It’s a brand with a history that’s as troubled as it is iconic. But Norton finally looks as if it’s on an even keel, with ‘proper’ grown-up ownership in the form of the massive Indian bike firm TVS. The UK outfit has a new factory, new finance, and some new people in charge at the top. We spoke to one of them – Chief Commercial Officer Christian Gladwell – and he told us about the new plans, as well as where he’s come from and the thinking behind the new Norton.
We met Gladwell at the NEC show, on the firm’s plush stand. Though the pleasant former Scots Guard officer prefers not to call it a stand... “We call it a shop. I don’t like calling it a stand, it’s a wee shop, it’s a boutique. It’s a portal into Norton!”
