New logo for Norton motorcycles

Norton is one of those brands whose name is synonymous with English heritage. It embodies the 'good ole days', conjuring up images of post-war Britain, of village life, and representative of a burgeoning UK manufacturing and engineering industry (notably cars and motorcycles). Like Triumph, it shouts Bristishness.

London design agency Carter Wong Design were given the task of creating a new brand and logo by "taking the best design aspects and features of all the logo’s". 

The first Norton logo appeared back in 1902, and has undergone a number of incarnations since, the last one in 2006. The resulting logo is arguably very similar to the previous incarnations, particularly with the Norton logo of the 1970s, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. As they say "if it ain't broke..." Evolution, not revolution...

Surely that says something about the power of the previous logo, that it's an established brand. It remains classic, and classy. It remain timeless, capturing enough heritage without looking historical, and embracing enough of the future to remain contemporary and valid for today's market.

While Norton is a global brand, with the new production of bikes made locally at Donington race track, it's certainly in need of some big names and big money behind it if it wants to succeed on the international stage and not become a small cottage industry.

One can't help feeling somewhat sad though that despite such passionate (and talented) local design agencies (and manufacturers) to see the region being by-passed in favour of a London design company. In fact our Director used to design for Triumph for a number of years and is a passionate lifelong biker, so Liv Design would have been ideal!

We hope to see Norton go from strength to strength and go on for another 100 years...