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ca. 1946-1948 Whizzer Model H
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Description
First introduced in 1939, Whizzer clip-on bicycle engine was reminiscent of the foundations of motorcycle history when all motorcycles were really bicycles with motors added by the owner.
World War II threatened to stop all production of Whizzers because the builder, Breene-Taylor Engineering Corporation, was primarily an aircraft parts manufacturer. However, Breene-Taylor sold the Whizzer division and the new owners convinced the War Department that its motors would help defense workers commute without wasting precious gasoline. The resulting…
First introduced in 1939, Whizzer clip-on bicycle engine was reminiscent of the foundations of motorcycle history when all motorcycles were really bicycles with motors added by the owner.
World War II threatened to stop all production of Whizzers because the builder, Breene-Taylor Engineering Corporation, was primarily an aircraft parts manufacturer. However, Breene-Taylor sold the Whizzer division and the new owners convinced the War Department that its motors would help defense workers commute without wasting precious gasoline. The resulting “New Model” was sold to defense workers only for the duration of the war and was one of the only new vehicles available in the United States at the time.
1946 saw multiple changes for Whizzer as the US economy shifted from war production to civilian products. First, the company moved from Los Angeles to Pontiac, Michigan. Second, it introduced the Model H, which was the last Whizzer model to use lever for the throttle and clutch rather than the traditional motorcycle method of twistgrips.
Over the next 10 years, somewhere between 350,000 and 500,000 Whizzer engines were produced.
Year:
1947
Make / Manufacturer:
Whizzer Motor Company & Arnold, Schwinn & Co.
Model:
Model H
Creator:
Breene-Taylor Engineering
Location Created:
Pontiac, MI/Chicago, IL
Donated By:
On Loan from Dean Westover