Triumph-Adler Advert - May 1982

This computer doesn't seem to exist - at least there doesn't seem to be any information on it, although ribbons for its printer still seem to be available. Old Computers.com mentioned one of the company's other machines - the Alphatronic - and, in passing, suggested that Triumph-Adler was not particularly successful as a computer company. It also referenced the TA-1600, although it said that that machine wasn't released until 1983^[1].

It's interesting therefore to draw a comparison with Commodore, as both Commodore and Triumph-Adler (a German company originally, before it was bought by the US Royal Typewriter Co. in 1969) were originally manufacturers of typewriters - the Triumph part of the merged T/A company had even produced mechnical calcuators, as did Commodore.

Evidence that Adler computers even existed, at least in 1980, in the form a photo of the Triumph Adler 1100C, installed with an enclosed printer, two floppy disk units and a screen/keyboard - all for £8,500, or £51,800 in 2024. From Personal Computer World, April 1980

But there the similarities end, as despite a modest run of success when the company was producing machines that competed with IBM's mighty Systems /34 and /36, their computers seemed to disappear without trace, unlike Commodore, which was the company that had launched the world's first true personal computer in 1977 and which continued to influence the computer industry up until the end of the 80s (it survived up until 1994, but the late-80s Amiga was the last real hurrah).

In 1979, Volkswagen, somewhat improbably, purchased a majority stake in the Triumph/Royal typewriter group and in 1986 it was sold on to Italian typewriter/computer company Olivetti - the same company that had recently rescued Acorn from its financial difficulties.

The advert itself refers to the 1630 system, which seems to be one of the popular-at-the-time micro systems whose job was to run a bunch of terminals, like the RAIR Business Computer or perhaps ICL's DRS 200. It was unusual in seeming to offer only customised software that would be "specifically written by one of the finest teams of software specialists in the country". The starting price of £25,300 (including VAT) is a not-inconsiderable £116,800 in 2024 money - and that's without any sofware. Perhaps it's no wonder it didn't seem to do that well.