When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.

'like new' schwinn cruiser 6 hungarian twins - how do i find a value on them?

-

hungariantwins

On Training Wheels
hi to everyone on this site

i am impressed by your knowledge of schwinns, your passion, and your willingness to help others. ty in advance for any info on my questions!

my wife's two sons inherited schwinns from their paternal grandparents, who recently passed away. i am retired, and have time to do some research to see if i can get the boys some rent money, as they start out on their own in life. no one in the family seems to know much about them, except that my wife remembers that the grandparents had these 'twins' for quite awhile before her sons were born - guessing that they were at least 40 years old. both of the schwinns, after minor wipe downs, would probably be classified close to 'like new' condition - in really great shape in my inexperienced eyes

i was scratching my head trying to find any details as to how old they are, as all of the pictures i saw on the internet did not have a match for the 'branding' that appeared on the chain guards - these bikes say 'cruiser 6', not 'cruiser six', or 'scwinn cruiser 6'

thanks to people on this site, i think i have actually found the origin and years of the twins. they were made in hungary. how do i know this? there is a label on the shaft saying 'made in hungary' - haha.

someone here posted the schwinn 1981 manufacturers code of production dates - for the life of me, i cannot find that forum post today :(
but i think i recall the code

the ladies bike (purple) starts with HD, and the mens bike (black) starts with HM, so it appears that they were both produced in july - the ladies bike in 1968, the mens in 1977
i think i have that correctly?

anyways, i now cannot find anything in regards to the values of these
bicycle blue book does not seem to be of any help

can someone please give me a ballpark value, so that i can begin to figure out what to sell them for?
i would like to see them in the hands of a schwinn collector who would appreciate their age and condition
they are in michigan, fyi

ty in advance for your advice!
don
 
Welcome to the CABE. The Cruiser 6 bikes were made pretty recently. I do not know the exact years they were produced, but we're talking late 1990s at the earliest, or sometime in the 2000s.
The reproduction Schwinn Phantoms came out in 1995, and these came along sometime after that.
They are not considered collectable, and you aren't going to find the serial number on any chart. Post up some pics and get some opinions on value, but please don't get your hopes up.
 
The original Schwinn Company went bankrupt in 1992, if memory serves. They bought a Hungarian plant sometime in the mid to late '80's, part of a plan to diversify suppliers and expand into Europe, but the plant was pretty run down and needed a lot of investment. Nontheless, Schwinn did import some bikes from Hungary in the early '90's before they hit the wall. My understanding is that the Scott Sports Group, which bought Schwinn after the bankruptcy, upgraded the Cruiser 5 to produce the Cruiser 6, but from what I've read they never imported bikes from Hungary. But anything's possible. Like @WetDogGraphix and @Jay81 said, pictures will help.
 
I believe the "Cruiser" with 6 gears came out in 1991, Cruiser Supreme, and it was a diamond frame and the coaster model Cruiser was a cantilever frame. I've never seen anything other than a few coaster models and the Heavy Duti's that were made in Hungary. The actual build dates on your bikes should be stamped in the head badge. Four numbers for the Julian date.

Do they look like the lower images in this 1992 catalog scan?

1992_cc_Cruisers.jpg


The Cruiser 6 came out in the 1993 model year and Schwinn was purchased by the Scott Sports Group sometime in 1993. Here's the 1993 Cruiser 6 and I'd be interested to see if these were ever made in Hungary. I've only seen the geared Cruisers that were made in Taiwan.

1993_Cnsmr_29.jpg
 
ty all for your help

i see a number of comments about cruiser 6's being produced in the 90's.
that will not be the case here, as my wife knows for sure that the grandparents had these prior to her kids being born in the late 80's

the pics posted here show 'cruiser six', just like every pic of the cruiser 6's i have found
these schwinns say 'cruiser 6', the word six not being spelled out

i wish i could find a post on here where the person posted a 1981 official schwinn publication showing how production dates can be decoded
based upon that post, it appears these were made in 1968 and 1977, from their serial numbers

so i still do not know what they are, when they were made, or what their value might be

here are some pics, which might help
1 - frame, 'cruiser 6', not 'cruiser six'
2 - serial number, starting with HD
3 - made in hungary sticker

hope this helps?

don
cruiser 6 frame.jpg


cruiser 6 serial #.jpg


cruiser 6 hungary.jpg
 
Again, they are not as old as you think they are. If one of them were made in 1968, the serial would be on the left rear dropout.
The one you think is from 1977 would have the number stamped on the head tube.
They would have both been made in Chicago if they were built in those years.
You will absolutely not find them on a Chicago built Schwinn serial number chart, which is what you've been looking at.
Could possibly be from sometime in the 80s but they are absolutely 100% not any older. I still think they are 90s or newer.
 
Last edited:
Back
Top