True Classics: Salsbury Motor Glide

E. Foster Salsbury and Austin Elmore developed the Salsbury Motor Glide, a scooter with a seat above an enclosed drivetrain, and began production in 1936 in California. In 1938 Salsbury introduced the first automatic scooter with a Continuously Variable Transmission. It was such a success that Salsbury attempted to license the design to several European manufacturers including Piaggio. The Motor Glide set the standards for all later models. It inspired production of motor scooters by Powell, Moto-scoot, Cushman, Rock-Ola, and others.Salsbury scooters were among the first American motorized two-wheelers and remain relatively rare. Salsbury developed attractive designs with aerodynamic nosecones, all assembled by the Northrop Aircraft company.