Pre-scooter scooters
The German Army's Blitzkreig campaign in the early days of World War II proved the value of battlefield mobility. While this could be easily done with ground troops, equipping paratroopers with a similar level of mobility provided a new challenge. Developed by the Special Operations Executive's weapons development and production centre - codenamed Station IX - at Welwyn Garden City in the UK (which lent the 'Wel' prefix to number of items), the Welbike was designed to be compact enough to be parachuted in to undercover and resistance forces in occupied France, but found greater use and fame in the hands of the British Airborne Division's Parachute Regiment. Built by Excelsior, the Welbike featured a 98cc Villiers 'Spryt' 2-stroke motor, and single speed transmission. Power was a little over 2bhp, with a top speed of 30mph (48 kmh). The small size of the Welbike was made even more so with folding handlebars and a seat that telescoped down into the frame.
Like a lot of military equipment, the Welbike found an audience beyond its wartime applications, in the form of the Brockhouse Corgi, which debuted in 1946. Using the basic Excelsior design, Brockhouse changed the Welbike's pannier-style fuel tanks to a more conventional design that straddled the frame, added twin handlebars and civilian necessities like mudguards, lights and a rear fairing. The 98cc engine remained as per its predecessor (although Brockhouse built their own version of the Villiers powerplant), as did the transmission. With no gearbox or kickstart, the Corgi was started by simply rolling the bike forward and releasing the clutch, so it was easy enough to be operated by just about anyone.
In a nation starved of personal transportation options after World War II, the Corgi found a lot of buyers in the UK, who appreciated its sturdiness, economy and ease of operation. At only £66 new, Brockhouse sold Corgis as fast as they could build them. Buyer feedback resulted in a number of additions and improvements over the Corgi's life, the first of which was solid disc wheels to replace the original spoked variety. A two-speed gearbox, kickstarter and scooter-style fairing followed on later versions. There was even a commercial-style box sidecar available! All featured the black frame and maroon tank as per the model shown above.
Brockhouse marketed the Corgi worldwide, including the USA, it was sold as the 'Papoose', following Brockhouse's acquisition of a controlling stake in The Indian Motorcycle Company. However, as greater numbers of bigger and better appointed scooters began to appear on the market in the early 1950s, the rudimentary nature of the Corgi became all too apparent and sales dropped. The last - Mk IV - version of the Corgi was built in 1953 and remained in production until 1956. The last Corgis featured sprung front suspension, hinged mudguard, and a carry-basket that was mounted to the top of the fuel tank. Both the Welbike and the Corgi shown were on display at Geelong's Vintage Machinery Rally in January of this year.
Cushman - the American Welbike
Cushman Motor Works first began to produce stationary engines for farm use in 1901. Their first "scooter" debuted in 1936, when they added one of their small engines to a basic cycle frame. Like Excelsior in World War II, Cushman responded to the US Government's request for a compact, lightweight despatch riders motorcycle that was also capable of being air-dropped. As many U.S. Army bases were already using the civilian Cushman 'Husky' for transportation, they seemed the natural choice to fulfill the Army's requirements.
Cushman's effort - the 'Model 53 Airborne' - was similar to the Welbike in many respects. It had no suspension, although the sprung seat and balloon tyres arguably offered a better ride than the Welbike. The frame was a little sturdier, too, with the single cylinder engine mounted underneath the seat, and the fuel tank positioned at the rear. It seemed like a recipe for success, but the Cushman scooters proved very unpopular with US paratroopers, as they were quite unreliable. Many that survived being parachuted broke down or fell apart soon after they were unpacked. While it was a relative failure in WWII, the Model 53 lived on, licence-built copies seeing service with the French Army in Indochina and Algeria, while surplus models from the military were converted to civilian spec by French and Belgian firms. The French version, marketed as the "little brother of the Jeep", featured mudguards and rear body panelling, as well as a front brake, storage compartment mounted over the front mudguard, and a pillion seat. Continental Cushman production ceased in the mid-50s, while Cushmans continued to be produced in the USA until the 1960s.
