# Anyone know the names behind some of the classic bikes?



## ColsonTwinbar (Apr 6, 2010)

As some of you might know I am studying to be a an industrial designer, focusing in the areas of bicycles, furniture and footwear.  I found this interesting article on one of the designers behind the Sears brands. 
http://www.metropolismag.com/story/20080204/industrial-designer-viktor-schreckengost-dead-at-101

I would like to know anything about the designers behind such bikes as the Elgin Bluebird, Evinrude Streamflow or Monark Sliverking Wingbar 
-Nolan


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## ColsonTwinbar (Apr 18, 2010)

I was doing some more digging on a site dedicated to Viktor Schreckengost and Industrial Designer and Artist.  Turns out he is probably one of the most influential bicycle designer of of the 20th century.  Starting with the Mercury Worlds Fair bike in 1939 he designed many bicycles and pedal cars while working Murray Company.  http://www.viktorschreckengost.org/Gallery/vgt_image_view/66/350/2688

He also designed many products for Delta including the Rocket Ray, The Sears SpaceLiner and the Murray Mark II Eliminator


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## eazywind (Apr 18, 2010)

Ben Bowden, of the Spacelander bike. Did some car stuff etc........ From the web:

Benjamin G. Bowden was born in England in 1906 and became a noted automotive engineer.  During World War II he helped design military vehicles.  To bolster morale after the war, the British Council of Industrial Design asked several prominent designers to submit designs to the "Britain Can Make It" exhibition.  Ben Bowden submitted a design for a bike with a frame made of two aluminum halves bonded together, shaft drive and a hub dynamo the stored downhill energy and released it on uphill runs.  The body crew at MG hand formed a rideable prototype.  The cost to produce the bike would have been too great.  Bowden tried to move the operation to South Africa, but political unrest made the move impossible.  Unfortunately the prototype was confiscated.   Bowden cam to America and patented his bike in 1951.  Bowden helped in the design of the  1955 Thunderbird, 1965 convertible Mustang, oil in quart cans, one-piece shower stall and the modular construction of the Contemporary Hotel at Disney World.  Bomard Industries Incorporated in Grand Haven Michigan put the Bowden "Spacelander" into production.  Built in head light and tail lights were added and the bike was produced in fiberglass.  The production began in 1960 and the bike was available in Stop Sign Red, Outer Space Blue, Meadow Green, Charcoal Black and Cliffs of Dover White.  Bomard Industries was forced out of business by a women who claimed that she had been injured by one of their vibrating chairs.  This brought the end to the Spacelander bike after  522 were shipped.  Bowden designed the Bowden 300 which was more in line with the wants of the 1960's.  This partnership also failed and ended the 300.  Bowden then gave up on the bike business.  Starting in 1985 a series of reproduction bikes were produced.


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## ColsonTwinbar (Apr 18, 2010)

Very interesting, I wonder how many of the early american car designers were also bicycle designers.


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## ColsonTwinbar (Apr 18, 2010)

Count Alexis de Sakhnoffsky was the designer for Murray-Mercury bicycles before Viktor Schreckengost. He was the designer of the 1938 Mercury with the Pod 







He was one of the leading designers of the streamlining era. This another of his amazing works.


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## Classicriders (Apr 19, 2010)

Quite sure Harley Earl did some designing for Evans Colson.  The Firebird and Olympic come to mind.
http://www.nostalgic.net/bicycle161.htm
Walter Dorwin Teague designed the hawthorne All American.
http://www.nostalgic.net/bicycle30.htm
http://www.nostalgic.net/bicycle327.htm


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## ColsonTwinbar (Apr 19, 2010)

Great, I was curious weather Teague designed some bicycles, I have to do a presentation on him in a few weeks.


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## sm2501 (Nov 10, 2011)

ColsonTwinbar said:


> He was one of the leading designers of the streamlining era. This another of his amazing works.




As Colson Twinbar mentioned, the 1947 Streamliner was designed by Alexis de Sakhnoffsky. 

http://eevamoritz.com/lab47.html


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## cyclingday (Nov 10, 2011)

I read somewhere that the designer of the Roadmaster Luxury Liner, was also the designer of the Oscar Meyer Weiner Mobile, and the front load over under washer dryer.


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## OldRider (Nov 11, 2011)

If I remember correctly Schreckengost also designed the CCM Flyte bike.


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## chitown (Nov 11, 2011)

*CCM Flyte:*

http://www.google.com/patents?id=8bFQAAAAEBAJ&zoom=4&dq=bicycle&pg=PA1#v=onepage&q&f=false


*Bluebird:* (interesting the 2 different names on patent designer. Which one designed what part??? one has the fender ornament???)

http://www.google.com/patents?id=sVNMAAAAEBAJ&zoom=4&dq=bicycle&pg=PA1#v=onepage&q&f=false

http://www.google.com/patents?id=0nJSAAAAEBAJ&zoom=4&dq=bicycle&pg=PA1#v=onepage&q&f=false

*Mercury:*

http://www.google.com/patents?id=wqtcAAAAEBAJ&zoom=4&dq=bicycle&pg=PA1#v=onepage&q&f=false


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## Talewinds (Nov 11, 2011)

^ That J. R. Morgan fellow is popping up on a BUNCH of those Elgin bikes, the Bluebird AND the Twin Bar. I searched but found nothing, I'd like to know more about that guy.


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## chitown (Nov 11, 2011)

*J.R. Morgan*

TWINBAR:

http://www.google.com/patents?id=bk...n inassignee:sears&pg=PA1#v=onepage&q&f=false

http://www.google.com/patents?id=W1...organ&pg=PA1#v=onepage&q=J. R. Morgan&f=false

Robin tank:

http://www.google.com/patents?id=1n...n inassignee:sears&pg=PA1#v=onepage&q&f=false

and lots more:

http://www.google.com/patents?id=u5...v=onepage&q=bicycle ininventor:Morgan&f=false

http://www.google.com/patents?id=5Z...v=onepage&q=bicycle ininventor:Morgan&f=false

http://www.google.com/patents?id=am...n inassignee:sears&pg=PA1#v=onepage&q&f=false

http://www.google.com/patents?id=DX...organ&pg=PA1#v=onepage&q=J. R. Morgan&f=false

http://www.google.com/patents?id=g1...organ&pg=PA1#v=onepage&q=J. R. Morgan&f=false



http://www.google.com/patents?id=rA...organ&pg=PA1#v=onepage&q=J. R. Morgan&f=false


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## Talewinds (Nov 11, 2011)

Exactly, he did some COOOOOL stuff, and even a very basic part that we hold near and dear in this hobby, the moon handlebars.

 So where did this guy come from? Backstory?


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## fordsnake (Nov 11, 2011)

> So where did this guy come from?




In 1934 John (Jack) R. Morgan left General Motors' Art and Color Section to head the product design at Sears Roebuck. He headed up "Department 817" Sears Merchandise Testing and Development Laboratory from 1934 to 1944. He later opened his own firm in Chicago.


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## redline1968 (Nov 11, 2011)

morgan must have had a design thought to the emblem on the bb at the last moment. and had to resubmit the whole app again.


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## walter branche (Nov 11, 2011)

*bowden and the healy*



eazywind said:


> Ben Bowden, of the Spacelander bike. Did some car stuff etc........ From the web:
> 
> Benjamin G. Bowden was born in England in 1906 and became a noted automotive engineer.  During World War II he helped design military vehicles.  To bolster morale after the war, the British Council of Industrial Design asked several prominent designers to submit designs to the "Britain Can Make It" exhibition.  Ben Bowden submitted a design for a bike with a frame made of two aluminum halves bonded together, shaft drive and a hub dynamo the stored downhill energy and released it on uphill runs.  The body crew at MG hand formed a rideable prototype.  The cost to produce the bike would have been too great.  Bowden tried to move the operation to South Africa, but political unrest made the move impossible.  Unfortunately the prototype was confiscated.   Bowden cam to America and patented his bike in 1951.  Bowden helped in the design of the  1955 Thunderbird, 1965 convertible Mustang, oil in quart cans, one-piece shower stall and the modular construction of the Contemporary Hotel at Disney World.  Bomard Industries Incorporated in Grand Haven Michigan put the Bowden "Spacelander" into production.  Built in head light and tail lights were added and the bike was produced in fiberglass.  The production began in 1960 and the bike was available in Stop Sign Red, Outer Space Blue, Meadow Green, Charcoal Black and Cliffs of Dover White.  Bomard Industries was forced out of business by a women who claimed that she had been injured by one of their vibrating chairs.  This brought the end to the Spacelander bike after  522 were shipped.  Bowden designed the Bowden 300 which was more in line with the wants of the 1960's.  This partnership also failed and ended the 300.  Bowden then gave up on the bike business.  Starting in 1985 a series of reproduction bikes were produced.




i have many drawings and photos -blueprints etc. of Ben bowdens work,with healy,some are dated 47 and show ben with healy in the alps driving a healy silverstone, Ben also designed the cab over pickup truck for ford,among other designs ,. hairbrush ,gold scale,, military vehicles , armored car for the king and queen of england also an armored car for winston churchill(who cussed him out)--because Ben failed to install gun ports,this was told to me by Ben bowden in the year of 1990- i have an original photo of the aluminum bowden bike,. also the first newspaper articles that were about the Bowden Spacelander and many other items from the Bowden archive


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## chitown (Nov 11, 2011)

John Morgan design at the Met:

http://www.metmuseum.org/Collections/search-the-collections/210007332

View attachment 31146

check out the handle grip!


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## chitown (Nov 11, 2011)

*Tractors too???!!!*

Don't forget about his iconic tractor designs... geez this dude was BUSY!

http://www.google.com/patents?id=zQ...v=onepage&q=tractor ininventor:morgan&f=false

View attachment 31147


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## bdt91 (Nov 5, 2012)

cyclingday said:


> I read somewhere that the designer of the Roadmaster Luxury Liner, was also the designer of the Oscar Meyer Weiner Mobile, and the front load over under washer dryer.




Was that Brooks Stevens??


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## sherrill (Feb 26, 2016)

eazywind said:


> Ben Bowden, of the Spacelander bike. Did some car stuff etc........ From the web:
> 
> Benjamin G. Bowden was born in England in 1906 and became a noted automotive engineer.  During World War II he helped design military vehicles.  To bolster morale after the war, the British Council of Industrial Design asked several prominent designers to submit designs to the "Britain Can Make It" exhibition.  Ben Bowden submitted a design for a bike with a frame made of two aluminum halves bonded together, shaft drive and a hub dynamo the stored downhill energy and released it on uphill runs.  The body crew at MG hand formed a rideable prototype.  The cost to produce the bike would have been too great.  Bowden tried to move the operation to South Africa, but political unrest made the move impossible.  Unfortunately the prototype was confiscated.   Bowden cam to America and patented his bike in 1951.  Bowden helped in the design of the  1955 Thunderbird, 1965 convertible Mustang, oil in quart cans, one-piece shower stall and the modular construction of the Contemporary Hotel at Disney World.  Bomard Industries Incorporated in Grand Haven Michigan put the Bowden "Spacelander" into production.  Built in head light and tail lights were added and the bike was produced in fiberglass.  The production began in 1960 and the bike was available in Stop Sign Red, Outer Space Blue, Meadow Green, Charcoal Black and Cliffs of Dover White.  Bomard Industries was forced out of business by a women who claimed that she had been injured by one of their vibrating chairs.  This brought the end to the Spacelander bike after  522 were shipped.  Bowden designed the Bowden 300 which was more in line with the wants of the 1960's.  This partnership also failed and ended the 300.  Bowden then gave up on the bike business.  Starting in 1985 a series of reproduction bikes were produced.






eazywind said:


> Ben Bowden, of the Spacelander bike. Did some car stuff etc........ From the web:
> 
> Benjamin G. Bowden was born in England in 1906 and became a noted automotive engineer.  During World War II he helped design military vehicles.  To bolster morale after the war, the British Council of Industrial Design asked several prominent designers to submit designs to the "Britain Can Make It" exhibition.  Ben Bowden submitted a design for a bike with a frame made of two aluminum halves bonded together, shaft drive and a hub dynamo the stored downhill energy and released it on uphill runs.  The body crew at MG hand formed a rideable prototype.  The cost to produce the bike would have been too great.  Bowden tried to move the operation to South Africa, but political unrest made the move impossible.  Unfortunately the prototype was confiscated.   Bowden cam to America and patented his bike in 1951.  Bowden helped in the design of the  1955 Thunderbird, 1965 convertible Mustang, oil in quart cans, one-piece shower stall and the modular construction of the Contemporary Hotel at Disney World.  Bomard Industries Incorporated in Grand Haven Michigan put the Bowden "Spacelander" into production.  Built in head light and tail lights were added and the bike was produced in fiberglass.  The production began in 1960 and the bike was available in Stop Sign Red, Outer Space Blue, Meadow Green, Charcoal Black and Cliffs of Dover White.  Bomard Industries was forced out of business by a women who claimed that she had been injured by one of their vibrating chairs.  This brought the end to the Spacelander bike after  522 were shipped.  Bowden designed the Bowden 300 which was more in line with the wants of the 1960's.  This partnership also failed and ended the 300.  Bowden then gave up on the bike business.  Starting in 1985 a series of reproduction bikes were produced.






eazywind said:


> Ben Bowden, of the Spacelander bike. Did some car stuff etc........ From the web:
> 
> Benjamin G. Bowden was born in England in 1906 and became a noted automotive engineer.  During World War II he helped design military vehicles.  To bolster morale after the war, the British Council of Industrial Design asked several prominent designers to submit designs to the "Britain Can Make It" exhibition.  Ben Bowden submitted a design for a bike with a frame made of two aluminum halves bonded together, shaft drive and a hub dynamo the stored downhill energy and released it on uphill runs.  The body crew at MG hand formed a rideable prototype.  The cost to produce the bike would have been too great.  Bowden tried to move the operation to South Africa, but political unrest made the move impossible.  Unfortunately the prototype was confiscated.   Bowden cam to America and patented his bike in 1951.  Bowden helped in the design of the  1955 Thunderbird, 1965 convertible Mustang, oil in quart cans, one-piece shower stall and the modular construction of the Contemporary Hotel at Disney World.  Bomard Industries Incorporated in Grand Haven Michigan put the Bowden "Spacelander" into production.  Built in head light and tail lights were added and the bike was produced in fiberglass.  The production began in 1960 and the bike was available in Stop Sign Red, Outer Space Blue, Meadow Green, Charcoal Black and Cliffs of Dover White.  Bomard Industries was forced out of business by a women who claimed that she had been injured by one of their vibrating chairs.  This brought the end to the Spacelander bike after  522 were shipped.  Bowden designed the Bowden 300 which was more in line with the wants of the 1960's.  This partnership also failed and ended the 300.  Bowden then gave up on the bike business.  Starting in 1985 a series of reproduction bikes were produced.


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## bairdco (Feb 26, 2016)

I think some disabled 5 year old with a box of broken crayons designed the schwinn cantilever frame.


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## filmonger (Feb 28, 2016)

I think this is a Viktor Schreckengost design .....- can't get a much better pedigree than that!

The info below is from ...  http://bicycledesign.net/2006/06/happy-birthday-viktor-schreckengost/

“one of America’s most important–and under-recognized–industrial designers.” Whether you know of him or not, you have probably used several of the products that he designed over the course of his 70 year career. He designed so many different types of products, more categories than I can list here, but the designs that I want to mention in this post are, of course, the bicycles.

In the late 30’s as the chief bicycle designer for Murray, Mr. Schreckengost designed the streamlined Mercury bicycle, which was later exhibited at the 1939 New York World’s Fair. During his 35 years with Murray, Schreckengost designed many other bicycles and pedal cars. In fact, around 100 million of his bikes and pedal cars were manufactured by the company quickly making Murray the largest bike manufacturer in the world. Later, in the sixties, Schreckengost’s designed a product that many of us remember fondly, the banana seat. He noticed that kids at the time were replacing their front wheels with smaller, lighter ones to make the bikes wheelie better. In an earlier Metropolis article, Schreckengost explained: “To wheelie right, you should be able to balance the bike. We made the banana seat so you could have two positions on the same seat. I was afraid kids would go over the back onto their heads. To protect them, I put this sissy bar on the back of the bikes with fringes on it–so it became part of the image.”

What an impressive life and career.

That it is!!


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## filmonger (Feb 28, 2016)

Cool Schwinn drawings on CycleSmithy in Chicago. Everyone should have a look at these!

http://www.cyclesmithy.com/pages/schwinn-pre-war-blueprints


Leonardo would be credited as the first I would suggest... But this also could be a picture of any mechanical device as seen from above - no one really knows. This said - lets just pretend that he may have considered it as an artist engineer.


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