LOT 321
1925 Norton 490cc Model 16H & Swallow Sidecar Registration no. FC 8980 Frame no. 18226 Engine no. 25662
Sold for £16,675 inc. premium
Lot 321
1925 Norton 490cc Model 16H & Swallow SidecarRegistration no. FC 8980 Frame no. 18226 Engine no. 25662
The Autumn Stafford Sale: The Classic Motorcycle Mechanics Show|20 October 2019, 11:00 BST|Stafford, Staffordshire County Showground
1925 Norton 490cc Model 16H & Swallow Sidecar
Registration no. FC 8980
Frame no. 18226
Engine no. 25662
Registration no. FC 8980
Frame no. 18226
Engine no. 25662
• Vintage-era sports combination
• Present family ownership since 1984
• Offered for re-commissioning/restoration
• Eligible for the Banbury Run
• Still has the original throttle control and air control opening outwards
Norton relied on proprietary engines in its formative years - winning the inaugural Isle of Man TT with a Peugeot-engined machine - before introducing its own design of power unit in 1907. The long-stroke sidevalve single displaced 633cc and the new model it powered became known as the 'Big 4'. Smaller capacity versions followed and in 1911 the '500' adopted the classic 79x100mm bore and stroke dimensions that would characterise the half-litre (actually 490cc) Norton for the next 50 years.
Norton's new sidevalve was among the fastest in its class, being the first machine under 500cc to be officially timed at over 70mph, which was some going for 1911. The following year Norton-mounted Jack Emerson easily won the 150-mile Brooklands TT against a field of more experienced competitors (setting three long-distance records in the process) having ridden his machine down from Hull! Small wonder that the slogan 'Unapproachable' began to be applied to the Norton singles at around this time.
The 490cc engine was revised for 1914 and the following year gained a new frame with lowered riding position together with the option of a Sturmey Archer three-speed gearbox. When fitted with chain drive, the 490cc sidevalve single became the 'Model 16' in Norton's numbering system, and then changed to '16H' in 1921 when a new lower frame was introduced. Norton's trusty 16H sidevalve would be continuously up-dated for the next 30-plus years before taking its final bow - along with the Big 4 - in 1954.
This Vintage-era 16H is attached to a Zeppelin-style sidecar built by the Blackpool firm of Swallow, a company co-founded by William Lyons and the forerunner of SS and Jaguar cars. The Norton has belonged to the vendor's family since April 1984 when it was purchased by his late father from the dispersal sale of Benson Garages property in Norfolk. Its late owner was a Jaguar enthusiast who purchased the Norton/Swallow combination to complement his collection of Jaguar cars. Noteworthy features include a P&H rear lamp, TWR sidecar lamp, ML magneto, Brown & Barlow carburettor, toolboxes with leather inserts, and a 'Layton Garages Oxford' plaque to the headlamp. Untouched and unused since acquisition (the engine turns over), this delightful Norton motorcycle combination is offered with photocopy old V5 and current V5C documents. A detached/broken bulb horn is offered with the machine, which will require extensive re-commissioning or possibly more extensive restoration before returning to the road.
• Present family ownership since 1984
• Offered for re-commissioning/restoration
• Eligible for the Banbury Run
• Still has the original throttle control and air control opening outwards
Norton relied on proprietary engines in its formative years - winning the inaugural Isle of Man TT with a Peugeot-engined machine - before introducing its own design of power unit in 1907. The long-stroke sidevalve single displaced 633cc and the new model it powered became known as the 'Big 4'. Smaller capacity versions followed and in 1911 the '500' adopted the classic 79x100mm bore and stroke dimensions that would characterise the half-litre (actually 490cc) Norton for the next 50 years.
Norton's new sidevalve was among the fastest in its class, being the first machine under 500cc to be officially timed at over 70mph, which was some going for 1911. The following year Norton-mounted Jack Emerson easily won the 150-mile Brooklands TT against a field of more experienced competitors (setting three long-distance records in the process) having ridden his machine down from Hull! Small wonder that the slogan 'Unapproachable' began to be applied to the Norton singles at around this time.
The 490cc engine was revised for 1914 and the following year gained a new frame with lowered riding position together with the option of a Sturmey Archer three-speed gearbox. When fitted with chain drive, the 490cc sidevalve single became the 'Model 16' in Norton's numbering system, and then changed to '16H' in 1921 when a new lower frame was introduced. Norton's trusty 16H sidevalve would be continuously up-dated for the next 30-plus years before taking its final bow - along with the Big 4 - in 1954.
This Vintage-era 16H is attached to a Zeppelin-style sidecar built by the Blackpool firm of Swallow, a company co-founded by William Lyons and the forerunner of SS and Jaguar cars. The Norton has belonged to the vendor's family since April 1984 when it was purchased by his late father from the dispersal sale of Benson Garages property in Norfolk. Its late owner was a Jaguar enthusiast who purchased the Norton/Swallow combination to complement his collection of Jaguar cars. Noteworthy features include a P&H rear lamp, TWR sidecar lamp, ML magneto, Brown & Barlow carburettor, toolboxes with leather inserts, and a 'Layton Garages Oxford' plaque to the headlamp. Untouched and unused since acquisition (the engine turns over), this delightful Norton motorcycle combination is offered with photocopy old V5 and current V5C documents. A detached/broken bulb horn is offered with the machine, which will require extensive re-commissioning or possibly more extensive restoration before returning to the road.
Footnotes
As with all Lots in the Sale, this Lot is sold 'as is/where is' and Bidders must satisfy themselves as to the provenance, condition, age, completeness and originality prior to bidding.
Additional information
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- 19 October 2019, 09:00 - 17:00 BST
- 20 October 2019, 09:00 - 17:00 BST
