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Page updated 09-Jan-2011
George Largis

Georges Largis of Vaujours in France has been a racing enthusiast since the sixties, as well as good hand with a camera. He sent us these great pictures, via his English speaking friend.

These were taken in January 1971, when Georges and his very close friends Bruno Gridel and Joel Beffara crossed The Channel to attend the Racing and Sporting Motorcycle Show in London.

They also took the opportunity to call in at the Gus Kuhn premises, only to find them "Closed for Lunch".
So they mooched around outside until the doors re-opened.

Bruno and Joel are seen outside the service entrance admiring either the machinery or the pretty young lass.

Bruno, again, is outside the showroom looking over the stock on the pavement.

Georges recalls with surprise that none of the machines were locked or otherwise secured - different times, eh?

The final shot was taken inside, where they spotted the Seeley racing rolling chassis, hemmed in amongst other models.

Georges was at Brands Hatch one weekend in 1972, he thinks it was for the Hutchinson 100.

There, he took this shot of the Gus Kuhn Norton Team, with Vincent Davey relaxing in the caravan.

Also in 1972, he adventurously booked himself onto the charter flight from Gatwick to the Daytona Race Week. He thinks this was organised by Roger Slater. It was a long flight that went via Ireland, Northern Canada and then New York. The Norton "works" squad were on the same charter and he (and presumably the other "ordinary enthusiasts") found themselves in the same hotel as the team at Ormonde Beach in Florida.

Norton apparently didn't have a garage facility there and worked on the race machines outside the hotel.

His photo shows Norton race bikes, team personnel and technicians. Recognised here are Frank Perris (shirt & tie), Peter Williams (blue top) and Vincent Davey, with his "shopping bag"!

(We think the chap with Frank Perris is Rex Butcher, who won the 1973 Thruxton 500 mile race riding a Norton with Norman White.)

Many thanks to Ken Hallworth