Help on dating a Schwinn 40s Poster Brochure

[rennfaron]

I have quite a few of the Schwinn poster brochures. Most of them have established years but I am struggling to date one that rarely pops up and has no date in the text and no obvious things I am seeing to help date it. That said, I don't know much about the balloon tire bikes so hopefully you guys can help with that. It has to be either 1942, 1943, 1944 or 1945. The 1941 catalog has the date in it and I have the brochures 1946 and after dated. In the 1941 brochure shown on Findley's site the models below are the ones shown in the artwork and those are the model numbers and names shown. The list at the bottom are all the model numbers and names as shown in the artwork. I provided notes of the differences I saw between the two, using 1941 as the control. (I left out the lightweights because they didn't change much and are too hard to date in the catalog) (images of the brochure / catalog I am trying to date are below).

1941 models in catalog:

• B707 - Auto Cycle Deluxe Special
• B607 - Auto Cycle
• B507
• BA37
• BA97
• BA107 - Special - states that is the all new "Auto-cycle DeLuxe"
• BA307
• BA307 - Special "The Hollywood"
• D97XE - Special
• D97XE
• D97X
• D37X

Models in the catalog I am trying to date:

• B707 - Auto Cycle Super Deluxe (slight change in naming from the 1941 catalog)
• B607 - Auto Cycle Deluxe (1941 catalog above doesn’t say “deluxe” in naming and this one does)
• B507 "Auto Cycle Tourist” (now shown in this catalog named "Auto Cycle Tourist," no name in 1941 catalog)
• BA37 - The Tourist (this year catalog nows calls it “The Tourist” and in 1941 it
• (No model BA97 shown in this catalog like the above catalog)
• BA107 - Standard Autocycle (this year catalog now calls it the “Standard Autocycle” and the 1941 catalog shows it as BA107 Special Auto-Cycle Deluxe)
• BA307 - Hollywood (this catalog switches The Hollywood from the BA307 Special to just BA307)
• (No model BA307 Special shown this year, but was shown in 1941 catalog)
• D97X - Standard (this catalog now ONLY shows the D97X and does not show the other two options of D97XE Special and D97XE)
• D37X - Standard (this catalog now ONLY shows it at D37X and not like the above catalog showing D37XE)

 

[cyclingday]

It has to be just another version of the 1941 Cyclorama poster series.
As this model bike was only available in 1941.
It was discontinued in 1942.
I’m sure it was released and made available for the Christmas season of 1940, so it could be an early release poster?

Digging, Jackie Cooper sitting on my bike.

Stylin!

 

[rennfaron]

Thanks Marty.That is interesting about the year then because there would be three 1941 poster brochures I know of so far. The other two are copies of one another with slight differences in text styling, text color and at least one image swapped out. The green text version is harder to find and I was lucky to get that one in the original envelope with Schwinn letterhead note in there. Envelope is postmarked June 1941. I don't know exactly when the red text version went out, but I am assuming earlier in the year. No idea why there would be two of the same exact thing only slightly different (could be different printers and released at the same time or could be that they ran out of them and had to print more and some things changed in that reprint).

If the same year, what is the deal with all the inconsistencies in information, like model names, and some models aren't listed (I guess they could have just not shown them...)? Take a look at those two lists again and see if you can understand why that would be.

 

[GTs58]

The catalogs will sometimes show a model that is equipped with extra components that are normally not standard equipment and an option like the forebrake. On the Holleywood the model designation Special would indicate an added component or two that is normally not a standard feature, like the forebrake and rear expander brake.

 

[Rivnut]

WWII would have put an end to civilian bicycle production for 1942, 43, 44, and 45, wouldn't it?

 

[cyclingday]

It did.
Which is why you can definitively date the poster in question to the 1941 model year.
Even if the poster was an early release for the Christmas season of 1940, the models depicted were 1941 models.

 

[Miq]

I don't want to hijack this poster thread but I want to point some things out we've seen with Schwinn New Worlds. There were thousands of "victory" bikes made for the civilians by Schwinn during the war. Want some proof?

@HUFFMANBILL and a few other CABE members are lucky enough to have some of these bikes and have posted many pics and details of them, black out parts and missing chain guards and all. War Time New Worlds We Know You Have Them

I'm not claiming the posters in this thread are from the war years but saying all civilian bike production was cut off is not accurate. It was limited to much lower numbers than outside of the war years, but clearly there were many New Worlds built by Schwinn during the war along with the cycle trucks for military service.

 

[rollfaster]

Love these catalogs and the great bikes with actors/actresses. Nice peaceful look at a bygone era. Better times for sure!

 

[cyclingday]

I always thought it was interesting, that the picture of the model B607 Autocycle Deluxe, is shown in Two Tone Green, but the tank and chainguard, are Green & Ivory.