The late 1960s and 1970s may be remembered as a troubled time for the British motorcycle industry but machines like the Commando prove it wasn’t all doom and gloom. Associated Motor Cycles, the parent company which owned Matchless, AJS, Norton, Francis-Barnett and James, may have gone bankrupt in 1966, but Manganese Bronze Holdings intervened to save Norton, and Norton-Villiers emerged from the ashes.

Up until the end of A.M.C., Norton’s flagship model was the Atlas. Its 750cc twin was an evolution of the 500cc Model 7 of 1947, and what had been a great design then was antiquated and unimpressive some 20 years later. Dennis Poore, Chairman of Manganese Bronze, wanted a fresh and exciting flagship for his new acquisition, and made it known that he wanted it ready for the 1967 Earl’s Court Motorcycle Show.

Things didn’t go entirely to plan and a new engine wasn’t ready in time, although the Atlas engine was substantially developed and improved to a point that satisfied Poore, and an all-new, very modern-looking motorcycle burst onto the scene carrying the Commando name. It could hardly have been a greater success. Though the engine balance inconsistencies had been a problem with vertical twins, the development of the new isolastic frame was satisfyingly effective at absorbing vibrations.

The Commando sold well universally and was named Machine of the Year by Motor Cycle News for five consecutive years from 1968 to 1972. In racing, it was competitive in the Isle of Man T.T. and won the Thruxton 500 outright in 1970. In 1971, Peter Williams’s Commando set an Isle of Man lap record at over 101 mph; he would have won the race in 1970 had he not run out of fuel!

From late 1973, the Commando’s 750 engine was terminated altogether and wholly replaced by an 850, which had previously been optional. All the 850s had front disc brakes and indicators. Its final incarnation was the much-improved Mk. III, which was built from 1975 to 1977 and featured an electric starter, left-side gear change and right-side footbrake for compliance with American regulations, and a rear disc brake. The Interstate was defined by its large 5¼-gallon fuel tank, fitted with long-distance riding in mind.

This early Commando Mk. III was sold new through Slocombe’s of Neasden to Sydney William Creamer of Drayson Mews, Kensington for £986.84, or £1098 after number plates, delivery and V.A.T. Jaguar enthusiasts will recognise Mr. Creamer as Chairman of R. A. Creamer & Son, the Drayson Mews garage established in 1927 to sell Daimlers, but which later become one of Britain’s best-known Jaguar agents. As sole supplier of Jaguars to the Queen, as well as supplying cars to the Queen Mother and the Prince of Wales, R. A. Creamer was rewarded with a Royal Warrant.

Sydney Creamer joined the family business in 1952 and established a name for himself as a genuine motoring enthusiast, with his tastes extending well beyond Jaguars to encompass everything from this Norton to a Rolls-Royce 20/25. He bought the Norton and fitted it with the Craven luggage rack, thinking he’d tie his fishing equipment to it and spend some leisurely weekends combining motorcycling and country pursuits, but the pressures of work put paid to that. Since he could be having tea with Princess Diana in his office one minute and then rushing to the south of France to repair the Queen Mother’s fuel pump the next, he struggled to find the time for the Norton and sold it around 1985 to its second owner, a colleague at R. A. Creamer, member of the Jaguar family and also a Drayson Mews resident.

The second owner found himself in a similar predicament. He also fancied that he might get some enjoyment out of it at weekends but, again, he scarcely found the time and Norton spent most of the following 25 years tucked out of the way in Creamer’s garage. Keen for it to retain its close ties with Jaguar, when the second owner came to sell the bike in 2009 he persuaded the vendor, a well-known Jaguar enthusiast and writer, to add the bike to his collection.

After riding it the 100 miles home from Kensington, he committed to its preservation, and since then it has been stored in a bike bubble with just a few rides out to the M.o.T. centre. Sadly, a house move is forcing the sale of the collection. Because of the Commando’s unspoilt originality, the Norton Owners’ Club has used it as a reference point. Today, it survives as an extremely well-preserved machine with genuine low mileage and interesting provenance which has never been apart, benefitting just from routine servicing.

Having seen such light use, the Norton does not have a large paperwork file but what is there is of considerable interest and importance. Besides the current V5, the bike comes with its bill of sale from Slocombe’s to Mr. Creamer, its original Norton guarantee card, and The Powerchoice, its original sales brochure.

This Norton has led something of a life of luxury, and it shows. Having covered only 3665 miles in 47 years and been stored for most of that time in a prestigious Jaguar garage and latterly in an enthusiast’s private collection, it survives in the most outstandingly well-preserved original condition.

With no restoration work having been undertaken at any point during its life – there has never been any need for it – the bike’s original factory finish boasts a light patina, all of which, we feel, adds to its provenance and enhances its appearance and character. The paint has acquired a few small blemishes over time and there is a small dent in the petrol tank, but nothing major.

All the brightwork is in lovely condition still, with just the aforementioned patina hinting at its age, and the seat is excellent. It has picked up a few small marks here and there, but generally speaking its condition is consistent with the bike’s low mileage and safe storage. There is just a small dent in the exhaust pipe from when Mr. Creamer’s boot slipped off the kick-start. As for originality, there’s little doubt about any of that. The presence of part numbers confirms that the wheel rims are original, and there’s even a paint mark from the factory on the brake cylinder.

The Norton is offered in a generally mechanically sound condition. The vendor believes the second owner had a new clutch fitted shortly after he bought it in the 1980s. With a new Exide battery just installed, the engine starts on its electric starter and will proceed to run happily. For the duration of its storage, the fuel tank has been filled with Amoco ethanol-free storage fuel which, along with the engine oil, has been changed as and when necessary to prevent deterioration.

Having not been used for 10 years (the last M.o.T. was issued in 2011), anyone who wishes to use the bike on the road would be advised to fit new tyres and undertake a general recommissioning. However, considering this bike’s value as a well-preserved original item with special provenance, we think it is better-suited to a place in a collection rather than being subjected to the wear and tear of regular road use.

The Norton Commando was one of the best British bikes of its generation, of that there is no doubt. It was comfortable and powerful, a worthy rival to the invading Japanese motorcycles, and the Mk. III represented it at its best, with an exceedingly up-to-date specification. But in some ways that’s academic because this bike – and we don’t often say this – is almost too good to ride.

Another Jaguar enthusiast and writer, James Leasor, coined the phrase ‘Never had a spanner on her’ to describe vehicles which purported to be highly original and unaltered since leaving the factory. He used it to humorous effect in his novels, but in the case of this Commando it’s almost true. Obviously it has seen a spanner during routine maintenance and its 1980s clutch replacement, but it is probably the most original, unrestored example you are ever likely to find, and its historical significance on that count alone can hardly be overstated.

That’s before we get to the bike’s fascinating connections with the Jaguar world, which must make it one of the most interesting and important Commandos outside of racing circles. This would be a wonderful addition to any collection of historic motorcycles, but it may be even more at home nestled alongside a Jaguar or several. If you’ve got your eye on this Norton but you’re not a Jaguar owner, that’s okay – it’s never too late to become one.