1950 Acorn Sheet Metal Co. Model 51 Ice Cream Vendor Bike

Bike
1950 Acorn Sheet Metal Co. Model 51 Ice Cream Vendor Bike
Ice cream vending began in America in the 19th century, after new innovative methods made ice more affordable and frozen treats easier to create. In the city streets, European immigrants…

Rate the Vehicle:

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (No Ratings Yet)
Loading...

Ice cream vending began in America in the 19th century, after new innovative methods made ice more affordable and frozen treats easier to create. In the city streets, European immigrants began selling ice cream from carts. This was an extremely unsanitary practice, especially when it came to “penny licks”- customers would lick the ice cream out of the dish and give it back to the vendor who would wash it off and pass it on to the next customer.

In the 1920s, Harry Burt was inspired by advancements in the automobile industry as well as the rising popularity of fast food to start selling ice cream out of refrigerated trucks.

This bike was made in 1950, when the post-war era was seeing another boom in ice cream production. Dry ice was stored in the bottom of the cooler unit to keep ice cream frozen until sale. The model’s unique tricycle build features two wheels in the front rather than the rear, and an umbrella can be attached to the cooler.

Highlights:

  • The front cooler section pivots separately from the rear to enable the driver to steer the unit.