While Norton Motorcycles finds itself currently in the middle of a relaunch period, having recently resurrected the brand at its Donington Park headquarters, being widely rumored to contend in MotoGP for the 2012 season, and just a month ago announcing that it would return to the North American motorcycle market, more changes seem in store for the historic British company. Announced today was the surprise move that sees famed South African motorcycle designer Pierre Terblanche moving from Piaggio, where he was working on revamping the Moto Guzzi line, to Norton Motorcycles.
“Pierre’s experience of bringing innovative new products to the marketplace will be a vital factor in developing the Norton range, whilst paying due respect to its traditions,” says Stuart Garner, CEO of Norton Motorcycles. “Combining his flair for original concepts with Norton’s sporting traditions, will allow us to create a range of motorcycles bearing the historic Norton badge that will be unlike anything else in the marketplace.”
Terblanche is noted for his work at Ducati, which brought about popular bikes like the Supermono, Hypermotard, Sport Classic, and MH900e. Terblanche is also infamous for his work on the Ducati 999 Superbike and the original Multistrada, which have had a more of a “love it or hate it” reception with consumers. Working with Moto Guzzi, Terblanche’s latest work however has been met with very positive criticism, as the Piaggio sub-brand launched three pieces of his work at the 2009 EICMA show.
We imagine Norton will not only benefit from the South African’s unique and trend-setting designs, but will also see Terblanche’s strong personality and vision enter into the company culture and brand. A part of Norton’s future strategy surely involves setting itself apart from its competition and creating new engaging motorcycles for consumers, for that role we think Terblanche should fit in quite nicely.
Source: Norton Motorcycles
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