LOT 117

Property of a deceased's estate c.1925 Norton 495.5cc Overhead-valve Special Project Registration no. WU 3713 Frame no. 6540 Engine no. 7013

Sold for £9,775 inc. premiumLot to be sold without reserve

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Lot 117

Property of a deceased's estate, c.1925 Norton 495.5cc Overhead-valve Special Project
Registration no. WU 3713 Frame no. 6540 Engine no. 7013

The Summer Sale - The International Classic MotorCycle Show (Three-Day Auction)|2 July 2021, 12:00 BST|Stafford, Staffordshire County Showground

Property of a deceased's estate
c.1925 Norton 495.5cc Overhead-valve Special Project
Registration no. WU 3713
Frame no. 6540
Engine no. 7013

Like the majority of its contemporaries, Norton relied on the sidevalve engine until the 1920s when the existing and well-tried 490cc unit was used as the basis for the firm's first overhead-valve design. After debuting on the racetrack, a road-going version - the Model 18 - was catalogued for 1923, quickly establishing a reputation for both speed and reliability. The Model 18 retained its essentially Vintage characteristics until 1931 when the range was extensively redesigned, dry-sump lubrication and rear-mounted magneto being standardised.
Assumed by its late owner to be a Model 18, 'WU 3713' was first registered on 28th December 1925, its precise identity being unspecified on the accompanying old-style buff logbook (issued 1931), which merely lists the model as 'Norton'. Also on file is correspondence between the late owner and the DVLA concerning the frame's repair/replacement, the change being recorded on the accompanying V5C together with a change of engine. The latter's crankcase is stamped '72.5 x 120', indicating a capacity of 495.5cc, while the gearbox is stamped 'TT 1929' and 'CS145'. Norton never made a production model with those bore/stroke dimensions, yet the stamping appears original and in an appropriate font. A puzzle for the Norton historians! This motorcycle's condition, completeness, and correctness is not known and thus it is sold strictly as viewed.

Additional information

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Cycling, Motorcycle Spares and Memorabilia (Lots 201 to 551)
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