'The Spirit of St. George' – the last machine built by Mick Hemmings, 1977 Norton 750 Special

• Built from brand-new genuine Norton parts
• Numerous engine tuning and other upgrades
• Present ownership since 2021
• Only 1,498 miles recorded

The late Mick Hemmings' name will be forever associated with Norton, and the Commando in particular. Mick bought his first Norton, a crashed Commando, in 1969 and rebuilt it as a production racer, going on to secure more than 50 wins on it. Apprenticed in 1959 to TT rider Joe Glazebrook of Northampton, Mick worked his way up through the motorcycle trade and in 1974 opened his own shop – Mick Hemmings Motorcycles – in Northampton. A Norton Villiers Triumph franchise was acquired the following year, and Mick Suzuki to the stable in 1977.

The trade publication British Dealer News had this to say about Mick in its obituary: "In 1990 he moved to new premises in Northampton concentrating on Norton and Triumph and developing his own range of improvement and race parts, building up an international clientele. In 2015, aged 71, he closed his town centre shop to concentrate on engine and gearbox preparation from an extensive home-based workshop. In 2020, aged 76, he decided to further scale down by building gearboxes only.
"In 1975 he had become an agent for Quaife five-speed clusters and worked closely with Rod Quaife on developing a six-speed version... Hemmings was the race winner of the inaugural Goodwood Revival meeting (1998, 500 Matchless) beating twice 500cc world champion Barry Sheene. He won the Revival again in 2000. He also won international classic races in Japan, Italy, and France as well as in the UK."

Mick died at the John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford on 17th May 2021 after collapsing in his workshop. He was 77 and left a wife Angie and son Steve.

This Norton Commando Special was built by Mick using brand-new genuine Norton parts, and registered as a 1977 machine. Specification highlights include the following:

• 750cc Wiseco forged pistons
• PW3 (Peter Williams) camshaft
• Big-valve cylinder head conversion with gas-flowing, etc
• 33mm 'smooth bore' Amal Mk1 Concentric carburettors
• 5-speed Quaife/Hemmings gearbox
• Hemmings belt-drive kit
• 5-gallon alloy 'Manx' fuel tank
• Electronic tachometer
• Commando 850 frame and fork yokes converted to 'S' type
• 250mm Fontana front brake

The special colour scheme features St. George and the Dragon, and there is a plaque on the top yoke engraved: 'In the Spirit of St. George'. The ex-Hemmings Commando was acquired by the current keeper in July 2021 and currently displays a total of 1,498 miles on the odometer. Accompanying paperwork includes a V5C document; MoT certificate dated 2016; a Norton Commando Rider's Manual; and photographs of the machine in Mick's workshop.
Offered with key