Introduction
 Is Norton the most famous name in British
motorcycle history? Well, certainly it’s the best
known when it comes to race track deeds and
prowess. Norton was a firm founded by a man
with a fertile mind; James Lansdowne Norton.
The tradition ‘Pa’ – as he was known by the
1920s – established, of engineering excellence
and creativity, set a precedent of talented
engineers, designers and developers, who’ve all
been associated with Norton. Men like Wizard
O’Donovan, Walter Moore, Arthur Carroll, Joe
Craig, Bert Hopwood, Rex McCandless, Doug
Hele, Peter Williams, Brian Crighton, the list goes
on... it’s a rich, proud history of men who ‘did’.
Norton has also long been a company with a
somewhat chequered history – indeed, that also
dates right back to Pa Norton himself. For
example in the 1930s, despite the huge
successes Norton enjoyed on the world’s race
tracks, with unparalleled, year-in-year victories,
the racing was funded by sponsors, rather than
all the road-going models Norton should’ve
been selling on the back of the race wins.
Simply, Norton wasn’t selling many motorcycles,
when it should have been.
Despite all that, come WWII and the call from its
country, Norton raised its game, producing
several multiples of 1930s production as the
bombs fell all around. Post WWII, there was more
racing success (in truth, never to the levels
enjoyed in the 1930s) but with the road-going
models also making a fine name – and with great
names too, with the Dominator, for example,
joining the International and such – then the
company again looked on a great footing.
There was a TT win in 1961 but then a move
from Birmingham. The Commando ushered in a
brave new era, including five consecutive MCN
machine of the year awards, while production
numbers were also ramped up – but come the
mid-1970s, the signs that trouble was ahead
were plain to see.
By the 1980s, Norton as it once was, was no
more, though there were a few embers and
exciting developments, while the ‘rotary racers’ brought British road racing fans back to the
track for five-or-so thrilling years. Norton,
though, once again floundered and despite a
few attempted comebacks – including the V8
Nemesis and a Rotax-powered single to name
two – it was from America a recovery seemed
most likely to emanate. Those American dreams
and ideas have now been transferred to an
exciting facility at Donington Park, refined
further and as I write, delivery of brand new
Commandos is said to be imminent. It’ll be
good to have Norton back.
James Robinson, Editor
Don't forget..
• 1st book in the series: Scrapbook Series - Triumph
• 2nd book in the series: Scrapbook Series - BSA
• 4th book in the series: Scrapbook Series - AJS / Matchless
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The Scrapbook series : Norton
