Sold for nearly 20 years, the Mustang was developed and built in Glendale, California by Gladden Products Corporation. It started as a homebrew bike built for an employee of Gladden to commute to work during World War II – management liked it so much that they commercialized it! Most Mustangs were small, cruiser-looking minibikes but the company offered some variations like this Trail Machine.
Unlike other Mustangs, the Trail Machine got a Briggs & Stratton 5.75 horsepower engine that put power through a 3-speed Burman transmission and then a tire with tractor tread. The bike got a newly designed, heavy duty frame to cope with off-road riding – some consider this to be Mustang’s answer to the Tote Gote. Production ran from 1961-1965 (when Mustang closed up shop) – in ’64 the bike got a rear suspension. The models were simply called “Rigid Frame Model” and “Rear Suspension Model”:
Photo of an old ad from OldMiniBikes
This Trail Machine is claimed to run good and look good with a Burman 4 speed transmission and clutch. Find it for sale in Kalamazoo, Michigan with an unmet opening bid of $500