One of the great names of the British Motorcycle Industry. Founder of the Norton Manufacturing Company in Birmingham England 1898. The company began making chains for bicycles before producing early motorcycles with imported (Swiss and French) engines. James Norton, a man of intense honesty, religious conviction and high standards was a good engineer but an indifferent businessman and the business declined and in 1913, R.T. Shelley & Co., the main creditors, intervened and saved it.
Norton Motors Ltd (Norton) was formed shortly afterwards under joint directorship of James Norton and Bob Shelley, whose brother-in-law Dan "Wizard" O'Donovan was a top racer and tuner. 'Pa' Norton as he became known amongst the racing fraternity saw his motorcycles win the Senior and sidecar TTs at the Isle of Man in 1924. When Norton was asked how he managed to obtain such power and results, the cagey engineer would reply: "The speed is the difference and the difference is the speed!". Norton is a British motorcycle brand from Birmingham and founded in 1898. ...
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