Norton Motorcycles has a long, rich history dating back to 1898. A small manufacturer in Birmingham, England, Norton started out building fittings “for the two-wheeled trade.” Within a few years, the company was producing popular motorcycles for both street riding and racing. At its peak, Norton was tapped to manufacture 100,000 bikes for the British military during World War II–about a quarter of that country’s fleet.
Unfortunately, the postwar years weren’t so kind. The company sputtered, sold, merged, and was sold again. By the 2000s, the brand was in the hands of a mechanic in the United States who went from restoring bikes to leading a multi-million dollar effort to bring the Norton back. (To see how that played out, wait for the documentary). Finally, in 2008, British businessman Stuart Garner bought Norton and returned the brand to the UK.
That’s where Creo comes in. Garner kept the classic look of the Norton bikes, but reengineered everything else. For example, he introduced fuel injection engines so the motorcycles would meet emission standards. In fact, Norton designers say “there is not one component of the bike that we didn’t re-engineer.” All in about 12 months. All with Creo Parametric.
So how’s it working out for Garner?
His first model was the 961 SE. If you lived in the UK and had £16,000 to spend, you might have been able to buy one for a brief time. But not anymore; they’re sold out.
The company is expanding its facilities, with investment from the British government, and expects to double staff in 2012 as it begins shipping motorcycles in response to demand from throughout Europe and the US.
And because Nortons are so handsome and cool, Gucci even features the Commando in one of its commercials.
I’d say it’s working out.
Watch for more about Norton’s new/old bikes in this ‘motobike design’ episode of the Product Design Show.
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