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Monthly Archives: October 2017

Unique Motorcycles

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While the Mugnenast Classic Museum is home to many well-known classic brands such as Honda, Triumph, Norton, Suzuki, etc., we also have a wide selection of unique brands like Jawa, Zundapp, Excelsior, Henderson, and so on. Some bikes are from the collection of the man who started it all- Dave Mungenast Sr., some are from his sons; Dave Jr., Kurt, and Ray Mungenast, and some are on display from other, private collections.

Jaguar

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Jaguar was first started as a motorcycle sidecar company called Swallow Sidecar Company on September 11, 1922. Once the company switched to manufacturing automobiles, the brand name Jaguar first appeared in 1935 on three models of the SS Jaguar, a 2.5-liter Saloon and two sports models, the SS 90 and the SS 100. In 1948, Jaguar solidified its place in automotive design and performance history with the introduction of the first in the XK series, the XK120. The Jaguar E-Type was first revealed on 15 March 1961 in Geneva to huge excitement from the world’s press. The E-Type was considered a revolutionary car in many ways, but its most unique feature was its body- faired-in headlamps, sculpted, long nose, and centered twin exhaust.

Volkswagen

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The original Beetle was produced from 1938-2003, the longest produced automobile in history. It was actually created by Ferdinand Porsche after Adolf Hitler gave him a contract in 1934 for prototypes. The Volkswagen Beetle is one of the most iconic vehicles of all time, appearing in pop culture and is regarded as a representation of the swinging 60’s.

 

Toyota

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Toyota Motor Corporation began in 1933 as a division of the Toyoda Automatic Loom Works, Ltd., a Japanese manufacturer founded by Toyoda Sakichi. Its first production car, the Model AA sedan, was released in 1936. The following year the division was incorporated as the Toyota Motor Company, Ltd., an automotive spin-off headed by Toyoda Kiichiro, Sakichi’s son. However, faced with wrecked facilities and a chaotic economy, the company was forced to temporarily suspend its automotive production in the aftermath of World War II.

By the 1950s Toyota’s automobile production factories were back in operation, and to gain competitiveness the company began a careful study of American automobile manufacturers. In 1957 Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc., was established, and the following year the company released the Toyopet sedan, its first model to be marketed in the United States; it was poorly received because of its high price and lack of horsepower. Toyota kept its footing in the American market with the Land Cruiser, a 4×4 vehicle that was released in 1958. In 1965, Toyota re-released a completely redesigned Toyopet under the name ‘Toyota Corona’.

 

Ford

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The Ford Motor Company was founded in 1903, by Henry Ford. The company had spent almost all of its money by its release of the Model A. However, only 4 months later, the company had turned a profit of $37,000. By 1908, Ford had expanded overseas, opening a sales branch in Paris. In 1964, the iconic Ford Mustang defined the pony car class, and just celebrated it’s 50th anniversary in 2014. Today Ford remains a strong force in the Automotive Industry worldwide.

Honda Automobiles

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The first Honda car sold in the U.S. in 1969, called the Hond aN600. Less than 10 years later, the Honda Accord was released, soon to become the best-selling passenger car in America with over 12.5 millions American purchases. In ’86, Honda launched Acura, another successful automotive brand name in the U.S. Many more years and awards later, Honda has remained a strong and successful name in the worldwide automotive market.

Chevrolet

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In 1911, race car driver Louis Chevrolet and GM founder William C. “Billy” Durant co-found the Chevrolet Motor Company in Detroit on Nov. 3.  Since its founding on Nov. 3, 1911, Chevrolet has produced more than 200 million cars and trucks. At the time of its founding a century ago, 270 American automotive brands existed. Today, only four of those survive: Chevrolet, Buick, Cadillac and Ford.

Norton

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Yamaha

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In 1958, the first Yamaha motorcycles were sold in the USA by an independent distributor, Cooper Motors. In 1960, Yamaha International Corporation began selling in the USA. Yamaha expanded their market into snowmobiles, golf carts, ATV’s, and other similar vehicles. Yamaha continues to be a household motorcycle name to date.

Kawasaki

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After over 50 years of being an established company, Kawasaki produced its first complete motorcycle in 1960. Additionally, they were the first foreign vehicle manufacturer to open a manufacturing plant in the U.S.A. To date, they remain a household name for motorcycles in the US.

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