Penguin bicycle from 1970

[juvela]

If the bike was a Sears it would have a Sears head badge. Most likely the same for Pennys, Formost. Looking at your brother's bike there is some writing on the oval in the head badge. Can't read it but it could be Formost? or Penguin? Due to the Penguin head badge and the early Huffy model name Penguin, this might have been a huffy imported piece for maybe Grants, Kmart etc. where the bikes were not rebadged with a store name.

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Thank you!

thanks also to CL for locating these adverts

all the examples illustrated thus far appear to be built with ashtabula type chainsets which would rule them out, in fairness some of the images are indistinct in this regard

one slightly unusual feature visible on both CL's cycle and that of the brother is the large rectangular Penguin transfer on the head tube over which is mounted a metal Penguin headplate

in the image of the brother's machine we can clearly see that a wedgebolt passes through the head of the non-drive side crank arm; this, when combined with the large dustcover visible on the adjustable side of the bottom bracket certainly indicates a Thun type chainset

AFAIK Huffman built no machines with Thun type chainsets but me Huffman savvy be quite thin

if the cycles have any Huffman relation it would seem to be a case of them being produced by a subber

the Huffman experts will know if this was ever done

the forum has had a a good number of discussion threads on juvenile bicycles which were house branded and produced in Europe

of the threads am able to recall do not remember any convertibles amongst them but am sure have not read every such thread

CL could try searching the forum archives with phrases such as "German convertible", "German made convertible", "Dutch convertible" or "Dutch made convertible"


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[CL Scott]

Thank you! I will search away.

 

[HEMI426]

Murry also built bikes similar to your pics.

 

[CL Scott]

Thank you.

When looking at the stores selling bikes in Reno, JC Penney and Sears could have lots of different bikes from different manufacturers. Weinstock's was a regional store so it probably wasn't big enough to have its own brand. I am looking for Dutch and German bikes that may have been sold through those stores.

No luck with the forums and Dutch or German convertibles yet.

Also, I think the Murray Ram Rod Convertible might be in the mix. When I look at the chainguard, I can see two lines of lettering and the Ram Rod has two lines of lettering. Sadly I can't get that part in better focus.

I will keep looking!

 

[GTs58]

Thank you.

When looking at the stores selling bikes in Reno, JC Penney and Sears could have lots of different bikes from different manufacturers. Weinstock's was a regional store so it probably wasn't big enough to have its own brand. I am looking for Dutch and German bikes that may have been sold through those stores.

No luck with the forums and Dutch or German convertibles yet.

Also, I think the Murray Ram Rod Convertible might be in the mix. When I look at the chainguard, I can see two lines of lettering and the Ram Rod has two lines of lettering. Sadly I can't get that part in better focus.

I will keep looking!

One detail I was using to look was the fork. Look at the rounded shoulders on the fork.

 

[juvela]

One detail I was using to look was the fork. Look at the rounded shoulders on the fork.

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had found this distinctive as well

"usually" with German & Dutch produced juveniles the crowns are these massive sandcast lumps with no finishing so they are covered with a big squarish cap of stamped aluminum sheet

am thinking have seen the subject crown previously but have been unable to place it

may prove a helpful clue for the right pair of eyes...

gives the appearance that the whole fork was formed of folded sheet

CL - are you in contact with brother to see if he has any recollections of the bikes?


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[CL Scott]

Yes, but he can't remember the brand either.

 

[CL Scott]

No great luck but I did search the old Sears and JC Penney catalogs from 1969. The JC Penney catalog 1969 describes the Swinger Jr. color as raspberry with white highlights. That is the color. But who made the Sidewalk Swinger Jr. for JC Penney?

 

[HEMI426]

The only bike in that catalog pic that is a conv. is # 1, the other two don't have the removable bars to make it into a girls bike. I would check a Murry catalog from 1969 or 1970. I noticed in your first pic that bike has training wheels on it. That #1 pic in the catalog pic. is similar to this conv. bike.

 

[CL Scott]

From 1969 Murray catalog the only bicycle that looks close is an F1 Murray Eliminator. I can't tell if it is convertible.