# Help Identify Westfield Imperial



## minnphatts (Sep 14, 2008)

Does anyone have any knowledge about this Westfield "Imperial" badged bicycle? Is it actually a Columbia, or was is sold in a specific department store? My best "uneducated" guess was that it is from 1948.

I've begun restoring this bicycle, it has been repainted gold, the original color was robin egg blue. The forks and cranks seem to be damaged.

I'm interested in trading for a comparable AMF Roadmaster.

Any help is appreciated, thanks!


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## balloontirecruiser (Sep 14, 2008)

Please anyone correct me if I am wrong, but I think Columbia and Westfield were the same company, and that all parts are interchangeable between the comparitive models of the same years? I know that Columbia bicycles were produced in Westfield, Massachusetts for many years, and that there is actually still some sort of plant/showroom type building at Number 1 Cycle Drive, Westfield Mass. I've been meaning to check it out for a while.


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## minnphatts (Sep 14, 2008)

From my limited internet research it seems like the bike is made by Columbia/Westfield Manufacturing. I've been unable to locate any reference to the Imperial model. The serial number is currently painted over and illegible. Could it be a specific department store model?


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## mre straightbar (Sep 14, 2008)

front forks look bent


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## minnphatts (Sep 14, 2008)

Yes the forks seem to be bent, as are the cranks. Everything else is cleaning up nicely! I just don't seem to know anything about the Imperial badge.


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## PCHiggin (Sep 14, 2008)

*Different Badges*

Westfield Manufacturing had many badges on their bikes, Columbia was one of them. The company later changed to the Columbia Bike Co. Pat


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## minnphatts (Sep 14, 2008)

Anyone have any thoughts about the year? I've seen a very similar Columbia badged bike that is a 1948. Does this year seem plausible for this bike? Thanks!


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## SirMike1983 (Sep 15, 2008)

Westfield Manufacturing was the name of the company that made bicycles in the town of that name in Massachusetts. Westfield was a pretty large operation and made bikes under different brand names. "Columbia" bicycles were made by Westfield and the Columbia brand name was reserved their "house" brand. They sold bicycles under different brands too, though Columbia is the best-known. 

It appears your bike was indeed made by Westfield Manufacturing, but is simply a differently branded bike. It has several of the Westfield hallmarks in terms of its design.

Here is the Columbia catalog for 1948

http://www.nostalgic.net/bicycle212.htm

Here is the Columbia serial number chart (it may help you get some idea as to the age)

http://oldroads.com/co_sn.asp

IThe immediate post war bikes from Columbia tended to have the longer handlebars and regular forks. Even the 1948 top of the line bicycles were advertised with regular forks in 1948. That's not to say yours could not be a 1948, it just seems to go against the grain of the period advertisements. The very light blue (I think that's the one you mean?) was also a popular 1950s era color for Columbias. Do you think the fork was a replacement made later in the 1950s? Dating these bikes can be a bit tricky that way. Keep researching and see what turns up.


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## Parker (Sep 15, 2008)

Those forks aren't bent, they're just incorrectly installed. The spring action fork is supposed to sit behind the head tube fork. After that the front fender braces will need to be attached to the double sided bolt above the dropout. Looks to be 51-53. Is it a 24"?

Other than that it's a very nice find. If you want to nail down the year there should be a serial number on the left rear dropout. It will be a letter and 4-6 numbers, might be some more stampings too. Once you get the number go HERE. Also if it's been repainted you might have to remove some paint. I could never read the serials until I cleaned the spot, very hard to read.
Hope this helps.


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