Hello ODK history lovers
The Amplion rotary is well-know to mower collectors but they
are quite rare today. Amplion (A’SIA) Pty Limited of 101
Pyrmont Bridge Road, Camperdown made a few ‘toe-cutter’
rotary models from about 1957 until the early 1960s.

Their first model, introduced in late 1957 for the 1958 season,
was powered by an Australian 125cc Hurricane 2-stroke engine.
This engine, of robust design, was augmented with a ‘world-famous’
AMAL carburettor and a VOKES air filter.

Note the Victaesque fuel tank ...

[Linked Image]

With shallow-skirt steel chassis, this 18” cut mower embraced
two relevant design features of the day – single point height
adjuster and a folding handle. It was way-behind in styling –
given what other makers were doing at this time. Amplion
rotaries look older than what research has revealed.

The incorporation of a ‘automatic foot guard’ at the rear
effectively gave this chassis a rear secondary skirt.

The ‘zipper action’ height adjuster is novel; its clever U-frame
bracketry enabled a quick single-point height adjuster –
certainly quicker than the rotary knob design of the Victa,
but aesthetically less appealing than that system, and the
elegant lever-and-segment system that reigns supreme to
this day.

TO BE CONTINUED …