As with many other companies, Norton's racing success was the reason for the brand's fame. In 1907, the Norton driver H. Rem Fowler had made a name for himself with his victory in the 2-cylinder class over 259 km with an average of 58.29 km/h at the first Tourist Trophy (TT) on the Isle of Man in 1907. At that time, the machine still had a Peugeot engine. The owner of the company, James L. Norton, took part in every TT race from then on. In 1924, there were two Norton victories, followed by 16 more until 1939. Until then, there were 11 European championships.

After the Second World War, Norton clinched 16 TT victories and eight world championship titles as well as countless other sporting successes. During these decades, the Nortons were among the most popular motorcycles. From 1968, the model "Commando" was a worldwide success; in 1974, it continued with Wankel engine models. Production ended in 1977. Shortly after another victory at the Tourist Trophy in 1927, Norton presented two models, the CS 1, a series version of the winning vehicle with bevel shafts, and the Norton ES 2 shown here, which was built over many years.