Cushman Motor Scooters: An American Legacy
You may be familiar with motor scooter makers Honda, Vespa or even Aprillia, maker of the 117-mpg scooter. None of these brands come from the United States, but there is a rich history of motor scooter success in Cushman brand scooters. These hugely popular scooters were produced in the USA, and only in the USA, for all of their lifetime. Even now, Cushman hobbyists cherish the Cushman motor scooter as an icon of independence and vintage style.
Cushman: Makers Of Light Engine Parts
Although Cushman has changed hands many times in its history, the name stretches back over one hundred years to Lincoln, Nebraska. Originally, Cushman made not motor scooters, but nearly every other kind of small motor. The company before the first Cushman motor scooter in 1935 made everything from washing machines to two-stroke boat motors. The story goes that a child brought his scooter to the motor works to inquire about fixing his machine, which then had a Cushman washing machine motor in it. Owner Charles Ammon was intrigued by the scooter and thought it was a prime opportunity.
From Auto-Glides To Eagles
A promotional flyer for the first Cushman motor scooter, or auto-glide from 1937 boasts of 137-mpg fuel efficiency, decades before the term green vehicle was coined. The scooters became popular in the thirties and forties, but it was their wartime use that cemented Cushman motor scooters in history.
The company soon secured a contract for Cushman motor scooters to be used on the field in WWII. Reinforcing the scooters with steel and fitting them for parachutes easily solved the problem of transport to the battlefield. These rugged models roamed all throughout Europe during WWII and the Cushman Company was also successful in producing bomb fuses.
By far the most successful brand was the Cushman Eagle motor scooter. This run included several series, including the Super and Super Eagle. They were produced from 1950 to 1965 and are beloved by collectors across the country. The Cushman Auto Club of America has over 5200 members and it is the Cushman Eagle motor scooter that many of them aspire to recreate, often in their own garages at great personal cost.
Cushman Today
While the recreation of Cushman Eagle motor scooters continues today with many active online communities, the Cushman Company itself has changed hands numerous times. Currently, it is owned by the Rhode Island-based Textron Company, which also owns Cessna Airplanes and Bell Helicopters. The next time you ride a Cushman, it will probably be one of the Textron-produced golf carts.
