# Original 1958 Murray Fleetline



## 37fleetwood (May 8, 2014)

1958 was the last Hurrah for the Murray Fleetline. Everything was going middleweight and lightweight and this was the last of the full dress heavies. This one is the very cool and beautiful Black Cherry and white with lots of chrome. hope you like it, comments are welcome!


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## Dave Stromberger (May 8, 2014)

Killer bike...  Great photos too!


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## THE STIG (May 8, 2014)

i'll take it .......


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## Freqman1 (May 8, 2014)

A beautiful bike indeed but as you said, in a previous post, Scott the build quality of these bikes leaves something to be desired. V/r Shawn


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## Curtis68 (May 8, 2014)

*Great pic*

That bike looks killer with the brick background.


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## rustystone2112 (May 8, 2014)

*delta disease*

sweet bike with one super cool DELTA light


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## Skatelab (May 8, 2014)

I think I saw it at the Cyclone Coaster last weekend? It was my favorite bike out there.


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## Fltwd57 (May 8, 2014)

*Super Deluxe Fleet Line*

Thanks for the comments guys, and Scott, thanks for the pics... Your photos always make our bikes look incredible!!

As most of you know, at least half of my small collection consists of Murray Ohio products - mostly J.C. Higgins bikes - and a nice original Fleet Line was on my want list for some time. This '58 showed up on ebay about two years ago and I was the lucky high bidder. Of course, like many examples of it's X-53 counterpart, this particular bike was missing it's rare and unique headlight. No problem.. Being the hoarder I am, there just happened to be an NOS Fleet Line Rocket Ray sitting in my parts collection waiting for a bike to come along 

As Scott mentioned, 1958 was the end of an era as far as big balloon tire bikes were concerned. At that time, the American bicycle industry was concentrating on Middleweight and Lightweight production. The Murray Ohio advertising of this period heavily promoted their "Speed Weight" and "Space Flight" models and the Fleet Line, Murray's Super Deluxe flagship since 1949, was now relegated to the last page of the full-line catalog...

Here is the '58 Catalog image -






Note how it is the exact same image as the '53 ad (and subsequent years), just airbrushed to reflect the "new" styling and colors -






And just for laughs, here's a '54 magazine ad........


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## 37fleetwood (May 8, 2014)

Freqman1 said:


> A beautiful bike indeed but as you said, in a previous post, Scott the build quality of these bikes leaves something to be desired. V/r Shawn




Welcome to the Punch Bowl brother!


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## babyjesus (May 9, 2014)

37fleetwood said:


> Welcome to the Punch Bowl brother!




This bike is gorgeous.  I have been looking for one for some time on and off - I have a ladies one in need of some company.

They are great looking bikes and they are not so common either.  Congrats to the owner - good bike to have!


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## jd56 (May 9, 2014)

Very nice!!


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## cyclingday (May 9, 2014)

Well. after wallowing in the muck that is the Shelby thread, I needed to come over here, for a breath of fresh air.

 Martyn, your collection of post war classics is nothing short of fantastic, as this beauty attests to.

 As others have said, Great bike, and great photo's!


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## Freqman1 (May 9, 2014)

37fleetwood said:


> Welcome to the Punch Bowl brother!




Not trying to get there! Like Marty said Martyn has some of the best examples of somewhat obscure and under appreciated post war bikes I've ever seen--the Colsons are killer but I still like his rat Colson just for pure character. The Fleetline, X53, Olympics, etc... are rarely seen complete and this nice. Glad he is carrying the torch as I like to see a variety  of bikes. My comment wasn't a slam on this bike in particular but rather an observation drawn from my experience with most post war bikes when comparing the build quality to the pre war stuff. That said there is some pre war stuff that wasn't that great either. I still need to get by and see his shop. Swim by yourself Scott! V/r Shawn


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## Fltwd57 (May 9, 2014)

Well, Thank you Marty, you're too kind :o

Yeah that Shelby thread was getting out off hand fast... The good news is, the Header Tank Higgins mentioned in that thread now resides in the most deserving East Coast collection of amazing postwar classics! 

Back to the Murrays.. Here's a '57 ad that Scott donated to my collection -


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## Fltwd57 (May 9, 2014)

Freqman1 said:


> Not trying to get there! Like Marty said Martyn has some of the best examples of somewhat obscure and under appreciated post war bikes I've ever seen--the Colsons are killer but I still like his rat Colson just for pure character. The Fleetline, X53, Olympics, etc... are rarely seen complete and this nice. Glad he is carrying the torch as I like to see a variety  of bikes. My comment wasn't a slam on this bike in particular but rather an observation drawn from my experience with most post war bikes when comparing the build quality to the pre war stuff. That said there is some pre war stuff that wasn't that great either. I still need to get by and see his shop. Swim by yourself Scott! V/r Shawn




It's all good Shawn, it wasn't taken as a slam on my bike and you're welcome to visit my postwar crap anytime 

Build quality is subjective and these Murray bikes are comparable to most anything else built during the same period. A 1937 Cadillac Fleetwood is probably a much better constructed car than my 1957 Cadillac Fleetwood, but I'll take the '57 any day... My bike collection reflects my taste in cars, and is based purely from a styling perspective. So long as it looks cool, I'm in (prewar and/or postwar), and for me, build quality is not the defining factor. Fair enough?


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## partsguy (Jul 1, 2015)

Freqman1 said:


> A beautiful bike indeed but as you said, in a previous post, Scott the build quality of these bikes leaves something to be desired. V/r Shawn




Maybe, but still better than the China-built garbage today.


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## silvertonguedevil (Jul 3, 2015)

I love everything about my '57. No complaints here.


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