The British have built a lot of motorcycles over the course of the last century or so, but there’s one that holds a special allure. The Norton Commando.
Introduced in 1967 as the latest evolution of Norton’s classic twin standard bike, the Commando was aimed squarely at the American market, as were most other motorcycles and cars coming out of England in that time. It featured a 745cc twin-cylinder engine, tilted forward in the frame for the first time.
The Commando 750 S was Norton’s sporting model, with 750cc of displacement, a larger 2.5-gallon fuel tank and high-mounted twin exhaust. Despite a somewhat dubious reputation for reliability (again, like most other motorcycles and cars coming out of England in that time), the 750 S was the bike that cemented Norton as a true performance bike. It would compete with great success in various road racing series including Tourist Trophy events and sidecar races.
This stunning yellow 1971 Commando 750 S goes up for sale at the Mecum Indy 2020 auction on July 12 (Lot L153) along with other motorcycles in the Al Phillips collection.
