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Andover Norton Ltd
was
founded in the summer of 1977 to house all Norton, Triumph and BSA Spare Parts that came
from the stores of Norton Villiers for Norton Commando and Dominator
Models, and from BSA/Triumph for all models built by those two
manufacturers, in an industrial unit in Andover, Hants.
As the name indicates, the company was first and foremost the source for all
Norton spares and, as original stock was sold off, Andover Norton started
to re-manufacture new Norton parts. This it was well
qualified to do, as the company has all the works drawings and tooling to
manufacture parts to original, and often improved, specification.
In 1979, the decision was made to add the distribution of
general motorcycle parts and accessories- brake pads, spark plugs
and tyres- to the parts operation.
picture (right) shows 1978
prospectus
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This was continued until 1982, when Mike Jackson, with
the help of Dennis Poore, bought the company and continued
the distribution, while the Norton Spare Parts went back to
Norton Motors (1978) Ltd in Shenstone, managed for most of their time there by Richard
Negus, later the Managing Director of our sister company Norton Motors
Ltd.
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Our Managing Director,
Nick Hopkins, can just be seen in a picture in the 1978
prospectus, studying a parts list- yes, he has been with the company
for a while!
He
was probably looking for the parts required by a German customer,
who called frequently, coming up from Southampton University, where
he studied at the time, on his John Player Norton Replica or his 1956
Norton ES2. Mr.J.Seifert was buying Norton parts for himself
and friends in Hamburg- today, he is the owner of Andover Norton. |
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picture above shows 1985 prospectus
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Norton Motors Ltd, under
its MD Dennis Austin, started a "Brand Awareness"
programme in 1985, using the now famous "Norton Genuine
Factory Parts" logo, thereby distinguishing the genuine parts
made to original or improved specification from the pirate parts of
poor quality that were flooding the market from places far afield,
mostly the Far East.
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Early card, ca.1985 |
Packing card ca.1988 |
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Card ca.1993 |
Card
ca.1997 |
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When Norton got into financial difficulties through the machinations of
its management team led by Philippe Le Roux, the Norton Commando spares
stock was sold back to Andover Norton, then owned by Mike Jackson and
William Colquhoun, in 1991. The stock was once more
moved down to Andover and, when Andover Norton was aquired by the Regal
Group in 1994, the spares moved
to Southampton.
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Nothing, however, is more constant than change, so in 2007 Norton Motors
Ltd, recreated by said Richard Negus and Joe Seifert, re-aquired Andover
Norton and set it up, once again, in Hungerford near Andover, managed by Nick
Hopkins, who
had done so since 1991, and Phil Albutt, who came to Andover
Norton by way of BSA in Blockley. Chief Buyer is Peter Morris, who
has followed Bob Reynolds, who in turn had been in
that function for various Norton Companies since the 1970s, supported by
Richard Negus and Joe Seifert, who had been involved with the Norton
Commando models and their spare parts since production times.
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