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LOT 668

c.1941 Norton 490cc Ex-WD 16H Registration no. UJJ 48 Frame no. 38704 Engine no. W12812 (see text)

Sold for £3,565 inc. premiumLot to be sold without reserve
Lot 668

c.1941 Norton 490cc Ex-WD 16H
Registration no. UJJ 48 Frame no. 38704 Engine no. W12812 (see text)

c.1941 Norton 490cc Ex-WD 16H
Registration no. UJJ 48
Frame no. 38704
Engine no. W12812 (see text)

The stalwart of Norton's war effort was their ubiquitous 16H model, used by many despatch riders in the conflict. The model 16 arrived in 1911, with the 16H introduced in 1921; the 'H' denoting the bike as a 'Home' model, to distinguish it from the 'Colonial' version. Tested by the War Department in the run up to World War II, the solid side-valve machine was deemed to have adequate power and sufficient ruggedness, combined with ease of maintenance in the field, to make it a mainstay for the armed forces in action. In the subsequent peacetime, 16Hs were duly decommissioned and sold off to a transport-hungry public over many years. Some were civilianised, and some were left in military trim. 'UJJ 48' appears to have been sold off in 1957, judging from the date of first registration in its old-style V5C. It seems to have seen service as a trials machine latterly, although there is a photograph of it on file with a box sidecar attached. The V5C lists the engine number as 3653F7, although it now has engine W12812 fitted. 'UJJ 48' is part of a deceased estate and has been kept for many years in poor conditions. Ex-WD machines have become increasingly popular in recent years, and 'UJJ 48' presents a potentially rewarding project for fans of wartime/nostalgia events. Documentation comprises only the aforementioned old-style V5C and photograph. After standing for a considerable time, the old warhorse will require extensive re-commissioning or restoration and is sold strictly as viewed. We have no knowledge of its mechanical condition, except that the engine does not turn over.

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