Norton Motors Factory
(1920-1963)

Closed aged c. 43

The Norton Motorcycle Company (formerly Norton Motors, Ltd.) is a brand of motorcycles, originally based in Birmingham, England. For some years around 1990, the rights to use the name on motorcycles was owned by North American financiers. From 2008 to 2020, a line of motorcycles was produced under owner and chief executive Stuart Garner. Due to financial failure with large debts, in April 2020 administrators BDO agreed to sell certain aspects of Garner's business to Project 303 Bidco Limited, a new business established for the purpose with links to Indian motorcycle producer TVS Motor Company. The business was founded in 1898 as a manufacturer of "fittings and parts for the two-wheel trade". By 1902 the company had begun manufacturing motorcycles with bought-in engines. In 1908 a Norton-built engine was added to the range. This began a long series of production of single and eventually twin-cylinder motorcycles, and a long history of racing involvement. During the Second World War Norton produced almost 100,000 of the military Model 16 H and Big 4 sidevalve motorcycles. When major shareholders started to leave Norton in 1953 the company declined and Associated Motor Cycles bought the shares.Although motorcycle sales went through a recession in the 1950s, and Norton Motors Ltd was only a small manufacturer, Norton sales flourished. The largest UK motorcycle manufacturer at the time was BSA-Triumph, comprising Birmingham Small Arms Company in Birmingham, and Triumph Motorcycles in Meriden. A merger with Norton Motorcycles was proposed; but although Dennis Poore's Norton Motorcycles was by far the smaller partner, Poore effectively secured a take-over of BSA-Triumph, forming Norton Villiers Triumph (NVT). The Triumph factory at Meriden was the least modern; workers engaged in a "sit-in", forming a workers' co-operative. Poore was CEO of Manganese Bronze Holdings, a company apparently more concerned with asset stripping than with motorcycle production. Subsequent political manoeuvrings led to the downfall of NVT, as taxpayer-assisted wranglings over amalgamations and sell-offs all but killed the once extensive UK motorcycle industry. In late 2008, Stuart Garner, a UK businessman, bought the rights to Norton from some US concerns and relaunched Norton in its then-new Midlands home at Donington Park where it was to develop the 961cc Norton Commando and a new range of Norton motorcycles. On 29 January 2020, it was announced that the company had gone into administration. Administrators BDO were appointed by Metro Bank. The company had been in court over £300,000 of unpaid taxes due to HM Revenue and Customs, from an original amount of £600,000, with company representatives stating that £135,000 in "outstanding research and development tax relief" was overdue and would substantially reduce the amount owed. HMRC gave the company more time to pay and the court case was adjourned until mid-February. There were reports that there had been fraudulent wrongdoing which affected hundreds of pension holders who invested in the company, Norton customers, and staff; government ministers had endorsed Norton as millions of pounds of government grants and loans were provided. An associated hotel business owned by Stuart Garner also went in administration and was run temporarily by an outside hotel chain. On 17 April 2020, it was reported that India's TVS Motor Company had acquired the business in a cash deal. In the short term, they intended to continue production of motorcycles at Donington Park using the same staff. Former CEO Stuart Garner would not be involved in the new business. In late 2021, TVS announced the opening of a new manufacturing facility at Solihull to be staffed initially by 100+ workers to produce luxury hand-crafted motorcycles. In February 2022, former CEO Stuart Garner admitted taking circa £11 million from three pension schemes intended for employees, where Garner was the sole trustee, to invest in the business. At Derby Crown Court on 31 March 2022, Garner was sentenced to eight months prison, suspended for two years.

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