Cushman
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- See also Cushman (disambiguation).
Cushman is a manufacturer of industrial vehicles, personal vehicles, and other custom vehicles, including parking patrol auto rickshaws.
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[edit] Models
Haulster (Small industrial multi-purpose truck) Bellhop Series (Golf Carts) Tug(Large Truck) Minute Miser(Truck) Titan (Larger industrial multi-purpose truck)
[edit] Company
Cushman is owned by Textron Inc. Textron also owns other vehicle companies such as Cessna, Bell Helicopter, and E-Z-Go Golf Carts.
[edit] History
The Cushman company operated for 100 years, from 1903 to 2003. Before 1936 they produced engines for farm equipment, pumps, lawn mowers, and boats. The Cushman Company began production of motor scooters in 1936 and continued production through 1965. These historical vehicles were widely used by the military in World War II and Cushman also provided an alternative to automobiles in the years before and after the war. After motor scooter production stopped, they manufactured golf carts, industrial vehicles and turf maintenance equipment.
The most successful model of the Cushman motor scooter was the Eagle. These scooters, which resembled motorcycles with their exposed engines and top tanks, were produced for around 16 years. Other Cushman models used a traditional step-through design common for most motor scooters - used by Vespa to develop their iconic range.
One of the most famous Cushmans was the model 53, a military model from the World War II era. It was designed to be dropped by parachute with Army Airborne troops, so it became known as the Cushman Airborne. They were also used around military bases for messenger service.
Cushmans were easy to ride. They featured an automatic clutch which allowed the rider to twist the right grip to go and step on the pedal to stop. That was all there was to it. The step-through design and ease of operation made it popular with men and women alike. Cushman claimed 75 miles per gallon, and advertised penny-a-mile operating cost.
Cushman scooters usually weighed about 250 to 335 pounds and some had as much as 9 horsepower. Production ended in 1965, but a few left-over Eagles were sold at 1966 models.
