1972 NORTON FIM PRODUCTION RACER
Auction Sale Estimate: $30000 - $40000

FAST BEAUTIFUL AND BRITISH

By the early 1970s, big British twins were about as relevant to the race scene as ‘Old Spice’ was to Sid Vicious. The truth of the matter is that the big Norton was the last of a majestic line of throbbing dinosaurs aimed at the ‘ton up’ merchants who liked the danger of speed and the complexity of heavy cornering. So, if the Commando street bike was the last word in vertical twins from Britain, then the Norton Production Racer was the exclamation point at the end of the sentence. It was the fastest, best-handling, lightest and quickest Commando you could buy. The F.I.M. Commando Production Racer in many ways underscored all that was proper about one’s need for speed. This beautiful example was registered new in New Zealand on 27 October 1972, its papers reflect its high breed as it is recorded as a F.I.M. production racer. It is one of three that were originally sent to New Zealand at the time. Having recently enjoyed an extensive rebuild, this machine is better than new and will require a ‘run in’.

Image and text courtesy Webbs Auction House NZ

Norton Commando