned title gained from innumerable wins in countless Mojave Desert contests, and elsewhere, indeed almost anywhere they were running off road events in the late 1950s/early 1960s! The firm's highly capable US marketing squad ensured that the TR (Trophy) models were produced by the factory to a specification that allowed the stock product to be successfully raced, subject only to a minimum of special preparation. This was of course before Mike Patrick – astride a P11 Norton – had a stint at the top, and prior to the advent of a horde of European 2-strokes that altered Desert Racing for evermore. Thanks to such legendary figures as Bud Ekins, though, Triumph didn't relinquish their desert crown either too easily or too willingly.

The immaculately presented pre-unit Triumph is effectively the finished result of a ground-up restoration project deliberately undertaken as a tribute to Bud Ekins, and the machine on which he won the 1957 Big Bear Run. The work was a task that had no budgetary restrictions, other than that the completed machine should be an accurate duplicate. The vendor proudly states that the TR is "freshly tuned and ready to ride". He also adds that with so few miles since rebuild under its Dunlop shod wheels the cylinder head will yet need to be tightened down. A few 'period' variations from stock include a quick-action twist grip, some Webco components within the fuel supply and air filtration system, and Ekins type exhaust headers.