Norton motorcycle - Definition and Overview

Norton is a British motorcycle manufacturer founded in 1898. By 1913 they had begun manufacturing motorcycles. This began a long series of production and racing wins. By the late 1960s competition from Japan had driven the British motorcycle industry into a precipitous decline. In 1973 Norton was reformed by the British government as Norton-Villiers-Triumph (NVT). In the 1980s, the company went through several incarnations. It had some success making motorcycles for police forces and civilian versions, including the Wankel engined Norton Commander (Motorcycle). By the 1990s more troubles had arrived. For a brief period the name had a life as a restorer of old Nortons. Most recently a completely redesigned Commando has begun production in Oregon.