Many Norton followers have “scrambled” since the news of the end of the production of the current brand models was published, including the iconic Commando 961to give way to a new strategic and commercial era. A movement that is part of the company’s general plans after the acquisition of this by the Indian group TVS Motors.
The acronym Commando cannot, nor should they disappear
As we all know at this point (if someone was not aware from today), Norton Motorcycles was acquired by the Indian giant of the automotive TVS Motors in 2020. Since then the British firm has been the subject of various business remodeling where its new owners have invested time and a lot of money. The idea is to give the brand a new channel where you diversify your product and you can offer a broader and more affordable catalog than the current one.
Something totally understandable taking into account the operation of the two -wheel sector for a while to this part. However, it is not so much that Norton has decided to give a folder to each and every one of the current models, among which the Commando 961 is included. Of course, at this point, the most staunch to the brand wonder, is it really necessary to make one of the most significant emblems of the company disappear?
In fact, for millions of fans in the world, the acronym Commando are, probably, the first ones that come to mind when asked about a Norton model. So, at this point, we should reflect on the impact that the disappearance of such an emblematic model for the English brand would have, with practically six decades of history. Something that is nothing trivial and that of course has not gone unnoticed for all those who profess a special affection for these acronyms.
To start we should go back until the 1967 season, at which time the Commando was presented on the occasion of the Earls Court Hall. A revolution that managed to win the “Moto del Year” award is the United Kingdom, awarded by MCN, for five consecutive years. Its success was also lavished by other markets of importance such as the American, where the chronicles of the moment extolled it as a truly exciting and sports motorcycle.
Subsequently, the model had different versions until the brand discouraged it for 1975. Then there were several attempts to recover the acronym Commando with different projects undertaken by small businesses in the sector, although it is not until 2008 when the British businessman Stuart Garner bought the design rights in 2008 and manages to relive the model a couple of seasons later, after inaugurating a new factory in Donington Park, Leseshire.
After the definitive closure of this in 2020, it is when TVS Motor enters and its new plans for the brand. Among them are to create a novel range with up to six new models for next year, although it will be presumably the next 11/11/2025 when the first one is officially presented on the occasion of the inauguration of a new eicma edition.
It is precisely at this point where Norton followers begin to wonder if this first model will be responsible for carrying the acronym Commando becoming the banner of the new range of brand models. Another theory that we consider from the writing of SMN is that the British firm could wait for the next season to launch a 60th anniversary edition and take advantage of this situation to reissue this commercial denomination with so much history within its own history. In any case, all this will discover just a few weeks … Stay attentive!
