|
HISTORY
1st Generation - The TriVette
The TriVette is a first generation design, developed specifically as a response to the first Arab Oil Embargo in late 1973. They
were designed and manufactured by Bob Keyes. There were only 27 total of these built between 1974 to 1978. 26 of them were factory made
and 1 was kit built. This kit was later sent back to the factory to finish the assembly.
The factory was licensed by the State of California as a motorcycle manufacturer, and the TriVettes were manufactured in Ventura,
California on a custom order basis from 1974 through 1978. The TriVettes met all applicable State and Federal motorcycle standards as
of the time of manufacture. Most of the TriVettes used powertrains and other components from the Fiat 850's of the late 1960's/early
1970's. These were excellent powertrains that provided spirited performance and extremely good fuel economy in a 1,140 pound vehicle.
They typically got 50 mpg in heavy city traffic and 65 mpg on the freeway. Also, because of their light weight and excellent balance,
they are a lot of fun to drive.
2nd Generation - Police Pursuit Vehicle
This looked a lot like the TriVette but had some major differences. It was MUCH faster (it was to be a pursuit vehicle) and
it was designed for a larger driver.
The police needed a vehicle that could catch the speeding vehicles on the California highways. The bikes could do ???MPH and the
Police cruisers could only do ???MPH. The Police motorcycles were designed to do ???MPH, but when you added the radios, lights,
siren, and saddle bags they became unstable over???MPH. Bob came up with the solution - his next generation vehicle. As you can imagine,
the highway officers loved the design and couldn't wait to drive them. Ford, seeing the competition and possible loss of the
sale of all those cruisers, redesigned their cars to be able to perform those high-speed pursuits. Unfortunately the 2nd generation
vehicle was never picked up by the California Highway Patrol and it was never produced.
3rd Generation - The Vigillante
Bob Keyes then started work on the third generation vehicle. More information is available at his site
www.vigillante.com. This is basically a slightly modified version of the Police
pursuit vehicle. One of the options is a 500 HP engine that will do 0-60 in 3 seconds flat!! It also has a top speed over
200 MPH!!! The HP to weight ratio is the same as an Indy car! Believe me when I tell you this vehicle roars.
4th Generation - The TriVette Two
The TriVette Two is meant to be a low-cost alternative to the Vigillante. The TriVette Two utilizes many of the design approaches
from both the original TriVette and from the Vigillante. From the rear bulkhead forward (the back of the passenger compartment), the
TriVette Two is very similar to the Vigillante. It is designed to have the hip, elbow, shoulder, head and legroom of the Vigillante so
the driver has the space and comfort of a luxury sedan. The driver's seat on the TriVette Two is much more comfortable and spacious than
the driver's seat in the original TriVette. And, like the Vigillante, the tub is an all-aluminum structure for lightweight and extreme
resistance to corrosion. The front subframe, steering and front suspension are nearly identical to the Vigillante. From the rear bulkhead
back, the TriVette philosophy of incorporating the entire drivetrain from an existing vehicle is used. The drivetrain is attached to a
standardized rear subframe that bolts to the back of the tub. This modular design approach allows a lot of flexibility in the use of a
wide range of powertrains.
Magazine Articles about the TriVette
APR 1975 - HOT ROD - - - - - - - - PAGE 1, PAGE 2, PAGE 3, PAGE 4
MAY 1975 - ROAD TEST - - - - - - - PAGE 1, PAGE 2, PAGE 3
JAN 1976 - ROAD TEST - - - - - - - PAGE 1, PAGE 2, PAGE 3, PAGE 4, PAGE 5, PAGE 6, PAGE 7
JAN 1976 - CAR AND DRIVER - - - - PAGE 1, PAGE 2, PAGE 3, PAGE 4, PAGE 5, PAGE 6
AUG 1977 - MECHANIX ILLUSTRATED - PAGE 1, PAGE 2, PAGE 3, PAGE 4, PAGE 5, PAGE 6, PAGE 7
MAY 1978 - TOURING BIKE - - - - - PAGE 1, PAGE 2, PAGE 3, PAGE 4
5th EDIT - KIT CARS - - - - - - - PAGE 1, PAGE 2
Newspaper Articles about the TriVette
APR 1975 - HOT ROD - - - - - - - -
PAGE 1 ,
PAGE 2 ,
PAGE 3 ,
PAGE 4
MAY 1975 - ROAD TEST - - - - - - -
PAGE 1 ,
PAGE 2 ,
PAGE 3
TriVette Sales Log
SERIAL # SOLD TO DELIVERY DATE
Proto Gorden 18 APR 75 (Later sold to R.L. Keyes, Portland OR)
1 DEMO NEVER SOLD
2 Sheehan 20 OCT 75
3 Taylor 06 DEC 75
4 Nishikata 17 MAR 76
5 Sheehan 21 MAY 76
6 Wagner 10 APR 76
7 Brown 22 FEB 76
8 Schmitz 21 MAR 76
9 Burnside 05 MAY 76
10 Clark 02 JUL 76
11 Sheehan 21 MAR 76
12 Williams 30 JUL 76
* Lo Bue, Donald
13 Shyne 25 AUG 76
14 Stanton 12 SEP 76
15 Burton 08 DEC 76
16 Miller 28 DEC 76
17 Tepfer 30 APR 77
18 Pattison 10 JUN 77
19 Pfeiffer 26 JUL 77
20 De Lollibus(sp?) 21 DEC 77
21 Pfeiffer 08 JUL 78
22 Robertson 26 MAY 78
23 Woodward 26 NOV 78
24 ?? -- --- --
25 ?? -- --- --
26 ?? -- --- --
27 ?? -- --- --
* Current owner and now has his vehicle for sale
Thanks
I would like to thank Bob Keyes for his advice, stories, and permission to use some of the material contained on this site.
|
