Cushman Motor Scooters

Cushman Motor Scooters...A WWII Favorite

The most successful model of Cushman scooter was the Eagle. It was produced for approximately 16 years, starting in 1949 and ending production in 1965. The most famous was the Model 53. It was designed to be dropped by parachute with Army Airborne troops, so it became known as the “Cushman Airborne”.

In 1903, the Cushman Company was started in Lincoln, Nebraska by Everett and Clinton Cushman. Until 1936 it produced engines for farm equipment. In 1936, they started to produce motor scooters and did so until 1965. These scooters were widely used by the United States military in World War II as an alternative to automobiles before and after the war. After 1965, Cushman manufactured golf carts, industrial vehicles and turf trucksters. Three of the most popular models were:

• An airborne 2-wheel, model 53 (G683)
• A package delivery 3-wheel, model 39 (G551 or G672)
• A motor scooter, with side car, 3-wheel, model 34 (G679)

Cushman Trucksters were produced from 1958 to 2002. Small and easy to use, you have seen them being used as mini ice cream trucks, mall maintenance vehicles, and turf trucksters (these are vehicles used at stadiums) 

Today, a Cushman utility vehicle is considered the most versatile. It is a part of Textron Inc, a $10 billion multi-industry company with more than 43,000 employees in 40 countries. Some of its current vehicles are:

• Haulster, small industrial multi-purpose truck.
• Truckster
• Bellhop Series, golf carts.
• Tug, large truck.
• Minute Miser, truck.
• Titan, larger industrial multi-purpose truck.
• Model C, patented in 1911, 4 hp (3.0 kW) engine most commonly known for driving oat binders.
• Trackster, track-based ATV.
• Golfster.

Textron is known around the world for its powerful brands such as Bell Helicopter, Cessna, Kautex, Lycoming, E-Z-GO and Greenlee, among others.