Norton Motorcycles’ new owners TVS Motors reportedly has no plans to relocate the British firm’s its manufacturing facilities to India as part of its desire to take the company global.
Over the weekend it was formally confirmed TVS – India’s third largest motorcycle manufacturer – had completed the purchase of Norton Motorcycles for £16million, weeks after the beleaguered brand slid into administration amid a brewing scandal over misuse of pensions funds by its former management.
Though the specifics of the deal has been kept under wraps for now, more information about TVS Motors’ plans for the company have begun trickling out.
According to a report by Indian publication carandbike, TVS joint MD Sudarshan Venu has told them there are no plans to move Norton Motorcycles’ production to India and instead wants to retain the Donington Park base for manufacturing. It would then shift headquarters to another location in the vicinity.
The report, though unconfirmed, would signal good news for Norton’s existing employees – totalling around 100 people – that they will be retained.
It also provides a short-term insight into whether TVS wants to maintain Norton has a premium brand without huge volume aspirations to take on marque’s such as Triumph, which recently entered into a collaboration with another Indian brand in Bajaj Auto. Though this is always subject to change, according to this report, TVS appears determined to get production up and running again with what it already has.
Though TVS intends to re-establish Norton as a global brand using TVS financial clout as a platform, it will do so with the existing engine options – its 650cc parallel-twin, 961cc unit and its V4.
