Mitsubishi Silver Pigeon

Silver Pigeon C-10
Manufacturer Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.[1]
Production 1946—1963
Predecessor Salsbury Motor Glide[1]
Class Scooter
Engine 112 cm3 (6.8 cu in) 4-stroke, SV
air-cooled, single-cylinder [1]
Bore / stroke 57 mm × 44 mm (2.2 in × 1.7 in) [1]
Power 1.5 hp (1.1 kW) at 3500 rpm [1]
Transmission Automatic belt-type CVT [1]
Tires 3.50-7 (rear) [1]
Wheelbase 935 mm (36.8 in) [1]
Dimensions L: 1,550 mm (61 in)
W: 560 mm (22 in)
H: 1,010 mm (40 in) [1]
Weight 70 kg (150 lb) [1] (dry)

The Mitsubishi Silver Pigeon is a series of scooters made in Japan by Mitsubishi between 1946 and 1963.[2] The first was the C-10, based on a scooter imported from the United States by Koujiro Maruyama, which began production at the Nagoya Machinery Works of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries.[3] Along with the Mizushima three-wheeler pickup truck it represented Mitsubishi's first contributions to the Japanese post-war personal transport boom.[4] The Silver Pigeon's primary competitor was the Fuji Rabbit (and in 1954, the Honda Juno). Motor scooters were so important to the post-war vehicle industry that In May 1948 both a Silver Pigeon and a Rabbit were presented to the Emperor of Japan. The Society of Automotive Engineers of Japan (Japanese) lists the Silver Pigeon C-10 model introduced in 1946 as one of their 240 Landmarks of Japanese Automotive Technology.[1]

The Silver Pigeon proved sufficiently successful to remain in production for almost twenty years. Motor Cyclist magazine voted it "best in styling" for three consecutive years in the 1950s, a decade after its introduction, while from 1950 to 1964 it maintained an average 45 percent share of the domestic scooter market.[5] American retailer Montgomery Ward imported the Silver Pigeon and sold it via their catalog under the Riverside captive import brand. By the time production came to an end in 1963 over 463,000 had been manufactured, with the 1960 C-200 proving the most popular individual model, with almost 38,000 sales.[5]

Year Model Specification
1946 C-10 NE10 112 cc, 1.5 PS
1948 C-11
1950 C-25
1953 C-26
1955 C-57 192 cc single-cylinder engine
1955 C-70 125 cc two-stroke
1957 C-90 200 cc
1958 C-93 210 cc
1960 C-111 210 cc four-stroke
1960 C-200 125 cc two-stroke
1960 C-300 125 cc two-stroke
1960 C-76 192 cc four-stroke
1960 C-110 175 cc
1960 C-300 125 cc two-stroke single-cylinder engine
1961 C-110 175 cc four-stroke, 8.3 hp
1963 C-140 125 cc two-stroke twin cylinder engine, 8 hp, three-speed transmission, 143 kg
1963 C-240 143 cc two-stroke twin cylinder engine, 9.2 hp, three-speed transmission, 143 kg

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 "Silver Pigeon (Motor Scooter)". 240 Landmarks of Japanese Automotive Technology. Society of Automotive Engineers of Japan, Inc. Retrieved 12 August 2013. The Silver Pigeon and the Rabbit motor scooter manufactured by Fuji-Sangyo (now Fuji Heavy Industries Inc.) dominated the vehicle industry, and both became convenient means of transportation for ordinary people, who had lacked adequate transportation.
  2. ↑ Mitsubishi scooters, scootermaniac.org
  3. ↑ Silver Pigeon C-10, Mitsubishi Motors Web Museum
  4. ↑ "Rebuilding the Nation", Mitsubishi Motors History, Mitsubishi Motors South Africa website
  5. 1 2 Silver Pigeon, Mitsubishi Motors South Africa website
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