Description
Norton 1932 490cc OHC International frame # 45656 engine # 52086
Norton had enjoyed considerable success with their OHV racing versions of the famous Model 18 from 1922. Stanley Woods won the 1926 Senior TT, there were numerous wins in the European Grand Prix and, of course, the remarkable feat of Albert Denly averaging over 100mph for one hour at Montlhery in June 1927. The opposition were however developing overhead camshaft engines and Norton’s Walter Moore responded with the CS1 (Camshaft Senior 1), which shared the bore and stroke dimensions of its OHV brother at 79mm x 100mm. The bottom half of the engine was the same as the dry sump OHV engine, but two pairs of bevel gears and a vertical shaft drove the camshaft which was located in a tidy cam box mounted on the four cylinder head bolts.
By 1930 Moore had left to work for NSU in Germany and for the TT that year Arthur Carroll, his successor at Bracebridge Street, redesigned the camshaft engine. With this design Norton started its incredible run of success in road racing. Arthur Carroll’s 500cc Norton International Model 30 was used as a factory racer, but was also available as a production racer from the start. The CS1 model name was carried on though and became the sports touring brother of the famous International model that was first seen in the Norton sales catalogue in 1932.
The Norton we offer here is a combination of a 1932 CS1 frame and 1931 International engine. The engine was despatched to Norton Importer Kaptein in The Netherlands on 14 December 1931. She is equipped with a Smiths speedometer, Brooklands exhaust and Amal Monobloc carburettor. An Amal 10TT9 carburettor with outside air slide comes with the machine.