Hello ODK members,

This article details an amazing mower - The Pope 320-01 Rotary.
In particular, I explore and speculate on why this beautiful, streamlined machine had such a
short production life. I look at the patents surrounding this machine, and the reasons for the
machine's demise.

CONTEXT
By this time, Pope Products had considerable experience in lawnmowers, having produced Australia's most
successful side-wheel hand-mower of the second-half of the 20th Century, the Wimbledon (1949).
Pope quickly offered powered variants in the form of the Centre Court (electric) and the Pope
Side-wheel Motor Mower (petrol).

By the mid-1950s, however, it would have been clear that the rotary revolution was well under way.
At this time, Pope would have contemplated and started the design of their first rotary - the Model 320-01.
This is the rarest of Pope Rotaries and the most desirable. It lasted just one season!

Pope's first foray into rotary lawnmowers produced the Pope Motor Mower for 1957.
It was an 18 inch side-discharge lawnmower, with aluminium base and engine cowling.
It had a modern 'streamliner' look and was powered by a new rotary valve two-stroke engine of 125c.c.
It was painted buttercup yellow and it was a handsome machine.

Here is a picture (dated 1957) of the machine outside Pope's Western Australian factory.
[Linked Image]

Information is scarce on these machines.
Here is a rare full-page advertisement:-
[Linked Image]
[Linked Image]

TO BE CONTINUED IN PART 2...