Ballantine’s Illustrated History of the Car: Marque Book No. 9: Norton

The story of the Norton Rotaries is traced from its announcement in the early '80's. Included are road, comparison and prototype tests, racing and riding impressions and full performance data. All models are covered including the Classic, Commander, F1 and F1 Sport.

Norton – a name to conjure with from their earliest days, a firm that dominated the racing world for many years, became famous for their singles and then renowned for twins. They were there at the dawn of motorcycles, when founder Pa Norton ran his firm to his high and honest ideals. A man of vision who foretold much that came later, his machines reflected his outlook on life, each with its upright single cylinder. The Big 4, 16H, Brooklands Special formed the base, later came the overhead valve Model 18 and then the camshaft models, the International leading on to the Manx that was the backbone of racing for decades. Postwar, the singles were joined by twins; the Dominator, the Featherbed, and later the Atlas which led to the Commando with its unique Isolastic frame system. Finally came the rotary engines and the Commanders. Here, their story is presented in words and pictures, many in full colour, to tell the tale of a marque that was always famous and that remains one of the most popular on today’s classic bike scene.