You can’t accuse the TVS Motor Company of going about things half cocked, as far as their acquisition of The Norton Motorcycle Co Ltd goes. After buying the 122-year-old bike brand for £16 million last April, it’s just been announced that TVS are about to open a new Norton factory in Solihull, in the West Midlands.
The new Norton factory will be home to a skilled team of production engineers, and whilst some tooling and equipment has been carried over from the old site at Castle Donington, there has been substantial new investment. This will be ‘the most advanced manufacturing facility Norton has ever had’ according to their PR people… but that’s not really saying much, is it.
When the new site opens, some time in Q1 2021, production will resume on the Commando Classic to fulfil any outstanding orders. And we’ve heard there are quite a few. They say that V4SS production will commence soon after that, although how soon is anyone’s guess.
The new Solihull site isn’t just a factory, either. It will be Norton’s main headquarters and the permanent base for all its staff; sales, marketing, design, admin, you name it. The investment from TVS, India’s third largest motorcycle manufacturer, has already created over 50 jobs in the West Midlands area, and that number is expected to rise as the business grows.
Sudarshan Venu hit the nail on the head when he said “The opening of the new headquarters represents a significant step forward for Norton Motorcycles,” because let’s face it, it was a shower of shit at the last place, with Stuart Garner in charge.
Nobody really knew what was going to happen when TVS took Norton over 9 months ago, especially with COVID-19 throwing a spanner in the works. But, with continued investment in the new Norton Factory, it seems as though the Indians are genuinely committed to dragging the British bike manufacturer out of the gutter. Nice one, TVS, keep up the good work.
