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Mark Hinchliffe·
NewsMotorbike news
··17 Comments·2 min read

Garner dines out as Norton sinks

Norton Stuart and Susie Garner
Stuart and Susie Garner dining out

Failed Norton Motorcycle boss Stuart Garner and his wife, Susie, have been spotted dining out at an elite restaurant, The Ivy, where a steak costs about £30 (about $A60).

The photo was published on the Twitter account Notnorton Moto as another example of Garner’s extravagant lifestyle.

Meanwhile, customers, pensioners, investors, the tax department and the government are still waiting for their money as the company languishes in administration.

Garner Norton
The Garners at a Swiss watch show in 2018

At least in Australia, importers Brisbane Motorcycles have returned deposits to those who paid for bikes not yet delivered.

In January, Norton Motorcycles went into administration amid claims of pension fund frauds and a £300,000 unpair tax bill.

The UK government is now being called on to investigate almost £8m in funding and loans amid claims that Garner squandered the money on fast cars and a lavish lifestyle.

Click here to read the whole sordid tale.

Buyers sought

Norton Motorcycles Donington Hall factory crowd
Norton’s Donington Hall factory

The company ceased production in February, but administrators BDO UK say they have “significant interest” from potential buyers.

BDO spokesman Lee Causer says they are “taking all necessary steps to ensure that customers, staff and suppliers are supported through the administration process, as we seek the sale of the business and assets”.

“We have had a significant volume of interest and are hopeful that a sale of Norton Motorcycles (UK) Ltd can be secured,” he says.

That’s good news for Norton fans and customers.Norton boss Stuart Garner at Donington Castle

The rumour mill has been running hot with talk of Japanese and Chinese motorcycle companies and even motorcycle fan Keanu Reeves being interested in buying the venerable brand.

See also

A petition to Triumph Motorcycles boss John Bloor to buy the company has only received 61 signatures.

Meanwhile, another petition to the government to launch an official inquiry into Garner has almost 7000 signatures.

SuperBike Magazine claims the company’s biggest single investor, Steve Murray, could be interested in buying the company.

They say he invested his entire life savings or about £1 million for 10% equity and loaned the company an extra £500,000.

He was a company director for three months, but chose to be “hands-off”.

The deadline for bidders closed on 21 February 2020.

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Mark Hinchliffe
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17 Comments

  1. Nothing abnormal here, sadly this is how companies operate these days.

    A petition to Triumph Motorcycles boss John Bloor to buy the company …… good grief

    (just quietly I would be spending more time with the wife too)

  2. I wonder whether he’ll get eaten by hyenas while on his game reserve in Botswana. You never know, an accidental stray shot, a bit of friendly fire, or even poachers caught in the act, could do the dirty deed, and no trace of him would ever be found, thanks to the wildlife ecology over there.

  3. Clearly he’s spent a lot of that money on her chest!! I hope he gets what he deserves.

  4. A odious little man Garner is, lets hope he doesn’t cross my path in a London eatery while him and his bint are spending other people’s money.

  5. The man still needs to live and £30 for a steak is not expensive. He has done wrong in the way he ran Norton and spent the money and will probably regret it for the rest of his life. Well I hope he does if he’s got any morals.

  6. Zongshen probably has already spirited away the tooling, drawings, etc. and the bikes will turn up from the concern at some major m/c show in the Far East where anything “anglo” commands attention if it’s priced right. While enthusiasts tried to revive the marque, it’s obvious the “sharpies” took it over and turned it into a big Ponzi scheme. Proof that the road to hell really is paved with good intentions.

    1. I have to say, Zongshen played a master stroke on this one. Hardly anyone ever mentions them. They aren’t stupid – they would have seen right from the start that Garner was a petty crook and he was on a countdown timer. So the tooling and designs will be long gone by now but we’ll see them again in the near future – you’re right. Garner used to play the Chinese suppliers against each other – ordering this and that with no intention of paying them. I think it’s highly probable that while he thought he was playing them, they were just playing along. At zero cost to themselves, they will have already taken everything of value. The 650 engine plans, for example. Wouldn’t surprise me if they now moved to acquire the Norton brand name.

  7. Can’t see why anyone would be interested in buying Norton when the market for internal combustion engine powered private vehicles hits the buffers in 15 years or less – unless perhaps it is for the prestige brand name and development of electric motorcycles.

  8. Get hold of his off shore bank accounts and sell he owns we have lost everything so should he
    Ray Wilson new when to jump ship.Kate Brown should suffer also lying through her teeth she should be made to pay also

  9. What a consummate, Class A scumbag. Dining out with money stolen from lenders, the government, investors and customers. Nice job! Oh watch out though, Karma is a bitch.

    1. He doesn’t have any morals and he should live like the people he swindled penniless perhaps he should pawn that rocking a diamond on her hand considering pension members paid for it

    1. Hopefully someone will eke revenge with a ballistic weapon, scum like him always do this con trick beacause they know they will get around our soft laws.

  11. Where does this piece of sh-te live, any one out there know what the address of his mansion is, please let everyone who cares know now.

    1. Used to be country mansion Donington Hall which is still trading as is his other business the priest hotel best thing people can do is sign the petition on change.org put in Stuart garner 10,000 signatures needed only at 7,500 before it can be heard in the House of Commons a joke when government funded him various times and pensions have lost millions while he lives the lifestyle as he always has without a care

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