# 1934 Zephyr Cycle Co. Dayton, Ohio



## hoofhearted (Jun 4, 2014)

*Goin' thru some fotos during a decent thunderstorm today .. found these .....

These particular fotos originated as accompanying fotos to two separate e-b 
auctions for these Zephyr Cycle Co. salesman's samples.

Three full-size Zephyr-Cycles were actually made.  One went to Georgia with 
one of the designer's 3 daughters.  One went with a rep from the Curtis-Wright Co. 
The last was stored in the home of the designer, even tho' he and his wife moved 
to a smaller place.  This is all of the story available to my memory.  Much more 
is in an article circa 2009 .. in Classic Bicycle News.  The article may be 2 issues 
in length.*


..................  patric









































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## Talewinds (Jun 4, 2014)

Freakin' sweet!


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## catfish (Jun 4, 2014)

Great info! Thanks for posting it.


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## Freqman1 (Jun 4, 2014)

Wasn't there a thread on here about a year ago covering this subject? I did a quick search but was unable to locate it. As I remember it even showed an ad or promotion for this bike? V/r Shawn


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## chitown (Jun 4, 2014)

*And for the Ladies...*


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## sprocket man (Jun 4, 2014)

*Zephyr bike*

Patric-- I wonder what happened to all of those shares that
sold for $50 each (worthless now)  unless you're an avid
collector ?


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## rollfaster (Jun 4, 2014)

*Love these*

Art Deco styling at its finest.


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## hoofhearted (Jun 4, 2014)

sprocket man said:


> Patric-- I wonder what happened to all of those shares that
> sold for $50 each (worthless now)  unless you're an avid
> collector ?




*sprocket man ... I wonder that, myself.  50 Simoleons back 
in 1934 was a lotta cheeze.  Have never seen or heard of a single 
specimen up for grabs from thru any antique outlet.*


............  patric




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## hoofhearted (Jun 4, 2014)

Freqman1 said:


> Wasn't there a thread on here about a year ago covering this subject? I did a quick search but was unable to locate it. As I remember it even showed an ad or promotion for this bike? V/r Shawn





*Shawn ... Couldn't find anything doing an in-house search, either ...........*




...............................  patric




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## OldRider (Jun 4, 2014)

In the rarity category this definitely tops the Evinrude, that is one cool looking machine!


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## Freqman1 (Jun 4, 2014)

OldRider said:


> In the rarity category this definitely tops the Evinrude, that is one cool looking machine!




There are a lot of bikes more rare than the Evinrude. 1938 Huffman Super Streamline is one. Probably '37/8 RMS as well, and I'm sure there are others. The thing is I don't think the Zephyr went beyond the prototype stage. V/r Shawn


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## Stinky_Sullivan (Jun 4, 2014)

57 spitfire said:


> Art Deco styling at its finest.




I could not disagree more. It IS an interesting bike, however, that's a bike I'd only add to my collection due to its rarity. Aesthetically, it's a loser. The fact that it didn't go into production supports that assertion.

Show me a bicycle version of this motorcycle and you'll have something.


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## Oldnut (Jun 4, 2014)

*Zephyr*

Thanks that's a killer bike ,I can't see riding one in a strong cross wind.didnt huffman use that zephyr name on some of there bikes hmm


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## sm2501 (Aug 15, 2019)

Patric aka Hoofhearted shared these pictures with me some years ago. I'll let Patric share his knowledge about this subject.


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## charnleybob (Aug 15, 2019)

Somewhere, someone, has one of these.
Either the full size or the small table model display piece.


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## catfish (Aug 15, 2019)

The small models show up from time to time. I saw one at auction in the last year or so. 



charnleybob said:


> Somewhere, someone, has one of these.
> Either the full size or the small table model display piece.


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## sm2501 (Aug 15, 2019)

Here's mine.


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## hoofhearted (Aug 15, 2019)

@sm2501

*Scott … we need to transfer some info in a CABE Thread to THIS Thread.*

*The info can be found in a thread called, Zephyr head badge.  Entry #3 … *

*Please transfer just the typed section … the fotos are already here.*

*If you would, Scott … please transfer to this Entry .. below the Zephyr 
badge foto … OR start a new Entry in this Thread and transfer there.  Thank You !!*

*If I knew how to transfer or create a link .. I would.*



*Now … many peeps are of a mindset the blue, ZEPHYR badge began life as a Huffman thing.
No Dice.  This Badge was a product of The Zephyr Cycle Co., Dayton, Ohio.*

*In June of 1938 … The Huffman Manuf. Co. Purchased the remains of The Zephyr Cycle Co … 
and placed the blue Zephyr badge on appropriate Huffman machines.  *

*Two of these were originally intended to be placed on each and every Zephyr Cycle … 
one on each side of the massively-thick headtube.*

*….. patric*

*


From the Ethernet*


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## hoofhearted (Aug 15, 2019)

sm2501 said:


> Here's mine.
> 
> View attachment 1047482




=======================================================

*She used to be my girl.  
The only other Zephyr-Cycle model I had,  is now in the Jerry Berg Collection.
Have not touched these in ten-years.  *

*Yeah … I miss 'em ……….*

*….. patric*


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## sm2501 (Aug 15, 2019)

*Somewhere in the earliest issues of Classic Bicycle News is an article(s) on badges
 containing the word Zephyr.

 In June, 1938 ... American Bicyclist-Motorcyclist Magazine (or something to that
 effect) posted information that Huffman had purchased the entire mechanical holdings 
 AND ''good will'' of the Zephyr Cycle Co. on Monument Ave. in Dayton, Ohio.

 Having been interviewed by The Dayton Daily News sometime in the mid to late 90's, 
 I answered a question about ''most-unusual'' bicycles.  My choice was the Zephyr Cycle 
 ... of the Zephyr Cycle Co.

 Got a fone call from a rather-irate female .. Annette Anduze .. one of three daughters 
 of the bicycle's two-designers -- a Mr. Stutzman .. former engineer with the now-defunct
 Davis Sewing Machine Co. of Dayton.

 "My father would have NEVER SOLD that company !'' .. claims she.

 She told me how different the machine was ... that only three had been built  (1934) .. and 
 that her father had designed a special emblem for the bicycle ... two were to be affixed 
 to the steering-area .. one on the left .. one on the right.  The front of the steering-area 
 being somewhat covered by sheet-metal.

 She then described the badge.

 Long story - short ... Sent her copies of all the lit I had of her father's machine ... she 
 was appreciative and sent me a foto of a broken, cast-iron salesman model in her posses-
 sion.

 One of the fotos I sent was of the blue, large "Z" badge.  The badge was still-attached to
 a Huffman-Built, original bicycle.

 When we chatted at later dates .. Mrs. Anduze was very hospitable. 

 Below are pics of one of the original bicycles ... and some good fotos of one of the 
 salesman's samples (from the Ethernet).  

 I no-longer own either of the two, original, salesman's samples .. that once were in my 
 collection.*


...........  patric


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## Euphman06 (Aug 16, 2019)

Maybe I didn't see it in the writing, but the Zephyr (im my neck of the woods) was a train "back in the day". This design does look vaguely train-ish to me. I wonder if there's a correlation there?


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## OldSkipTooth (Aug 16, 2019)

The word Zephyr means gentle breeze, it was an iconic name for a train, various automobiles, airships, etc. The word seems to have been rolled up into Art Deco/Modern Industrial streamline design of the 1930’s and 40’s. It was the birthplace of aerodynamic attention for mass production, I.e., less wind drag.


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## cyclingday (Aug 16, 2019)

Very interesting!
Thanks for the fresh update guys.


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## hoofhearted (Aug 16, 2019)

Euphman06 said:


> Maybe I didn't see it in the writing, but the Zephyr (im my neck of the woods)
> was a train "back in the day". This design does look vaguely train-ish to me.
> I wonder if there's a correlation there?




============================================
@Euphman06


*October, 1934 thru May, 1938 … Huffman Zephyr badge ...……..*


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## Euphman06 (Aug 16, 2019)

They are cool bikes. A school district I work for are the "zephyrs" (train reference) and I always wanted a prewar zephyr badged bike but havent come across one I can afford yet. 

Sent from my LGLS775 using Tapatalk


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## Miyata FL. (Aug 16, 2019)

https://patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/86/5f/77/47ece2cfa30dc7/USD92777.pdf




https://patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/c2/2e/7e/cadd355e96b745/US2182828.pdf


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## barneyguey (Aug 16, 2019)

Euphman06 said:


> Maybe I didn't see it in the writing, but the Zephyr (im my neck of the woods) was a train "back in the day". This design does look vaguely train-ish to me. I wonder if there's a correlation there?




After reading all of this, I wonder how many different companies used the name Zephyr on their bikes? I have a Lack's Zephyr badge (Lack's Auto Supply),  a "The New Zephyr" badge (Albright's) and a Zephyr badge (sold by the Louisville Cycle Supply Company). They all have trains on them. How many more? Barry


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## sm2501 (Aug 16, 2019)

hoofhearted said:


> *sprocket man ... I wonder that, myself.  50 Simoleons back
> in 1934 was a lotta cheeze.  Have never seen or heard of a single
> specimen up for grabs from thru any antique outlet.*
> 
> ...



$50 in 1934 would be worth $957.35 in 2019 dollars.


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