The Cushman company started in 1903 in Lincoln Nebraska. For thefirst three decades, Cushman produced engines for farmequipment,water pumps and boats. One of their most famous engineswas the Husky, which they introduced in the early 1920s. Cushmanentered the scooter business in 1936 when they introduced theAuto-Glide scooter. The scooter became very successful during theGreat Depression as it offered people a reliable and inexpensivemeans of transportation. The company continued to grow during WorldWar II when they began supplying scooters to the United StatesMilitary. Cushman scooters were built in a variety of models.The Eagle was the most traditional looking and resembled a smallmotorcycle. The Highlander was a less traditional design andoffered a "step through" style framework. The step-through design,with its ease of operation, was popular with men and women alike. By the late 1950s Cushmans had jet age body styling. Modelssuch as the Road King and Pacemaker had a futuristic look aboutthem. Not only did they look extremely modern, but they were easyto operate as well. This Cushman scooter features a foot clutchmatched up to a two speed transmission, which allowed the rider totwist the right grip to accelerate. Cushman claimed 75 to 100 milesper gallon of gasoline, and advertised penny-a-mile operating cost.The Road King had an advertised top speed of 50 miles per hour. This 1959 Road King is an excellent example of one of the mosticonic scooters built by Cushman. It features the famousstep-through design that places the engine towards the rear of theframe. It allows the rider to literally step into the seat insteadof having to climb on top of it. This example appears to be anextremely original and well-preserved scooter that wasprofessionally restored a few years back. Since being restored, ithas been used very little and has been on display in a privatecollection for the last several years. The paint is in excellentoverall condition. The two-toned light blue and white showsextremely well. There is no evidence of bodywork underneath thepaint. All of the sheet metal body components including the rearengine cover and front- skirted fender appear to be original and inexcellent condition with smooth surfaces throughout. The frameworkshows no evidence of damage or repair. The white vinyl seat wasrecovered during the restoration and still looks like new. Thechrome accessories are extremely clean and bright. Underneaththe rear of the body, the engine compartment is extremely clean andnicely detailed. The original, Husky four-cycle, 9 horsepower,one-cylinder engine is complete with its original carburetor andignition system. The engine starts easily and runs well. Thisscooter appears to be in very good mechanical condition. Thisexample is well equipped with a front mounted headlight, a rearmounted taillight, a luggage rack (Newspaper Rack), a chromedbackrest for the seat and whitewall balloon tires. The VIN numberis 878955 and it is being sold with a clear and current title. Cushman scooters were built to be driven and enjoyed. Because ofthis, very few have survived. Their jet-age appearance has madethem an icon of mid-century design. A 1959 advertisement for theRoad King boldly states that this scooter is "Just as much fun asit looks." We couldn't have said it better ourselves!