Post-War ('40s-'50s) Schwinn Superior List

[SirMike1983]

I think having a list of the 1940s-50s era Superiors, like was done with the New World bikes, would be helpful. Over the past couple of years a few of these bikes have re-emerged. I suspect it will be a fairly short list compared to the New Worlds. This chart is based on Miq's New World chart, but simplified because there is less variety in the post-war Superiors than in the New Worlds. Nailing down the years of bikes may be tricky at first but if we get enough bikes on the list, we may get a good idea of which was built when.

(Edit - chart as of 11/22/23)

 

[GTs58]

I think the paint colors on these are pretty interesting. The new worlds were all solid colors and these were more like the continental with all opalescent colors.

 

[SirMike1983]

I think the paint colors on these are pretty interesting. The new worlds were all solid colors and these were more like the continental with all opalescent colors.

I can add a box for color if we can identify what each color is by its proper name. I've never seen a color chart with paint samples for these bikes. I know there are a couple of different greens. I think if we do a color box for the chart, that would be good, but we'd also need to pin down which color is named what.

 

[BF2485]

My 49...U69219 serial number

 

[SirMike1983]

The chart has been updated with a few more bikes. I've taken a crack at putting down the colors. The years are based on a couple pieces of data. Oilit came up with a 1949 New World with a Sturmey AW hub dated 3/49, serial no. U69633 on a seamless bottom bracket like the Superior would have. Pastorbob's Superior #U69514 has a 4/49 Sturmey AW hub on it. So it seems the U69XXX series dates to the first half of 1949.

Jim Sciano's Superior is U66619, which one would think would amount to some time in the spring of 1949, though it has a 1950 AW hub. Perhaps it's a later hub and wheelset? It seems strange the bottom bracket would sit around for half a year. I think it would be a 1949 bike with a later wheelset or later rear hub based on the numbers. It also runs counter to the New World U69633 with the 3/49 hub.

Supposedly the T0023XX series dated to summer 1950.

Should the T001423 move up the list based on the hub date of 6/49? The U68XXX and U69XXX numbers on the chart came with undated single speed rear hubs. 1949 bikes? I'm kind of inclined to say U-series is 1949. Lower T-series like T0021XX are 1949. Mid and upper T-series like T0022XX and T0023XX are 1950. But that's just a hunch for now.

Should we call the U series the "standard" series for these bikes and the T series the "tandem" series?

Progress at hand at least...

 

[AS-1]

I can add a box for color if we can identify what each color is by its proper name. I've never seen a color chart with paint samples for these bikes. I know there are a couple of different greens. I think if we do a color box for the chart, that would be good, but we'd also need to pin down which color is named what.

The colors available in 1950 are listed below as seen in the 1950 Schwinn Dealer Catalog. There was a colorized color chart in the 1950 catalog but it did not specifically display any of the colors used on the Superior models.

 

[BF2485]

Thanks for adding me to the list !! Honored to be on it !

 

[GTs58]

The chart has been updated with a few more bikes. I've taken a crack at putting down the colors. The years are based on a couple pieces of data. Oilit came up with a 1949 New World with a Sturmey AW hub dated 3/49, serial no. U69633 on a seamless bottom bracket like the Superior would have. Pastorbob's Superior #U69514 has a 4/49 Sturmey AW hub on it. So it seems the U69XXX series dates to the first half of 1949.

Jim Sciano's Superior is U66619, which one would think would amount to some time in the spring of 1949, though it has a 1950 AW hub. Perhaps it's a later hub and wheelset? It seems strange the bottom bracket would sit around for half a year. I think it would be a 1949 bike with a later wheelset or later rear hub based on the numbers. It also runs counter to the New World U69633 with the 3/49 hub.

Supposedly the T0023XX series dated to summer 1950.

Should the T001423 move up the list based on the hub date of 6/49? The U68XXX and U69XXX numbers on the chart came with undated single speed rear hubs. 1949 bikes? I'm kind of inclined to say U-series is 1949. Lower T-series like T0021XX are 1949. Mid and upper T-series like T0022XX and T0023XX are 1950. But that's just a hunch for now.

Should we call the U series the "standard" series for these bikes and the T series the "tandem" series?

Progress at hand at least...

I've been trying to place these U serials for a few years now and the more you find the more confusing it gets. They were used in multiple years so dating any U serial numbered piece is going to be somewhat a guess unless there is an accompanying dated Sturmey hub attached. I've seen a U serial on a piece that had a 50 dated hub. Since the serial numbers were pre-stamped on the BB sells before frame building, it could have been used at any time. With this new spread sheet project maybe you can come up a good idea on the time periods.

Here are the details on @rennfaron 's immaculate 1948 Continental.

• Rear hub is Sturmey Archer stamped 48 / 3. Front hub is Schwinn script.
• Serial is U69702. It is machine stamped and I couldn't get a great shot of it with how thick the paint is. It is very faint.

 

[AS-1]

I can add a box for color if we can identify what each color is by its proper name. I've never seen a color chart with paint samples for these bikes. I know there are a couple of different greens. I think if we do a color box for the chart, that would be good, but we'd also need to pin down which color is named what.

I apologize if these catalog clippings are old news, but remembered I had saved the following from a post here on The CABE so here it is for your review. 1949.

 

[BF2485]

I apologize if these catalog clippings are old news, but remembered I had saved the following from a post here on The CABE so here it is for your review. 1949.

View attachment 1942715

this pic is what makes me think mine is a 49