When I said complex I was really referencing the various ideas on where to put wheels, as opposed to the engines.
In reality though, it happened over here too, well, at least the wheel behind chute did, I've got an early Rover set up like that with a simplex engine.
I have actually been working on an OMC engine (the ones used by lawnboy i believe) recently, on a masport 460, it's an interesting engine, It's unusual over here to see a fully throttle governed 2-stroke lawnmower, we have plenty of running governed ones, but to have absolutely no throttle setting, just on and off, is unusual for a mower here in my experience!