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A New Chapter for Motorcycle World

Seven questions raised about the

NORTON COLLAPSE

The collapse of Norton Motorcycles, one of the UK's most iconic motorcycle manufacturers, in 2020 raised a
number of serious questions about the company's financial management, its operations, and the role of various
stakeholders, including its leadership and the government. Norton's abrupt fall into bankruptcy shocked the
motorcycle industry and left hundreds of employees, customers, and investors in limbo. The questions that followed
highlighted systemic issues within the company and its governance. In this
article, we will explore seven critical questions that were raised following the
collapse of Norton Motorcycles, which has not only become a case study in
corporate mismanagement but also a cautionary tale for the wider manufacturing
sector.
1. Misuse of Pension Funds were now tied up in a company
on the verge of collapse.
One of the most alarming aspects of the
Norton collapse was the involvement of The question here was: How
employees' pension funds in the could a company, especially
company's financial dealings. It was one with such a storied
revealed that approximately 228 history, allow such a high level
employees had their pensions invested of financial exposure for its
entirely in Norton Motorcycles. This employees? The answer to this
situation created a serious risk for the was largely due to poor
employees, whose retirement savings oversight and mismanagement

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LHR Motorcycle Magazine Issue 12 April 2025