# Viktor Schreckengost Designed Bicycles



## jimbo53 (Jun 23, 2016)

Industrial designer Viktor Schreckengost is the designer of the 1964 Sears Spaceliner shown here. Does anyone know if he also designed the very similar 1963 JC Higgins Flightliner that preceded it?


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## Freqman1 (Jun 23, 2016)

Jim,
    I can't answer that question definitively but more than likely, yes. There is actually quite a bit on Google. An extremely talented man! V/r Shawn

http://clevelandhistorical.org/items/show/454#.V2vqGzZf3IU
http://www.cleveland.com/arts/index.ssf/2014/07/viktor_schreckengost_trove_sto.html


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## Duchess (Jun 23, 2016)

From what I read, he did all the variants. The idea was to get as much out of a pair of designs as possible with accessories and tanks marking out the different brands and changes.


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## jimbo53 (Jun 24, 2016)

Thanks for the input. It makes sense he was the designer of the original JC Higgins Flightliner that ran from 58-63 when the Sears Spaceliner took its place, but I've never seen anything online attributing the distinctive Flightliner design to him. He has been credited with designing this 1948 JC Higgins and the iconic 1939 Mercury Paceliner, and was a major designer for Murray of Ohio until 1972.


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## JimR56 (Apr 7, 2020)

I've been aware of him for years, but never realized he designed bicycles.


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## T.J. Higgins (Apr 8, 2020)

He also designed the sears screamer.  A friend of mine was a student of his back in the 70's.


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## rfeagleye (Apr 8, 2020)

And the Murray Eliminator Mark II muscle bike. He did come neat stuff.


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## kreika (Apr 8, 2020)

One of the greatest industrial designers of the 20th century.



Back in the early 90’s I was given his personal phone number. I was in my young 20’s and thought it strange to call and ask questions to a man in his 90’s and complete stranger. I kick myself for not making that call!!!! He lived to 101. Quite a well lived life. Rip Victor.


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## ricobike (Apr 8, 2020)

I always felt that he probably designed the Sears Tote Cycle.   I never found any proof of it but it sure looks similar to some of his designs.  I believe he did have some patents for folding bicycles.


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## Oldbikes (Apr 8, 2020)

He was a prolific designer and among MANY other things, designed my favorite pressed steel bus...! He also used these same (cool!) colors on the ‘39-‘41 Mercury Pacemaker!





Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## kreika (Apr 8, 2020)

Bus to Bicycle,  these colors...


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## cds2323 (Apr 8, 2020)

Here’s an album I posted awhile back that includes some of his bicycle designs and ideas.


Link finally posted below. Should take you to the album that’s posted in my albums section.


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## cds2323 (Apr 8, 2020)

View album 1873


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## Saving Tempest (Apr 8, 2020)

Viktor is our bicycle god. He is the Harley Earl of two wheels.


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## cbustapeck (Jun 17, 2020)

I recall that the wonderful 200 page exhibition catalogue, _Viktor Schreckengost and 20th-Century Design_, addresses this in depth, but of course, I cannot place my hands on my copy right now. It's definitely worth looking at, and as soon as my copy turns up, I will update.

I found it. There's so much more text than I can share in this space. Short version: Schreckengost designed much of Murray's production between 1939 and 1974, including a significant portion where he designed their entire production.


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## Krakatoa (Jun 17, 2020)

And then there is the Jazz Bowl...Don't forget his ceramics and sculpture!









						The New Yorker (Jazz) Bowl
					






					www.clevelandart.org


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## cbustapeck (Jun 18, 2020)

kreika said:


> One of the greatest industrial designers of the 20th century.
> View attachment 1170064
> Back in the early 90’s I was given his personal phone number. I was in my young 20’s and thought it strange to call and ask questions to a man in his 90’s and complete stranger. I kick myself for not making that call!!!! He lived to 101. Quite a well lived life. Rip Victor.




I actually tried calling him in the mid-90s, when I was a student at Lakewood High School, home of this amazing piece. (There are better photographs out there, but these give some idea as to the scale.) At the time, his hearing was far enough gone that he couldn't hear me and ended up hanging up. In retrospect, I would have called back and shouted into the phone, but for fifteen year old me, that caused far too much anxiety.


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## all riders (Jun 20, 2020)

No one mentioned WF x53--I'm pretty sure that was him


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