ex-Factory contacts ? (2015)

Anyone know how to contact John ?
He posted this on a 2012 facebook page with reference to the 1967 Earls Court showing of the Commando prototypes.


I was Sales Manager at Norton Villiers and arranged all the Earls Court Shows on those days.
By the way the Commando nearly got the name "Silverflash".
John D Wood April 19, 2012

If he knows what models were shown/debuted at which shows, it may make some sense of what the factory was doing
with some of the new models - and may have the inside story of what was going on behind the scenes.
Complicated by there being a real estate firm with the same name, going back to the 1880s...

Use the message feature on his facebook page.

https://www.facebook.com/john.d.wood1

I was on the stand at the 1967 show. We had two Commandos on display, both in all silver paint with orange seats. The also had the "green blob" on the tank sides, which was the "NEW NORTON" emblem. The Norton name didn't appear anywhere. One visitor asked if the Republic of Ireland had funded the display, since it flag is orange, green and white. Another one asked me where the switch for the "trafficators" (UK speak for "turn signals") was, and why were they green?

As far as I remember, the only other bikes on display were an Atlas and a Villiers of India scooter called the "Fantabulous". I did some test rides on the scooter before the show. It wasn't bad, but seriously under-powered with a 150 cc engine. We modified it to take the Villiers 9E, a 197cc motor. It was an odd-ball structural concept, difficult to make and with peculiar handling. N-V decided, after the show, not to import it. I understand it has been popular in India.

The Commandos were certainly the stars of the show. I thought it was a pity that the AJS Stormer wasn't far enough along in development to be shown. I don't think we had any of the motocross team bikes on display.

Later in 1968, planning started on the move to Andover and the closure of the Wolverhampton and London plants. I'd emigrated by then, and didn't keep in touch. In 1969, the M-X team came to a meeting in Washington State and I spent a day at the meet with them. The team was led by Peter Inchley, who was also the test engineering manager. Peter is no longer with us.

The main engineer/designer of the Commando was Bob Trigg, based at Wolverhampton. I can't recall any other names from that time and I had almost no contact with the Plumstead Road people.

frankdamp said:

I was on the stand at the 1967 show. We had two Commandos on display, both in all silver paint with orange seats. The also had the "green blob" on the tank sides, which was the "NEW NORTON" emblem. The Norton name didn't appear anywhere.

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Were these prototypes or did they make it in to production?

speirmoor said:

frankdamp said:

I was on the stand at the 1967 show. We had two Commandos on display, both in all silver paint with orange seats. The also had the "green blob" on the tank sides, which was the "NEW NORTON" emblem. The Norton name didn't appear anywhere.

Click to expand...

Were these prototypes or did they make it in to production?

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As I understand it, both show Commandos were still at the "mock up" stage, and neither actually ran.
As Frank pointed out, one useful aspect of the Earls Court show was to gauge customer reaction to the design and styling of a new model and anything that did not meet with approval could be attended to before production began, hence the fact that production Commandos did not have silver frames, orange seats (except for a few that were sent to Australia) or green blobs on the tank!

It was the orange seat that peaked my interest. I remembered seeing an orange seat one at the rally in VT a few years ago. The owner said it was original along with the pump and toolkit pictured on the seat. Dont know where it originated but the license plate is TYT63F. Its a really nice combination. Would loved to have seen the silver framed version

speirmoor said:

Dont know where it originated but the license plate is TYT63F.

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"TYT 63F" was the original 1968 UK press test Commando, I somehow doubt the one you saw was likely to have been be the actual TYT 63F which didn't have an orange seat at that time.

Don't think they came with metallic paint either. Does look good though.

When I acquired my 1968 Commando it came with an orange seat. The vendor told me it was original & I think it probably was. I still have the strap somewhere, but the cover went in the bin as it was revolting & had no place on any motorcycle.
Also, I wonder why they didn't go into production with the 18" rear wheel of the show bikes.

I think the guy third from the left in that photo of the show display is me! I'm puzzled by the logo or whatever it is to the right of the "blob". It looks like the "N" Norton logo used later. The seat on the bike in Speirmoor's post is exactly like what I remember. The prototypes I rode had weird-looking fiberglass fuel tanks. The seats were from one of AMC's production bikes. They didn't have either center or prop stands - we had to lean them against a lamp-post or a tree.

frankdamp said:

I think the guy third from the left in that photo of the show display is me!

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The guy 2nd from the left is Wally Wyatt (?), comp shop guru and probably had a large part in building said prototypes. (?).

Andover Norton recently built some of those orange fastback seats, having noted somewhere they didn't think that too many bikes
were originally sold with them (new). LAB, what is your source for saying some went to Australia ? Someone here recently noted that some ended up in Canada, after the sale/shift of the old Matchless factory in Burrage Grove.

Where this thread is going, of course, is what did Nortons show in the Earls Court shows after the 1967 debut of the Commando.
The Commando 1st showing is well known and detailed, but what happened for later on shows ?
It is noted someplace that the Mk2 Commando Fastback was announced Sept 1970, so that would be something new for the 1970 Earls Court Show.
But for the 1971 show, the 1972 models hadn't been announced yet.... (???).

frankdamp said:

I'm puzzled by the logo or whatever it is to the right of the "blob". It looks like the "N" Norton logo used later.

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I think it's a smaller version of the 'Norton Villiers - Norton' sticker that eventually replaced the green blob.

what''s the story with the green glob?

84ok said:

what''s the story with the green glob?

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green-globe-logo-t6025.html

L.A.B. said:

"TYT 63F" was the original 1968 UK press test Commando, I somehow doubt the one you saw was likely to have been be the actual TYT 63F which didn't have an orange seat at that time.

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found this old thread and thought I would throw something on it

jimbo said:

found this old thread and thought I would throw something on it

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But is it the original TYT 63F?

Nope just Brian Slarks old bike.