January 12, 2012

IT’S NEW! (Oct, 1956)

That swamp wagon is pretty damn bad-ass.

IT’S NEW!

SWAMP WAGON’S nine-ft. tall rear wheels have hickory treads steel-clamped to 28 in. rims weighing 700 lbs. Vehicle is designed to clamber over Florida’s soft muck bogs.

TOTCYCLIST Brad Bradley drives cut-down 125 cc Harley Davidson like a pro. Five-year-old was taught to ride 50-mph machine by his Dad. Brad began career at 18 months.

MANY-LENSED Italian Summa camera has revolving turret housing regular lens, wide angle lens and two for direct sighting. It also has hand grips and flash attachments.

NO FANCY PANTS, Solly Davis holds Geiger counter inside Goodyear’s new one-piece vinyl film anti-radiation suit Inflated by compressed air, suit is air-conditioned. Read the rest of this entry »

November 30, 2011

MOTORIZED RICKSHAW (Jul, 1960)

MOTORIZED RICKSHAW

RIDING around on a genuine Shanghai-manufactured rickshaw is Buster Mattingly’s Chinese cup of tea. The Louisville, Ky. owner bought it from an Army officer and set about fixing it up. He installed a new convertible leather top, chromed the metal parts, put in a Clinton gasoline engine which is supported by a small steel mount welded to the bicycle frame and painted it a pale green. Read the rest of this entry »

November 15, 2011

Motorized 3-Wheel Milk Bike (Mar, 1932)

Motorized 3-Wheel Milk Bike

THE milkman now has a new vehicle at his disposal, a motorized milk wagon built on a three-wheeled motorbike, as illustrated in the accompanying photo. Milk is carried on the truck body built over the rear wheels, while the driver rides in front, behind the protective windshield.

What makes the truck especially suitable for milk delivery work is its extreme economy of operation and its flexibility. For short routes, this bike truck is ideal.

October 13, 2011

new on the road (Apr, 1948)

new on the road

Parking Gage sounds a buzzer when you back too close to the curb. Hub caps and tire walls are protected by two, six-inch springs which close circuit when they touch curb.

Puncture-Proof Tire has nails, ice picks and a chisel driven into it to prove its toughness. Chicago police also riddled it with bullets with no effect. This tire can take it.
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October 4, 2011

THRILLS and CASH for Motorcyclists (May, 1932)

THRILLS and CASH for Motorcyclists

by Theodore Hodgdon

The author of this article, one of the leading authorities on motorcycle hill-climbing and racing, tells here how to prepare your motorcycle for Class “B” hill climb events, where you can win cash awards for your riding skill.

ALL the thrills of an exciting sport plus substantial awards, await the amateur motorcycle competition rider in 1932. During the last year there were 60 Race Meets held in the U.S.A., 160 hill climb contests, and 150 motorcycle polo matches.
Read the rest of this entry »

September 30, 2011

STREET SCENE, TOKYO STYLE (Jul, 1962)

STREET SCENE, TOKYO STYLE

By Elliot H. McCleary

TRAFFIC IN TOKYO, the world’s largest city (population: 10 million), is, to put it mildly, dense, wild, fast, and furious.

The very diversity of vehicles, as well as their number, is startling. There are automobiles of varying shapes and sizes— Japanese, French, German, an occasional, looming Chevy or Plymouth.

Coveys of goggled motorcyclists thunder their motors at intersections, roar away in blue smoke when the light changes. There are three-wheeled trucks guided inside by handle bars. Read the rest of this entry »

September 20, 2011

Energetic Charwoman Rides Motorcycle Seeking Business (May, 1934)

Energetic Charwoman Rides Motorcycle Seeking Business

THE advertising charwoman has made her appearance upon the streets of London. Determined to build up her clientele, this energetic worker purchased a cheap second hand motorcycle with a large delivery-type sidecar. She rides about the city, dressed in her scrubbing clothes. In the sidecar, well displayed, are her mops, brushes, brooms and ladder. On the sides of the car, she has a sign proclaiming her as “The Travelling Char” and inviting prospective customers to stop her.

This woman reports that the novel means of advertising has brought her a splendid increase in income.

July 29, 2011

They’re all riding Scooters (Sep, 1938)

They’re all riding Scooters

“HOW many?” the gas station attendant expectantly asks.

“I’m just starting off on a little trip so you’d better fill it up,” the rider replies. “Let me have seven cents’ worth. And also, fill up the emergency tank.” He takes a pint bottle from his pocket and hands it to the attendant.
Read the rest of this entry »

May 6, 2011

“HONEY, GUESS WHAT I JUST BOUGHT?” (May, 1980)

“HONEY, GUESS WHAT I JUST BOUGHT?”

Little by little, across America, people are bringing home a delightful accompaniment to the automobile. The Vespa scooter.

What is this two-wheel appeal? It’s a totally unique kind of transportation that combines comfort, convenience and a stylish sense of sophistication. Read the rest of this entry »

April 7, 2011

Constructs Novel Motorcycle (Nov, 1938)

Constructs Novel Motorcycle
POWERED by a four-cylinder motor, a motorcycle constructed by Raymond Courtney, of Lansing, Mich., features a specially designed, streamlined sheet-metal body which is said to increase road speed about 20 m.p.h. Sections of the body are easily removed, facilitating repairs or adjustments. The novel motorcycle is equipped with hydraulic brakes, both front and rear, and the unusually small wheels are fitted with airplane tires, providing the machine with an extremely low center of gravity. The wheel turrets are so constructed that one is used as a gasoline tank while the other three are used to carry small luggage.

March 3, 2011

Walls at German Auto Show (Jul, 1929)

Walls at German Auto Show

MOTORCYCLES by the hundreds covered the walls of the exhibition buildings at the recent Motor Show in Berlin. As shown in the photo at the left, the cycles were hung seven-deep upon the walls, with a row of machines fitted with side-car equipment occupying a ledge beneath. Read the rest of this entry »

February 16, 2011

MOTOR CYCLE HAS JACKKNIFE CHASSIS (Feb, 1936)

MOTOR CYCLE HAS JACKKNIFE CHASSIS

To allow easy access to its motor, the body of a motor cycle recently constructed by a French inventor unfolds like a jackknife. A metal frame, which supports the driver’s seat and covers the motor, is attached to the chassis so that it may be tilted straight up in the air, exposing the motor to full view. No extensive adjustments are necessary preparatory to raising the frame, and the tilting may be done in a few seconds, it is claimed.

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