The problem with Norton is nothing can ever be for certain.
Having owned a new 73 and living the era of the 75, my instant reaction was 'No paint'.
Then I pulled out my 75 brochure, and sure enough it shows a red Roadster and a silver Interstate with paint. However there are two other shots that show no paint. One an action shot and one the Iso shot.
I also found an old test and it shows no paint. I also owned a Mark III, and it had no paint.
My feeling is the two bikes in the brochure, maybe more, were painted for the photo op. The majority came unpainted.

My $.02

Mike

I assume we are talking about the timing cover. The 1975 U.S. brochure shows it as painted black. The 1974 brochure shows it left natural. Maybe it was supposed to be done, and wasn't, but this is one of those cases where I would imagine there might be some of each done in both years. I took some pictures of a brand-new, never titled, MKIII that I saw at Baxter Cycle a couple of years ago. It was not painted. BTW, it was sold for $14,500.

I like the black paint though.

I am an original owner of my 75 MK 111 850 commando. No Paint !!!

Just to throw in a little more....!

On my Mk3 it is dark red!

It really is, but it's just a joke.

My understanding is (and I heard it from someone who worked there at the time) was that the brochure and publicity shots were done in black to make them look better, to make the name prominent. Some people who saw the pictures liked them and painted theirs black too. As I understand it, regular production bikes were unpainted.

Mind you, the newest Mk3 is 30 years old, and so many things can happen to bikes in that time. My bike was Candy Apple Red once and a previous owner painted the Norton script red to match, for instance. Now it is painted blue and I can't get the red paint off!!

HTH,

Ian

paint it over in blue ?

..........aw, you're right I suppose. I just fancied it unpainted!

Won't come off though, not even with paint stripper or brake fluid (!). Wish I knew what paint it was... I'd use it again!

Left the factory no paint
Show models & some dealers painted them from new.

My MK2A has it in red, the inner section on the disc brake is the same red.