Cushman in World War Two

Cushman Motor Works in World War Two
Lincoln, NE
1902-Present (Currently as part of Textron)

This page updated 9-8-2022.

The classic 1948 Cushman Road King motor scooter. I remember getting a ride around the block on the back of one of these as a youngster. A teenager in the neighborhood had one and was giving rides one evening. Very cool! Authors photo added 9-8-2022 from the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum.

Cushman Motor Works World War Two Production Statistics: 4,731 Model 53 two-wheel Airborne Motor Scooters, 506 three-wheel Package Delivery Motor Scooters, 495 three-wheel Motor Scooter with Sidecars, bomb casings, bomb fuses, aircraft propeller weights, and nose fuses

Table 1 - Cushman Motor Work's Major World War Two Contracts The information below comes from the "Alphabetical Listing of Major War Supply Contracts, June 1940 through September 1945." This was published by the Civilian Production Administration, Industrial Statistics Division. Table added 9-8-2022.
Product - Customer	Contract Amount	Contract Awarded	Completion Date
Fuze Parts - Army	$582,000	3-1941	3-1941
Bomb Parts - Army	$219,000	9-1941	7-1942
Fuzes - Army	$571,000	4-1942	3-1943
Scooters - Army	$983,000	5-1942	12-1942
Fuzes - Army	$1,094,000	6-1942	9-1943
Scooters Motor - Navy	$67,000	9-1942	1-1943
Fuzes Bomb - Army	$4,041,000	3-1942	9-1944
Motor Scooters - Navy	$221,000	7-1943	1-1944
Motor Scooters - Army	$100,000	9-1943	12-1943
Motor Scooters - Army	$152,000	9-1943	12-1944
Scooter Parts - Army	$147,000	11-1943	7-1944
Motor Scooters - Navy	$251,000	1-1944	10-1944
Bomb Nose Fuzes - Army	$1,171,000	1-1944	10-1944
Bomb Nose Fuzes - Army	$1,231,000	4-1944	12-1944
Motor Vehicle Parts - Navy	$236,000	5-1944	12-1944
Motor Scooters - Army	$1,234,000	6-1944	7-1945
Bomb Nose Fuzes M110 - Army	$1698,000	8-1944	7-1945
Motor Scooters - Navy	$555,000	9-1944	6-1945
Bomb Nose Fuzes M126A1 - Army	$321,000	1-1945	3-1945
Bomb Nose Fuzes - Army	$453,000	1-1945	8-1945
Motor Vehicle Parts - Navy	$83,000	5-1945	12-1945
Total	$15,380,000

Table 2 - Cushman Motor Works World War Two Scooter Production
	1943	1944	1945	Totals
Two-wheel Model 53 Airborne Motor Scooter		4,233	501	4,734
Three-wheel Model 39 Package Delivery Motor Scooter	306	300		606
Three-wheel Motor Scooter with Sidecar	316	179		495
Totals	622	4,712	501	5,835

Cushman Motor Works won the Army-Navy "E" Award four times during World War Two.
While the two-wheel Model 53 is the most remembered product of Cushman during World War Two, most likely the "E" awards were for the non-scooter production which were more important than the scooter in winning the war.

Two-wheel Model 53 Airborne Motor Scooter:

In what may have been a one time event, nine Cushman Model 53 two-wheel Airborne Motor Scooters were lined up at the 2018 MVPA convention in Louisville, KY. Normally these scooters are seen one at a time in military museums around the the USA. All are owned by one collector who brought them in for display and judging. Author's photo.

The photos were taken in the early afternoon on Friday of the convention. Very few visitors were present at the time. Author's photo.

While the Model 53 Scooters are the signature product for Cushman 75 years after the end of World War Two, I have only been able to find three period photos of the scooter being used in combat. With production not starting until 1944, there were probably not that many units for the June invasion of Europe. Author's photo.

Author's photo.

Cushman Motor Works Model 53 Airborne Scooter Serial Numbers and Dates of Acceptance in the above photo
Model 53 Scooter - From left to right	Serial Number	Date of Acceptance
Number 1	33398	10-26-1944
Number 2	33541	10-27-1944
Number 3	36560	1-27-1945
Number 4	34430	11-22-1944
Number 5	34695	12-7-1944
Number 6	33058	10-17-1944
Number 7	34834	11-18-1944
Number 8	32716	10-3-1944
Number 9	35144	12-14-1944

Author's photo.

This is Number One scooter. Author's photo.

The data plate for Number One Scooter. Author's photo.

The engine data plate for the Husky Engine, which was the original product of the company. Two wheel scooters were introduced in 1936 by Cushman Motor Works to provide more applications and increase sales for the engines during the Great Depression. Author's photo.

Scooter two shows how the parachute would be attached for parachuting from a C-47 during an airborne assault. Author's photo.

This Cushman Scooter and trailer is on display in front of the C-47 at the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Riverside, OH. Author's photo added 9-24-2018.

Author's photo added 9-24-2018.

Below are the three photos showing the Cushman Airborne Scooter in a combat environment during World War Two.

This photo was taken at Bastogne, Belgium during the Battle of the Bulge. U.S.A. number 6130603 belonged to the 101st Airborne Division. Note that the paratroopers are all wearing gloves.

Cushman Post-World War Two Military Products:

Cushman Three-Wheel Model 3W Package Delivery Motor Scooter: This is on display at the Barber Motorsports Museum in Birmingham, AL.

Authors photo added 9-8-2022.

The data plate show that this unit was delivered in August 1956. It is serial number 113021 and U.S. Army registration number 109951. Authors photo added 9-8-2022.

Authors photo added 9-8-2022.

Cushman Three-Wheel Model 39 Package Delivery Motor Scooter: This scooter is a new addition to the displays at the National Museum of the United States Air Force. I visit there quite often, and the first time I saw it was in late December 2020. This is one of 306 built in 1943 and is Cushman number 104456.

Author's photo added 1-13-2021.