1938 Elgin Bluebird

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silverbear

silverbear

The Boy Who Never Grew Up
Jul 9, 2009
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I just thought I'd share this. I have long been a fan of the designer for Elgin who was a real artist. Pictured is a restored l938 Bluebird. No this bike is not mine. I do have a 1934 Elgin four star step through bike, but this one is something else. The photos speak for themselves...
Silverbear
 

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silverbear

silverbear

The Boy Who Never Grew Up
Jul 9, 2009
8,325
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northeastern Minnesota
And here's a 1936

1936 Elgin, Bluebird

The Elgin Bluebird was the most radical streamlined bicycle ever produced during the 1930's. The frame is made up of a stamped steel fuselage that is actually a structural part of the frame. There is no top tube. The fuselage also had a speedometer and headlight built into it, along with a trap door allowing stowage of tools.
Year: 1936 Brand: Elgin
Start of Production: 1935 End of Production: 1937
 

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silverbear

silverbear

The Boy Who Never Grew Up
Jul 9, 2009
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northeastern Minnesota
And here is a 1938 Elgin Robin, also very nice. These were the bikes boys dreamed of in the 1930's...sold by Sears who innovated a payment plan so that a $50.00 bicycle like the ones in this thread could be purchased in monthly payments. At one time Elgin had a huge portion of the bicycle market. Where are these wonderful old bicycles now? Where do I send my monthly payment?
 

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silverbear

silverbear

The Boy Who Never Grew Up
Jul 9, 2009
8,325
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northeastern Minnesota
Glad you like them, too. Here are a male and female version of the less expensive 4 star from 1940.. I believe the earlier frames were by Cleveland Welding, not sure who was making them by 1940. Well made, for sure.

Category: transportation
Type: bicycles & motorcycles
Origin: Illinois
Year: 1940

The parts I'm using for the Worksman are from a 1940 step through which did not have the rear rack, tank or light. The frame went missing and I have had the gothic fenders, chain guard, seat and skirts knocking around since. The 1934 step through I have is very similar in design, does have the rear rack, and tank, but not the headlight I'll post a picture of it sometime. The 4 star is a much less expensive bike than the Bluebird or Robin, but still has some wonderful design elements.

"A 1940 Elgin 4 Star Deluxe Twin Bar with classic twin headlights, air stream handlebars, gothic fenders, and teardrop horn battery case. Great example of industrial art design, original cost $29.95. "

This is the description for the boys model. I like the sweeping "airstream" handlebars. I'll have to look through what's available online and see if there's something similar. The Worksman/Elgin could use ones like that.
I wonder what a Bluebird made as well today from as the same high quality materials would cost. I guess fifty dollars was a lot in 1938. In my budget it still is.
Silverbear
 

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silverbear

silverbear

The Boy Who Never Grew Up
Jul 9, 2009
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northeastern Minnesota
GearNut said:
silverbear, I am really liking these photos of beautiful bicycles. Is there a way I could get larger pictures of them?
Click to expand...
I copied these after googling Elgin Bluebird, Elgin Robin and Elgin 4 star. I didn't do a lot of exploring. One of a 36 bluebird was much larger, but didn't come through as a thumbnail. I'll see what I can do later when I have more time. I used to have some on a disc and may take a look this evening. Helping a neighbor with a project & must get back to work. The bluebirds especially are worth really close looks... just amazing. If you try it and are successful, post them please. I never get tired of looking. I know it would be a crime to alter a clean one and nobody could afford it, but can't you just see a motor in all that room under the tank? A V twin would sure be the thing. I also like that color in the first one, kind of a pearl gray to my eye. Hmmm... maybe I'll do the Worksman in that color.
Silverbear
 
GearNut

GearNut

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Aug 19, 2009
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I like old tools as well. That one is stil in good shape. I wonder what it's use was. It looks like one jaw is either smooth and flat or sharpened. Kinda pecular.
 
silverbear

silverbear

The Boy Who Never Grew Up
Jul 9, 2009
8,325
670
113
northeastern Minnesota
Here is one more of the blue 37. Also pictured is my 34 Elgin 4 star before I stripped it down and repainted it. Tomorrow I'll post photos of it after stripping down and installing an electric motor kit on it. I have to resize those photos and am too tired tonight. In addition there is a picture below of a toolbox model Elgin which I saw on eBay a couple years ago. I thought at the time this tank with the little door in it would make a great place for a gas tank inside. It is also from the 1930's.
Silverbear
 

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wyatt_1st

wyatt_1st

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Jul 25, 2009
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ahh the good old days when craftsmenship was king a persons word was there bond and life was slower. thanks for sharing the pictures !
 
silverbear

silverbear

The Boy Who Never Grew Up
Jul 9, 2009
8,325
670
113
northeastern Minnesota
silverbear said:
Here is one more of the blue 37. Also pictured is my 34 Elgin 4 star before I stripped it down and repainted it. Tomorrow I'll post photos of it after stripping down and installing an electric motor kit on it. I have to resize those photos and am too tired tonight. In addition there is a picture below of a toolbox model Elgin which I saw on eBay a couple years ago. I thought at the time this tank with the little door in it would make a great place for a gas tank inside. It is also from the 1930's.
Silverbear
Click to expand...
In the above post was a before picture of a 1934 Elgin 4 star. Below are pictures after stripping it down, painting and redoing the seat in harness leather (using what I had). Also a couple pictures with an electric hub motor on it. I found the electric to be cumbersome with the 3 12 volt batteries on back (heavy) and the charging business... so it sat and I have decided to remove the electric conversion and either leave it alone or put an automatic 2 stroke on it, but only if I can do that without wrecking anything, such as the left side fender skirt. The last photo is of a 1940 Elgin step through who's frame went missing after it was stripped down. The gothic fenders, seat, skirts and chain guard are organ donors for my new to me old "Worksman in the works".

I think that's about it for Elgin pictures. I hope some of you enjoy these old classics as much as I do. If there was a thread sometime for posting pictures of our favorite stock bicycle design, for me it would have to be a 1930's Bluebird. There are other interesting Elgin models and later ones sold under the name JC Higgens.
Silverbear
 

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silverbear

silverbear

The Boy Who Never Grew Up
Jul 9, 2009
8,325
670
113
northeastern Minnesota
GearNut said:
Thankyou very much for sharing these pictures!
The Bluebird is really nice.
Now I wanna go out and try to find one, or something similar.
Click to expand...
Just happens that there's a very nice 37 Robin on eBay right now for only $4,995.00, buy it now. But hurry, there's only 28 days left, enough time to sell your home so you can afford the bike.
Silverbear
 
GearNut

GearNut

Active Member
Aug 19, 2009
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San Diego, Kaliforgnia
silverbear said:
Just happens that there's a very nice 37 Robin on eBay right now for only $4,995.00, buy it now. But hurry, there's only 28 days left, enough time to sell your home so you can afford the bike.
Silverbear
Click to expand...
Hahaha! Yeah, I can keep my family safe and warm underneath that Robin.
$5k for a bicycle, even a classic..... Wow. I could buy another Harley or a few Japanese wanna be's
for that price.
Somebody musta' spiked that sellers breakfast cerial.
 
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