JEEPETTE
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My father (one of the sons of L. Ronney and Sons) used to tell me about when they made those scooters during WW II for the Navy. They were primarily used on airbases to get mechanics, etc around the long distances. The factory, in East Los Angeles, was actually a furniture factory that my grandfather (Louis Ronney) founded with his sons Sam (my father) and Milton (my uncle). All have passed away. During the war, as was very common, factories went into war production mode and abandoned their civilian products. My father's factory got several Navy contracts for building the military version of the Jeepette (in olive drab), large ship's portholes, and portions of wooden boats. My guess is that the civilian Jeepette sold after the war ended was made from remaining parts inventory from the builds during the war. After the war ended, the factory returned to furniture manufacturing by the Ronney family until 1958, when it was sold to another furniture manufacturer. The building was torn down in the mid-1960's. Kenneth Ronney December 2007 |
I
understand Powell built these also and after the war they called there’s the
AV-8 and a nicer looking one named the Clark Cyclone. I remember seeing the
Clark Cyclone when I was a kid in about 1946 or 7.
I
wonder if Cushman also built them and after the war called theirs the Eagle?
I purchased two of these in a basket in about
1948
and made one running scooter of the parts.
NO! It's not a Cushman Eagle.
While cleaning out old files I found the title and registration card
and the envelope it came in to one of the Jeepette's I purchased.
Notice the 3 cent postage on the envelope.
Littlejohn Sun City, Arizona
Littlejohn: I purchased a new Jeepette motor scooter in August 1945.
My grandfather drove me downtown to close the deal and get me on the
road. I remember the factory being near or on Hooper St. I paid $267
for it. My scooter was red, they had changed from green. I remember the
engine had a Ford V8 85 Hp piston and model A timing gears. We moved
to Oregon after the war was over and the scooter went with us. My dad
sold it in Medford Oregon to a man who used it for many years. I was
probably more thrilled with that Jeepette than I was with my Honda Goldwing.
Growing old has it's pitfalls. Jerry L. Brewer, Richardson Texas
Background is Highway 101 in Santa Monica Ca. in the 1950s
