The Tough Cushman Scooters of World War II Battlefields

Tough Scooters - The need for a reliable vehicle is very supportive of the smooth running of a military operation in a war situation. For this reason, in several wars that have occurred in the world, it is known that many manufacturers have supplied two-wheeled vehicles, especially motorcycles which were developed specifically for military purposes. 

During WWII the Cushman Motor Works built aroud 495 units of this Cushman Model 32 with sidecars for US armed forces. (Picture from: Fagenfighterswwiimuseum)

It turned out that among many two-wheeled vehicles had been involved in wars, there were also special scooters that had tasks for military logistics, personnel transportation up to special forces rides. For example, during the World War II, the American military deployed hundreds up to thousands of the Cushman scooters in Europe to support the Allies troops operations there.

The military version of Cushman scooters is built based of the Auto Glide (in pictured the 1934 Cushman Auto Glide Model 34). (Picture from: Mecum)

All of these robust scooters were manufactured by the Cushman Motor Works, a Nebraska-based manufacturing company. The Nebraska-based manufacturer company was in the business of making engines for industrial and farm use. Initially, the company grew slowly until WWII, up to they decided that could be sold more engines they made by producing a scooter named Cushman Auto Glide around 1934. At that time, the Cushman-made scooter was fairly economical with the consumption of 1 gallon of fuel and it could cover a distance of up to 75 miles.

During WWII the Cushman Motor Works built aroud 4,700 units of this Cushman Model 39 three-wheeler for US armed forces. (Picture from: Pinterest)

Once upon a time Cushman Motor Works then got the US military contract for developing the military version scooters that can be deployed and moved fast into battlefield. To fullfil the contract, during WWII they made three models of scooters based of the Auto Glide, ie the Cushman Model 32, Cushman Model 39 three-wheeler and Cushman Model 53 Airborne. They were issued models with 7-inch, 8-inch or 9-inch tires, and came with minimal lighting and brackets to save on materials.

This Cushman Model 39 three-wheeler proved useful on air and naval bases as a general purpose utility cart to tow anything ranging of a jeep, truck even an aircraft. (Picture from: Blog.streetsideauto.com)

All of the models successfully attract the US' Department of Defense due to its excellent agility and capability on the battlefield, more over the Model 53 is powered by a little one-cylinder 4 hp engine, which was good for run up to speed of 40 mph, and the wide tires were designed to run and survive in Europe’s muddy dirt roads.

The 1943 Cushman Model 53 Airborne scooter was able to parachuted out of aircraft and also featured with wide tires were designed to run and survive in Europe’s muddy dirt roads. (Picture from: Motorbikesearchengine)

The scooter also known as with the Cushman Airborne due to it was able to parachuted out of aircraft. American troops used the Cushman Model 53 Airborne to navigate around German tactics of destroying roads and bridges in the Dolomites (a section of the Alps) and along the Austrian border.

The 1943 Cushman Model 53 Airborne scooter is powered by a little one-cylinder 4 hp engine, which was good for 40 mph. (Picture from: Wikipedia)

In the late stages of the war in Europe, Allied paratroopers used scooters like this one to maintain contact between units, increase their mobility and haul small loads. An extraordinary ability shown by this scooter on the European battlefield. 

A blue print of the Lambretta 125M (A) known as the first Innocenti-made scooter based of the Cushman Airborne Model 53. (Picture from: IdnTimes)

Shortly after the war, the Cushman Model 53 is believed to have inspired Corradino D'Ascanio in designing the initial scooter for Innocenti. However, a deal with Innocenti fell through, and D'Ascanio later presented the design to Piaggio. The principles behind the Cushman Model 53 are thought to have influenced post-war scooter innovations, with Italian manufacturers like Innocenti and Piaggio adapting similar designs, ultimately leading to the iconic Lambretta and Vespa scooters that gained worldwide popularity. 💃

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