despite, or perhaps because of, the racing successes norton was in financial difficulty. reynolds could not make many of the highly desired featherbed frames and customers lost interest in buying machines with the older frames. in 1953 norton sold out to associated motorcycles (amc), who owned the brands ajs, matchless, francis-barnett and james. in 1962 the norton factory in bracebridge street, birmingham was closed and production was moved to amc's woolwich factory in south-east london.