Source: Jan Vandevelde

All credits go to Jan Vandevelde for collection this information and allowing me to share this on the website.

A few words about horns for the WD Triumphs. Triumph only used Lucas High Frequency Altette horns. But there are many different sorts of Altettes. Here’s an overview of all the Altettes that have been used on motorcycles, with a postscript on the Altettes that were used on the Triumph WD models.

Lucas made 3 different series of Altette horns: the 317 – 318, the 934 – 935 and the 1234 – 1235 series. The smallest numbers (317, 934 and 1234) are always the “deluxe” version, with chrome bezel, chrome fluted screws and chrome center nut. The highest numbers (318, 935 and 1235) are always the “economy” version, with a completely black finish and fillister screws, “for under bonnet use”. All these Altettes were available in a 12V (typical for cars) or in a 6V (motorcycles) version.

The Lucas Altette HF317 and HF318:

This is the first Altette that was used for motorcycles. The models HF317 and HF318 came out in 1930 and were made until mid-1934. 

  • The model number is stamped on the outside of the bezel rim.  
  • This horn has a pressed steel body with a large dimple in the back. 
  • The tone disk center nut has a nipple shape.
  • The tufnol terminal insulator plate has a banana shape. There’s a bent steel strip cable clamp at the bottom of the horn body. 
  • The HF317 (the “deluxe” model) had a chrome bezel, chrome bezel screws and a chrome nipple shaped center nut. The bezel screws are “square” (4 sides), with 4 flutes. The HF318 (the “economy” model) had a painted bezel, painted bezel fillister screws and a painted nipple shaped center nut. 

The HF 317

The HF 318

The Lucas Altette HF934 and HF935:

This is the second model in the Altette range. The HF934 and HF935 “1st generation” horns (this “generation” designation is something that I invented to make it easier to describe the differences) came out in mid-1934 and were made until 1937. The “2nd generation” came out in 1935 (approximately) and was made until 1940. The “3rd generation” was produced from 1940 until 1948.

1st generation details (mid-1934 to 1937):

  • The model number is still stamped on the outside of the bezel rim. 
  • This horn has a “flat back” pressed steel body with a center hole.
  • The tone disk center nut sometimes has a nipple shape but a dome shaped center nut is also used (depending on the year I guess…).
  • The tufnol terminal insulator plate has a banana shape. There’s a bent steel strip cable clamp at the bottom of the horn body. 
  • The HF934 had a chrome bezel, chrome bezel screws and a chrome nipple shaped center nut. The bezel screws are “square” (4 sides), with 4 flutes. 
  • The HF935 had a painted bezel, painted bezel fillister screws and a painted nipple shaped center nut. 

The HF934 1st generation:

The HF935 1st generation:

2nd generation details (1935 – 1940):

  • The model number is still stamped on the outside of the bezel rim. 
  • This horn has a “flat back” pressed steel body with a stepped forming and a central mounting hole.
  • The tone disk center nut sometimes has a nipple shape but a dome shaped center nut is also used (depending on the year I guess…).
  • The tufnol terminal insulator plate now has a triangular shape, the two terminals have a square shape, with two grub screws on the side face of the squares. An oblong hole in the tufnol plate replaces the bent steel strip cable clamp at the bottom of the horn body. 

The HF934 (2nd generation) was the “deluxe” version (for exposed use). It had a chrome bezel, chrome bezel screws and a chrome nipple or dome shaped center nut. The bezel screws are “square” (4 sides), with 4 flutes.

The HF935 (2nd generation) was the “economy” version (“for under bonnet use”). It had a painted bezel, painted bezel fillister screws and a painted nipple or dome shaped center nut. 

3rd generation details (1940 – 1948):

As second generation, with these changes:

  • The tone disk center nut is dome shaped.
  • The two terminals are cylindrical, with two grub screws at the top of the cylinders. 

The HF934 (3rd generation) had a chrome bezel, chrome bezel nuts and a chrome nipple or dome shaped center nut. The bezel nuts are “square” (4 sides), with 4 flutes.

(No pictures available).

The HF935 (3rd generation) had a painted bezel, painted bezel fillister screws and a painted dome shaped tone disk center nut.  

The Lucas Altette HF1234 and HF1235:

This is the third model in the Altette range. All previous models had a pressed steel body, whereas the HF1234 – 1235 range always had a (cheaper to produce) cast iron body. This Altette has been produced for more than 20 years (1940 until the early 1960’s), and we can distinguish 2 generations. As before, the 1234 was the “deluxe” version (chrome domed nut for the tone disk, chrome bezel with 6 chromed hexagonal acorn screws). The 1235 was the “economy” version, with fillister screws and black finish.

1st generation details (1940 to 1948):

  • The back of the cast iron body is flat. 
  • There is a triangular tuffnel plate with two round holes for the round terminals, and a slot for the cable guidance. 
  • The tuning screw at the back of the horn sits deeper than the two other screws from 1940 until mid 1947 (“recessed tuning screw” version).
  • From mid 1947 until 1948, the tuning screw at the back of the horn sits flush with the horn body, similar in appearance to the two other screws (“flush tuning screw” version).

The HF1234 (1st generation) with recessed tuning screw (1940 – mid 1947) would have had a chrome bezel, chrome bezel nuts and a chrome dome shaped center nut. But I haven’t found any 1st generation “deluxe” 1234 examples with recessed tuning screw yet, I can’t imagine that Lucas made any, as there was a war going on… 

The HF1234 (1st generation) with flush tuning screw (mid 1947 – 1948) had a chrome rim, chrome tone disk domed nut and 6 hexagonal chromed acorn nuts. There was a version with a flat tone disk, but Lucas also made some with a corrugated tone disk.

Flat tone disk version:

Corrugated tone disk version:

The HF1235 (1st generation) with recessed tuning screw (1940 – mid 1947) would have been painted all over, and had fillister bezel screws:

The HF1235 (1st generation) with flush tuning screw (mid 1947 – 1948) was also painted all over, also with fillister bezel screws:

2nd generation details (1949 to the early 1960’s):

The HF1234 and HF1235 “2nd generation” horns also had a cast iron body, but now there is a large trapezoidal recession in the back of the body. The tone disk is sometimes flat, sometimes corrugated. The bezel is sometimes pressed steel, sometimes cast aluminium. From 1950 (approximately.) onward there is a large center nut at the back of the body. And as before: the 1234 is still the chrome version and the 1235 is painted all over. Some examples:

The HF1234 without center nut:

The HF1234 with center nut:

The HF1234 with center nut and corrugated tone disk:

The HF1235 without center nut:

The HF1235 with center nut and corrugated tone disk:

The HF1235 with center nut, flat tone disk and cast aluminium bezel:

Now that we can recognize all the Lucas Altette variants, we can have a look at what was used on the WD Triumphs.

In the late 1930’s the Ministry of Supply started ordering motorcycles to be prepared for a looming war. They also impressed civilian motorcycles from dealers’ stocks. For Triumph this meant that lots of 3S, 3H and Speed Twin models suddenly received a quick overspray in khaki green. At that time all Triumph models used a Lucas HF934 2nd generation horn. But although Lucas sold more than 10 different horn brackets for the HF934, for the single cylinder models Triumph made its own special set with a left hand side bracket and a right hand side bracket:

Late 1930’s impressed civilian Triumphs

Here are some examples of late 1930’s impressed civilian Triumphs that have served with the BEF in France, were left behind during the Dunkirk retreat and are now “under new ownership”. The 3S and 3H both have their HF934 in front of the cylinder, fitted with the special Triumph brackets. The Speed Twin uses Lucas part number 700347 to hang the Altette under the nearside saddle spring. Please note how the paint peels off on the polished and chromed (civilian!) parts.

Triumph 3SW (1938 – 1940):

– The bike with census number C38766 is a contract C/2073 bike, made in 1938. Lucas 2nd generation HF934 horn with Triumph brackets:

– The bike with census number C4359290 is a contract C/8079 bike, made from July 1940 – October 1940. During 1940 Lucas had stopped making the 2nd generation HF934, and started making the cheaper (cast iron body) HF1235 “1st generation with recessed tuning screw”. This horn would be produced throughout the war. A Lucas 700168 bracket was used to fit the horn to the nearside of the bike:

The Triumph 5SW: 

In early 1940 the French Army ordered 2.400 Triumph 5SWs, as their own industry couldn’t make enough motorcycles for the looming war. Deliveries should have taken place in March 1940 (200 bikes), April 1940 (400 bikes) and May, June, July 1940 (600 bikes per month). But Triumph prioritized the British contracts, and by the end of May 1940, when all the Channel ports were in the hands of the Germans, an estimate of 700 5SWs had crossed the Channel. Further deliveries had become impossible. Many of these French bikes were captured by the Germans after the “Fall of France”. It is my belief that most if not all the French contract 5SWs also used the 2nd generation HF934 with Triumph brackets. 

The 5SWs that didn’t make the Channel crossing were diverted to British Army contract C/7828. Initially, this was a contract for 1.655 bikes (which could mean that 2.400 – 1.655 = 745 bikes effectively crossed the Channel). The first deliveries to the British Army were on June 29th 1940, and these deliveries continued until November 1940, when the Luftwaffe had bombed the Coventry factory before the contract was completed… That’s why the number of bikes for this contract was amended to 1.322, “due to enemy action”.

The very first 5SWs that were diverted to the British Army (29th June 1940) may still have had a HF934, but as with the 3SW, they soon had to fit the new HF1235, with Lucas bracket, to the nearside of the bike. The bike in the picture below (C4320565) was built in July 1940 and has already got a HF1235 horn:

The Triumph 3HW: 

The 3HW was introduced in 1941, when Triumph made a small contract for the RAF (C/12492, 82 motorcycles, see picture below). Every 3HW was fitted with the HF1235, from this first small contract (made at the temporary factory in Warwick) until the end of the war:

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