Who made these bizarre Scooter Bikes? Any brand or year information?

[TrustRust]

I have one of these that's been kicking around.. The seat slides out so can either be used like a scooter or pedaled like a bicycle, tricycle..
I always thought they were strange critters. No doubt why I found one lol.....

I remember years back trying to i.d. them or find ANY advertising info or photos.. I have seen a few others but not in awhile and none of the owners knew a thing about them...
Somewhere online there was a blurb and some photos of one saying some Department store sold them post war but I never found ANY ads, name or maker to back that statement up...
I have seen what looks like modern versions used around the Amish areas in PA and often wondered if these too came from that area years back??
I never found anything connecting them....
Sooooo after many years I figured I would try finding ANY information again ...

 

[ridingtoy]

Back in October another CABE member posted a photo of one, wondering what it was, but didn't get any reply as to who made it and when. https://thecabe.com/forum/threads/what-is-it.160768/#post-1086826

Dave

 

[vincev]

1948 HIAWATHA SCOOTER BIKE. Saw one at the Lebanon,Indiana bike show.It was $150.

 

[TrustRust]

Ya Vince I saw reference on a U.K. website years ago saying they were 1948 Hiawatha scooter bikes made for and sold by Gamble's department stores..
They even had catalog pages scanned yet nothing showed them, listed them or described them in the catalog pages they scanned??
I wrote them asking where they came up with the info but never got a answer back...
It seems to be the description most owners selling them have been using for years as that's all that seems to be out there on them..
Of course my brain still thinks unless I see something actually showing one in a catalog or something to back it up then it may have been just speculation on whomever provided that info to start with.....

 

[49autocycledeluxe]

when you search Google Images for 1948 Hiawatha scooter bike the whole page is full of them. I'd say that is a Hiawatha scooter bike. either that or random owners all across the country are just wrong.

 

[TrustRust]

I hear what you are saying but No one to date seems to have ever come up with a actual ad for one…

 

[cr250mark]

40’s Hiawatha Gambles , scooter / bike
I have had 3-4 of these
Only 1 had a badge , sold it because it had a small weld right at handlebar connection
Clearly see pedal , flat frame and seat mount to confirm
see pict. below as reference / confirmation
These guys are always missing seat or grips
Sorry for fuzzy pict.
Hard to pass up
Yours is sweet great patina , I’d say a easy $350
Thanks for posting
Mark