1929 Norton 490cc Model 18

• Only two owners in the last 85 years
• Present ownership since 1973
• Offered for restoration

Like the majority of their 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. Penned by James Lansdowne Norton himself and first seen in prototype form in 1922, the overhead-valve Norton made little impact in that year's Senior TT, though at Brooklands D R O'Donovan raised the world 500cc kilometre record to over 89mph using the new motor. A road-going version - the Model 18 - was catalogued for 1923, quickly establishing a reputation for both speed and reliability when a standard engine assembled from parts was used to set a host of records, including a new 12 hours mark. Alec Bennett won the Senior TT for Norton in 1924 and, demonstrating that racing really did improve the breed, the Model 18 gaining Webb forks and better brakes for 1925 as a direct result of the works team's experiences.

The Model 18 retained its essentially Vintage characteristics until 1931 when the range was extensively redesigned, dry-sump lubrication and a rear-mounted magneto being standardised. The most obvious external alteration in its appearance before then had been the adoption of a 'saddle' tank for 1929.

This Vintage-era Model 18 was supplied new by R O Clark of Norwich and is offered with the dealer's plaque where it notes the Greenwich Sunset Times for each week and month, information deemed essential for a machine supplied without lights. The fuel tank has the speedometer fitted inside it, an optional extra that cost £2, which the first owner deemed more essential than electric lighting.

The machine comes with two old-style logbooks, the earliest of which (issued 1938) shows that it was registered that year by a Mr Arthur Spilling of Abingdon. Our vendor purchased the Norton from Mr Spilling in 1973 and little has been done since the machine's purchase. The vendor has carried out some mechanical work; however, the machine is offered for restoration and thus is sold strictly as viewed. Accompanying paperwork includes an old-style V5 document; a letter from Norton Motors; a copy of The Unapproachable Norton 1929; various instruction manuals and the aforementioned logbooks. A wonderful opportunity to restore and enjoy a Vintage Model 18 Norton.
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