1956 Hercules ‘Lone Ranger’

 

1956: OPENING NIGHT for ‘THE LONE RANGER’ MOVIE in AUSTIN, TEXAS

Hercules introduced their ‘Ranger’ bicycles for children in 1949, their catalogue cover of that year announcing: ‘Craftsmanship in Colour.’

Girls’ Rangers were, at that time, a loopframe, their style being changed by 1953 to the postwar adult ladies’ design with two straight down tubes.

The Ranger series had a 16″ wheel size; the slightly larger 18″ wheel size children’s range was called ‘Hercules Jeep.’

I’m not sure what year Hercules added the ‘Lone Ranger’ to their range of ‘Ranger’ bicycles. There is absolutely no information available about the model. My estimate is 1956, based on the fact that – with the release of the first movie – this was when the Lone Ranger started to become popular in England. Initially the Lone Ranger was only seen in Great Britain at Saturday morning cinema screenings. But, from 1957 onwards, BBC started running the American TV series, and the character’s popularity increased. Two more Lone Ranger films were released in 1958 and 1961.

1955 Hercules ‘Lone Ranger’

18″ Wheels

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1949 HERCULES RANGER

 

1951 HERCULES RANGER

1953 HERCULES RANGER

1955 HERCULES RANGER