Lot 293 - c.1931/1929 Norton 349cc Model CJ For Sale by Auction

This motorcycle is Lot 293 - To be auctioned by Bonhams at The Spring Stafford Sale (The International Classic MotorCycle Show) on 26th & 27th April, please see the Bonhams website for full details.

Auction Timings:
Lots 101 - 147 are to be sold from 14:00 on Saturday 26th April 2025.
Lots 201 - 410 are to be sold from 11:00 on Sunday 27th April 2025.

Public Viewing:
Available 26th & 27th April 2025 from 09:00 until 17:00, at The Stafford County Showground (The International Classic MotorCycle Show).

Lot 293
Offered from the estate of the late Derek Fox
c. 1931/ 1929 Norton 349cc Model CJ
Registration no. DS 9792
Frame no. 38358
Engine no. CJ 1087
• First purchased by Derek in 1964
• Previously raced in grass-track and sprint events
• Featured in The Classic Motorcycle, 2004 January edition

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 (Cam Shaft 1), which shared the bore and stroke dimensions of its OHV brother at 79mm x 100mm. A 350 engine was also made, being designated the CJ (Camshaft Junior). 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. The frame was also new and for the first time Norton abandoned the 'Flat Tank' in favour of a 'saddle' type.

The Vintage Motor Cycle Club has kindly consulted their copy of the Norton factory records and confirmed the following details of this machine and its dispatch. Frame number '38358' is that of a 1931 Model CJ (Camshaft Junior) despatched on 16th June 1931 to Glades/ Slades (unclear) Garage in Penn. The Norton was purchased by B J Bales of Slough on 1st July 1931. Engine number 'CJ 1087' formed part of a machine despatched on 29th April 1929 to Glanfield Lawrence in London. One F Bickrell purchased the Norton four days later.

Derek Fox first purchased this rare 'cammy' Norton '350' in 1964, at which time it had a 490cc engine installed. For around two years Derek used the machine as a daily ride, competing with it in grass-track and sprint events at weekends before retiring it from competition. In 1972 a suitable 349cc CJ engine was obtained and Derek subsequently parted with the machine in a swap deal with his friend, engineer Ian Webb. Commenced in 1984, the rebuild took Ian two years to complete. When Ian Webb died in 1991, Derek repurchased the CJ, which since then has been reserved for special occasions. In 2003 Richard Rosenthal tested Derek's CJ for The Classic Motorcycle magazine's January 2004 edition (copy on file).

Being an older restoration, the Norton will require safety checks and recommissioning to a greater or lesser extent before returning to the road (the engine turns over). The machine is offered with a V5C document; an HPI report; a 1985 Science Museum dating letter (listing the engine number); 1960 Norton letter; and three black-and-white photographs depicting it in competition use. It should be noted that the HPI lists a previous registration of 'DS 7466', removed in 1992.

All lots are sold 'as is/ where is' and Bidders must satisfy themselves as to the provenance, condition, age, completeness and originality prior to bidding. Visit the Bonhams Motorcycles website for all pertinent auction information.