Post Listing Update: This Eagle did not get any interest at the opening ask of $5,500.
Founded in 1903, Cushman was a Nebraska-based company that specialized in the construction of small engines destined to be installed on bicycles or carriage. At the time, the demand for that kind of engine was very high, which kept the company pretty busy. Right in the middle of the Great Depression during the 30s, Cushman set two ambitious objectives, creating their first scooters using their knowledge in small engines and implementing a new cheap form of transportation that people would buy even during this austere era. The Auto-Glide was launched and it was a success. A few years later, WWII started. Cushman saw an opportunity to help the army for the war and created a military-spec scooter called the Model 53. In 1944, the US Army offered a contract to Cushman and ordered about 4,734 units made to be parachuted to airborne special forces. At the end of the 40s, thanks to the visibility given by their war effort and the quality of their construction, Cushman was then able to release their most famous model, the Eagle.
How it started
The Great Depression and the War had made room to the fast-developing economy and a will of pleasure from the society. Cushman made another great move with the release of their Eagle. Using design details that made it look like big American Harleys or Indians, the Eagle became a dream for many teenagers and even adults. From a marketing point of view, the Eagle was great. Not only it was launched at a good moment, using design “codes” that would easily please Americans, it was named perfectly inline with the post war era where America, often represented by an eagle, was at the top of the world and got out of the war as winners. The Eagle was a real symbol of power and freedom, and using that name surely contributed to the success of the model. Using a simple construction process, a genuine tubular steel frame and a 8hp single cylinder of 350cc, the Eagle could fly above 50 mph. The bike used a two-speed transmission with a foot clutch and a lever located on the left side of the tank. For more information, read this story on Silodrome where they call the Eagle an “American Icon”.
The Eagle featured in this article (VIN: 070130) is a fully restored version of the 1960 model. The ember glow red paint is therefore in perfect condition, and every chrome piece is brand new. It has a custom seat made by Heather’s Leathers, and only 261 miles have been put on since the restoration.
Find this Cushman Eagle in Venice, Florida with an unmet opening bid of $5,500 or a BIN of $6,999