Simplex Manufacturing Company in World War Two
New Orleans, LA
1935-1975

This page updated 9-1-2022.

Simplex Manufacturing Company was formed in 1935 by Paul Tween to make a light-weight motorcycle.  This was the Servi-Cycle which was produced until the mid-1950s.  After that, the company made mini-bikes and go-karts until 1975, using engines of its own design.

Mr. Paul Tween was the inventor of the Servi-Cycle which he began developing in 1928.  The primary reason he invented the Servi-Cycle was to provide a method of low-cost, dependable transportation.  He also realized that in order to do this, he required a modern factory with the best equipment available.  The outside of just such a factory is shown in the next photo.  The photo above and the factory photo below are from an undated Servi-Cycle sales brochure which is most likely a post-World War Two document.  This document gives the only known view of the methods used to manufacture the Servi-Cycle.  There are more photos of the plant operation at the bottom of this page.

Between 1928 when Mr. Tween first designed the Servi-Cycle and when production began in 1935, Mr. Tween had to overcome some obstacles.  A year after he designed the Servi-Cycle, the stock market crashed and eventually the country and the world entered the Great Depression.  Somehow, during this time he was able to find investors to raise the cash needed to buy the necessary tools and machines, build or lease a factory, and then hire and meet payroll for his employees.  How he did this has been lost to history.  However, the Simplex Manufacturing Company was able to begin business during the Depression with a new product to help persons with their transportation needs.  This in itself was a huge accomplishment for the times.

The Simplex factory in New Orleans was a block long.  The address for it was 540 North Carrollton Ave.  Mr. Tween saw to it that the factory and its offices were air-conditioned for the benefit of the employees.  A constant temperature also allowed for more accuracy in machined parts.  The factory also had "occupational" music played in the plant.  Photo added 9-1-2022.

The factory was razed after Simplex went out of business and the area re-developed into a shopping area.  This Google Maps street view shows the same area today.  With the newness of the buildings, it appears that the factory was razed in the recent past.  Photo added 9-1-2022.

Simplex Manufacturing Company World War Two Production:  The company only had one major contract for its Servi-Cycles used by paratroopers in World War Two.  The 652 Servi-Cycles were built at a unit cost of $258.59.  Most likely the company engaged in subtracting work for other companies in New Orleans such as Higgins Industries.  

In March 2022, I photographed this Simplex Manufacturing Company-built Servi-Cycle at the National Museum of World War Two in New Orleans, LA.  I was surprised to see this as it had not been on display when I previously visited the museum in 2017.  Also, until I saw this display I was unaware that American paratroopers used this type of vehicle in World War Two.  Therefore, this was a new discovery for me and was one of several new things I learned on my repeat visit to the Museum.

Because this was on display next to the placard containing information about the Servi-Cycle, I assumed this was a World War Two G-A-1 Servi-Cycle and published this page featuring it on 3-22-2022.  

In July 2022, I received an email from Mr. Alex Schmidt that the Servi-Cycle at the National Museum of World War Two was actually of post-World War Two manufacture.  Mr. Schmidt pointed out that the World War Two G-A-1 Servi-Cycles did not have the crash guards like the one at the Museum.

Mr. Schmidt also pointed out that the letter in front of the serial number on the engine block is an "M," indicating this Servi-Cycle was built after 1952.  Author's photo added 8-29-2022.

The information placard that is with this vehicle at the Museum does not explicitly state that this is a World War Two unit.  Visitors like myself assume it is of World War Two vintage because everything in the Museum is supposed to be World War Two vintage artifacts. 

This photo is part of the information placard at the National Museum of World War Two with the Servi-Cycle.  It shows Chaplain Francis L. Sampson of the 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment on a G-A-1 Servi-Cycle in Holland.  Note that the G-A-1 does not have the crash guard on it.  Image added 8-29-2022.

This photo was taken on September 17, 1944, as these paratroopers and C-47 aircrew wait to load for Operation Market Garden.  A G-A-1 Servi-Cycle is in the photo.  Photo added 8-29-2022 courtesy of Alex Schmidt.

The vehicle does not have a crash guard.  Photo added 8-29-2022 courtesy of Alex Schmidt.

According to Mr. Schmidt's research, there are only two known G-A-1s still in existence.  He owns one which is waiting to be restored and the other is at the Dead Mans' Corner Museum in France.  Below are eight photos of this vehicle courtesy of Alex Schmidt of the Dead Man's Corner Museum's G-A-1.  These were all added 8-29-2022.

There is no crash guard on this unit.

The G-A-1 Servi-Cycle was powered by a 2-stroke engine that had a range of 250 miles on 2.5 gallons of gasoline.  It had a top speed of 30 miles per hour.  The engine had twin sparkplugs and had a Simplex-designed magneto for the dual ignition system.

The several pages from the manual for the G-A-1 below were also provided by Mr. Alex Schmidt and added 8-29-2022.

The photo from the manual shows that there is no crash guard on the G-A-1.

Post-World War Two Simplex Manufacturing Company Military Servi-Cycles:

Interestingly enough, the day before I received Mr. Schmidt's July 2022 email, I was at the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force in Pooler, GA.  While there I photographed a Servi-Cycle on display under the wing of the Museum's B-17.  I was able to determine while there that this was a 1953 unit because of the date on the data plate.  This data plate also indicates this unit was purchased by the U.S. Army.

Author's photo.

Note the Army Ordnance inspector's stamp and the date of August 1953.  This shows the U.S. Army purchased a number of these in the 1950s.  This is serial number M138835 indicating that the Army was buying the standard commercial M model.  It is Ordnance type ORD-16697.

The Simplex Manufacturing Process:  The undated Servi-Cycle sales manual was used to show the manufacturing process to prospective distributors, such as bicycle and motorcycle shops, so they would know they would be selling a quality product to their customers.  The sales manual is the only known information available on this unique company's product.  All of the photos below were added 9-1-2022.

This is the machine shop.  Note the speakers on the wall to play "occupational" music.

Farther along the wall these operators are machining cylinder heads. 

In this operation, the worker is bending the leg-guard from one inch steel tubing.  This operation was not required for World War Two G-A-1 model for the U.S. Army.

In the weld shop, the frames of the Servi-Cycles are welded.  There is a speaker mounted to the wall to play music.

The frame is being welded Inside a welding booth.

Once the frames are welded, they are run through a paint dip tank while hanging on a conveyor.  Then they go through the infra-red heat lamps of the drying oven which dries the parts in eight minutes. 

In final assembly, twenty different subassemblies come together to make a Servi-Cycle.

The plant has at least three final assembly lines. 

Once the Servi-Cycles come off the final assembly line, they are put on one of the two dynamometers shown at the back of the room.  Here they are run up to full speed and given a full functional testing of all of the systems.  Any repairs that are needed are made by the two repairmen in the foreground.  These would have been the most experienced mechanics in the factory.

When the process is complete, another Servi-Cycle is ready to ship to the customer.  This appears to be a base unit as it does not have a leg guard on it.  The rear tire also needs some air.

Or one could purchase the super-deluxe model lots of chrome parts and a saddle bags with fringe.  This one even has the tires pumped up.

In 1947 a standard Model H cost $278.25 and a deluxe mode $300. 

The Model H came out before I was born.  However, later models were produced while I was a youngster and going to grade school.  I think I remember seeing teenagers in the neighborhood driving Servi-Cycles on the streets.

In 1964 both The Beach Boys and The Hondells had hits with the song "Little Honda."  The arrival of Japanese motorcycles and the sales they generated in the United States may well have played a part in the demise of the Simplex Manufacturing Company and the Servi-Cycle.