Dear all,  Bernt Damm spoke very highly of the Triumph Autopiano
that he once owned.  The Triumph Company was British, and had no
connection with the car of the same name.  In the mid-1920s they
took over the assets of Kastner-Autopiano, who also had a factory
in Germany.  This German connection led to various makes of piano
being fitted with Autopiano actions, chief among them being
Grotrian-Steinweg.  Various English makes were also used, apart
from their own products, including the excellent Sames whose
factory was unfortunately destroyed in a fire in the 1920s.

The Triumph parent company was Barratt & Robinson, who went on
to produce countless upright pianos for school use.  They once
boasted that they were the only British piano manufacturer who
made everything "in-house" -- including piano actions and iron
frames -- but what about ivory key-tops?!

The company was for many years owned by the Taylor family.  The
last of the piano-making Taylors, Russell Taylor, died recently in
Hastings.  I have happy memories of him calling into my workshop
occasionally for a mug of tea and a lengthy piano chat.

All the best,
Mike Boyd, Rye, UK