Nortons Next Stop India?

Bloomberg reported yesterday that Indian conglomerate TVS Motors is among prospective bidders eyeballing Norton Motorcycles, which went into administration in January. Norton’s already stated it’s in talks with buyers, one of who will take on its assets as well as its millions in debt. That’s probably a drop in the bucket to India’s third-largest motorcycle manufacturer, which has a history of partnerships with other builders: Most recently, BMW’s G310 R and GS are also built by TVS in its Chennai factory.

The wrench in the spokes according to various sources is that Norton CEO Stuart Garner already sold the rights to the 961 V-twin to a Chinese manufacturer, but that would still leave the next buyer with what might be the most important part of Norton – its name. You wonder if James Lansdowne Norton knew what a big deal he was creating with that first bike bearing it in 1902, when India was firmly under British rule. Things change, so why not an Indian Norton with a Chinese engine?

(lead image Wikimedia Commons)

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