Description
H&H Classic Auction @ National Motorcycle Museum | Solihull, West Midlands
30th Oct, 2024 11:00
1961 Manx Norton 500
Late model of the classic Manx
Estimate
£18, 000 - £22, 000
Registration No: Not registered
Frame No: Not visible
MOT: Exempt
A beautiful example of the legendary Manx Norton
Authentically restored back to factory condition
Includes an extensive paperwork/ history file
Norton was founded by James Lansdowne Norton in Birmingham in 1898 and began building motorcycles with French and Swiss engines in 1902. In 1907 a Norton with a Peugeot engine won the first Isle of Man TT race starting a long tradition of sporting excellence. The OHC 350 and 500 singles, initially based on the roadgoing Inter model and later becoming the classic Manx, became the mainstay of road racing for over three decades. The Norton factory race bikes under team manager Joe Craig were experimental models and a version was available for sale from the factory in Bracebridge Street to selected customers. Fitted with the McCandless brothers' Featherbed frame from 1950, the bike was renowned for its fine steering, necessary for the bumpy and very fast racing circuits of the time. Every top road racer from Geoff Duke to Mike Hailwood enjoyed success on a Manx at some point in their career.
This beautiful 500 Manx has been part of the Brian Ditchfield collection, a retired engineer and lifelong motorcycle enthusiast who has in the past run a very successful Sidecar Grand Prix team, finishing second in the World Championship in 2002.
More information to follow.
