1955 Norton Model 7
From the Keith Mason collection

Registration No: XFC 881
Frame No: K1259688
MOT: Exempt

• The last of the swinging arm Model 7 500s
• Subject to a top-end overhaul in 2022
• Supplied wth some old MOTs and a V5C

A lifelong motorcycle enthusiast, Keith Mason started working in his local bike shop at the age of 15 before eventually branching out on his own a few years later. From humble beginnings selling secondhand bikes from a small shop, Keith built up the Moto GB empire to become one of the biggest motorcycle retailers and importers in the UK. The group has now grown to include 15 retail shops and is responsible for importing 9 different brands, also supplying many independent dealers, including QJ Motor, Voge, Lambretta, FB Mondial, Morbidelli, SYM and Hero. Keith sadly passed away in 2023, but in recent years he had put together a fantastic collection of his favourite classic bikes, ranging from a humble Honda Express to a beautiful Egli Vincent, documenting his lifetime in the trade. We are pleased to offer all 31 bikes from this collection in our March sale.

Norton was established by James Lansdowne Norton in Birmingham in 1898 and began building motorcycles with French and Swiss engines in 1902. In 1907 a Norton with a Peugeot engine won the first Isle of Man TT race, starting a long tradition of sporting excellence. Like most British manufacturers, Norton mainly produced mainly single cylinder engines, but after WW2, jumped on the vertical-twin bandwagon in 1948 when they introduced the Model 7. Designed by the legendary Bert Hopwood, the new 500cc engine went into the existing ES2 plunger-frame/tele-fork cycle parts, a marriage that necessitated a redesign of Norton's well-proven four-speed gearbox. It was the first bike to use the Dominator name and proved to be a solid and reliable model, even finding favour with the Japanese police force. The Model 7 continued as a cheaper alternative to the '88', its first major revision arriving in 1953 in the form of a new swinging-arm frame. The model was dropped at the end of 1955 but the same basic cycle parts were used for a 600cc successor, the Model 77, which continued in production until the autumn of 1958. This matching numbers 1955 model is presented in excellent, authentic condition with a good degree of originality and was subject to a top-end overhaul in 2022. The cost price of the parts, including +20" pistons, was £545 excluding labour. This machine is being sold as a collector’s item, part of Keith Masons stunning private collection of Vintage and Classic machines, which have all been dry stored for several years and will require recommissioning before use. It will be supplied with some old MOTs and a current V5C. The frame number has been quoted from the V5C as it's not clearly visible under a layer of paint.

For more information, please contact:
Ian Cunningham
ian.cunningham@handh.co.uk
07415871189