Posted by gmharris [71.105.44.68] on Monday, July 01, 2013 at 22:44:42 :
In Reply to: Elgin posted by Don in Missouri [69.69.205.226] on Monday, July 01, 2013 at 14:28:55 :
The Elgin outboard brand was retailed through Sears & Roebuck from 1946 through the early 1960's. No other Sears brand outboard motors (before or since) had the market share or impact of the Elgin name. Two companies provided outboards to Sears bearing the Elgin name; West Bend and Scott McCulloch.
The lion's share (1946 to 1961) of Elgin's came from the West Bend Aluminum Co. who purchased the old Kissel Car plant. The Kissel folk's made the pre-war Sears Waterwich motors after their automobile business dried up in the depression. In 1959 Sears started transitioning the Elgin name to outboards made by Scott-McCulloch. The little 2hp West Bend motors remained on sale the longest being offered through 1961.