Build date for this Hawthorne Hercules

[Barry Nofzinger]

I can't find any information on Hawthorne Serial numbers. Can someone, please, point me in the right direction?

 

[GTs58]

Can't help with the serial number question but I can tell you the bike was most likely built somewhere around 1974-75 when those reflectors were the cats meow.

 

[Barry Nofzinger]

Can't help with the serial number question but I can tell you the bike was most likely built somewhere around 1974-75 when those reflectors were the cats meow.

Thanks. I was leaning toward the 70's.

 

[Freqman1]

The bike is an English import sold through MW. You may try looking at Phillips or Raleigh serial numbers? V/r Shawn

 

[Barry Nofzinger]

The bike is an English import sold through MW. You may try looking at Phillips or Raleigh serial numbers? V/r Shawn

So, what's confusing here is there's like three or four names attached to this bike. So, the bike is a Hercules, made in England, but might have actually been made my Raleigh or Phillips. The bike was made for Hawthorne, which made bikes exclusively for MW. Do I have this correct?

 

[Freqman1]

So, what's confusing here is there's like three or four names attached to this bike. So, the bike is a Hercules, made in England, but might have actually been made my Raleigh or Phillips. The bike was made for Hawthorne, which made bikes exclusively for MW. Do I have this correct?

Hawthorne is only a brand name used by MW for its bicycles. So the bike was built by an English manufacturer (Phillips/Raleigh/?) for a U.S. retailer (Montgomery Ward) who sold it as a Hawthorne. As you may or may not know most retailers e.g. Sears, MW, Firestone, Goodyear, etc... never built their own bikes but contracted with manufacturers such as Westfield, Colson, Monark, Cleveland Welding Co. etc... to build their bikes. Sometimes these were exclusive designs such as the Bluebird (Westfield for Sears) or generic (usually lower end models) sold through a variety of retailers.

I wouldn't agonize over this bike too much. It is a fairly modern, base model bike with little, if any, collector value. With a good service it would make someone a decent rider but the service (unless you do it yourself) will likely exceed the value of the bike. V/r Shawn

 

[Barry Nofzinger]

Hawthorne is only a brand name used by MW for its bicycles. So the bike was built by an English manufacturer (Phillips/Raleigh/?) for a U.S. retailer (Montgomery Ward) who sold it as a Hawthorne. As you may or may not know most retailers e.g. Sears, MW, Firestone, Goodyear, etc... never built their own bikes but contracted with manufacturers such as Westfield, Colson, Monark, Cleveland Welding Co. etc... to build their bikes. Sometimes these were exclusive designs such as the Bluebird (Westfield for Sears) or generic (usually lower end models) sold through a variety of retailers.

I wouldn't agonize over this bike too much. It is a fairly modern, base model bike with little, if any, collector value. With a good service it would make someone a decent rider but the service (unless you do it yourself) will likely exceed the value of the bike. V/r Shawn

Thanks for the information.

 

[Oilit]

Hercules was built by the British Cycle Corp. (BCC) until it was merged with Raleigh in 1960. Montgomery Ward imported Hercules in the '50's and up into the '60's. The details on your bike look like a Hercules from before the merger, where Hercules from the later '60's are just re-badged Raleighs. For now there's no serial list for Hercules, but from the decals, I'd guess late '50's or early '60's, either before or just after the merger, when the bikes were still distinct. The reflectors @GTs58 mentions were probably added later. If your head badge says Birmingham (England) that was where Hercules was located before the merger. (Raleigh was based in Nottingham) Someone took care of that bike, it's in very nice shape for the age! As @Freqman1 says it's not terribly valuable, but it's a well made bike and you're not going to see another one everywhere you go, either.

 

[Barry Nofzinger]

Hercules was built by the British Cycle Corp. (BCC) until it was merged with Raleigh in 1960. Montgomery Ward imported Hercules in the '50's and up into the '60's. The details on your bike look like a Hercules from before the merger, where Hercules from the later '60's are just re-badged Raleighs. For now there's no serial list for Hercules, but from the decals, I'd guess late '50's or early '60's, either before or just after the merger, when the bikes were still distinct. The reflectors @GTs58 mentions were probably added later. If your head badge says Birmingham (England) that was where Hercules was located before the merger. (Raleigh was based in Nottingham) Someone took care of that bike, it's in very nice shape for the age! As @Freqman1 says it's not terribly valuable, but it's a well made bike and you're not going to see another one everywhere you go, either.

Thanks, a lot. The person I bought the bike from was an older lady who had her even older father there. He mentioned the year 1959. Do you think he could be right?

 

[Oilit]

Thanks, a lot. The person I bought the bike from was an older lady who had her even older father there. He mentioned the year 1959. Do you think he could be right?

I'm not going to argue with the original owner! Especially since that sounds about right!