Puch called it the DS60, though you may have seen it in the US as the Cheetah – it was sold through Sears Allstate department stores. Pre ’65 models featured a twistgrip shift, later bikes went to a foot shifter. These aren’t too hard to find (I’ll share three with you in this post), but it’s rare to see a …
1959 Cushman Highlander – Or Not?
The Cushman company was created in 1903 in Lincoln, Nebraska and in 1913 they incorporated as Cushman Motor Works. The company built engines for pumps, farm equipment, lawn mowers and boats, most notably their ‘Husky’ brand. A strategy for survival in the Great Depression the company began making scooters in 1936 and continued until 1966. OMC (Outboard Marine Corp) acquired …
A Roman Holiday Lives! – 1952 Vespa
In 1952 Audrey Hepburn was certainly one of the most beautiful women on earth, and when she rode on Gregory Peck’s Vespa in the movie A Roman Holiday the scooter’s success was assured. First introduced as a 1947 model they sold 2,500, by 1950 the numbers were up to a very respectable 60,000 units, but 1952 and Roman Holiday and …
1950 Express
The ad clearly lists this as an Express brand, but all the information I could find lists them as Sachs brand Express model.
Rare Project – 1947 Powell Challenger C-47
Post Sale Update; This Challenger quickly sold for the BIN of $1,000. Based in Compton, California, the Powell Manufacturing Company was founded in 1926 by Hayward and Channing Powell. They started with radios but by the 30s they were building the scooters that they became best known for.
1955 Cushman Eagle
For many of my generation, our first experience on two wheels came on something like this Cushman Eagle. They were incredibly popular right after WWII and by the time I came of age they were mostly reduced to ‘beater’ status which meant that 10 year old and a screwdriver couldn’t hurt it much. “If you can make it run, you …
Big Bad Harley – 1963 Harley-Davidson Topper
Think of it. The wind in your hair, you are rolling down a long desert highway with the massive thunder of a Harley Davidson between your legs. Or not.
Two-Fer – Honda Motocompo Scooters
What’s better than one Motocompo? Two Motocompos! What’s better than two Motocompos? Two Motocompons in a Subaru 360 van! Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like the van is up for sale so you’ll just have to settle for two rare scoots.
1957 Allstate Jetsweep with Sidecar
A rebadged Cushman 722 Pacemaker, the Allstate Jetsweep was sold by Sears. Offered between 1957 and 1960, this Jetsweep has a 5 horsepower Husky motor and an adorable aftermarket sidecar.
1949 NSU Quick
The predecessor of the “Quickly”, the NSU Quick was built between 1936 and 1953. Nearly a quarter-million (235,441) were sold.
1964 Heinkel Tourist 103 A2
After Germany lost World War II, Heinkel was banned from producing airplanes by the Allies. They decided to try their hand at personal transport with the production of vehicles like microcars, bicycles, and scooters like the Tourist you see here.
Ending Soon – 1964 Harley-Davidson Topper with Sidecar
Post-Sale Update: This Topper hack sold for $7,000 after 3 bids on eBay. In its long history, Harley-Davidson has only created one scooter. As you might guess, it was not a commercial success. Harley offered to rare factory options that could be mounted on the side – either a utility box or an adorable sidecar. This restored Topper has one …
1987 Honda Aero 50
The Aero was Honda’s first modern scooter in North America, where it was introduced in 1983. A second generation was introduced in 1985, and these have served as reliable in-town runabouts ever since. The ’85-’87 models had a 49.3cc two-stroke enigne that produced 3.9 horsepower and 3.5 pound-feet of torque. The entire package weighed 121 pounds dry. Realistic top speed …
1984 Honda Motocompo
Post Sale Update: This Motocompo sold for $2,025 after 2 bids on eBay. Sold for only 3 years, the Honda Motocompo was a tiny 50cc folding scooter designed to fit into the trunks of the subcompact cars Honda was making at the time, like the City. In fact, the City’s trunk was designed specifically to house the Motocompo. Nowadays, they’re …
In Canada – 2008 Yamaha Morphous
Here’s a vehicle only true scooter fans know about – the Yamaha Morphous. Ignoring the oddball name, it was by all accounts a well designed scooter that did not achieve commercial success. It was introduced in 2005 in the US and was pulled in 2009. If you’re looking for a scooter that stands out, it’s hard to imagine a better …