Norton expansion plans | British marque announces overseas sales plan and promises six new models

Revived historic British brand Norton appeared at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in early July to announce plans for international expansion including six new models over the next three years.

The now Indian-owned company said new product launches would start to arrive as early as next year but remain tight-lipped on what those new models might be. The current range consists of the Commando 961 family, as well as the V4SV, and V4CR all of which can only be sold in the UK using Motorcycle Single Vehicle Approval (MSVA) rules.

Indian industry giants TVS purchased the brand in 2020, with the new Norton leadership team announced the latest plans during a special press conference at the Chichester event.

Alongside the new models, the firm stated they wanted to see increased sales through partners in the USA, Germany, France, Italy, and India. In attendance for the announcement was CEO Dr Robert Hentschel, TVS Managing Director Sudarshan Venu, and recently appointed Executive Director Richard Arnold – a former Chief Executive of Manchester United Football Club.

“Our vision, commitment and investment into the Norton brand is entering an exciting phase. We look forward to sharing that with motorcyclists across the world,” Sudarshan Venu said.

This was followed up by Richard Arnold, who added: “Norton’s heritage is vast, and plays a key part in our development as a global brand.

“The products currently in testing and development are incredibly exciting. Bikers around the world will love to ride them and love to own them, I am looking forward to expanding their availability to local dealers in new territories.”

So far there is no indication of what those six new products might be or whether they will be based on existing model platforms, however Norton have insisted their business model revolves around premium products up until this point. Any bikes produced will need to achieve stringent Euro emissions standards in order to be sold abroad.

Both the existing 961 and V4SV are reengineered versions of models produced by the former Norton Motorcycles UK Ltd before going into administration in April 2020 under the control of now discredited Midlands businessman Stuart Garner.

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Under TVS ownership, however, £200 million worth of investment has been pledged already, including a new manufacturing facility built in Solihull. The reengineering of the 961 and V4 platforms are also said to have cost of £2.3million.

Dr Hentschel added: “The investment in research and development and leadership has us positioned to take six exciting products to countries across the world, with world class quality and scale, spelling another epoch of success in the Norton story.”