PART THREE - ANALYSISI don�t think anyone knows more about this wonderful, beastly machine. The
SLSA say the photo
dates from about
1930. However, given that it has an identical
Douglas twin as that appeared
on the
1925 Scott Bonnar Douglas, it is possible that it dates from that period, a few years
earlier than the approximate date and, in fact, pre-dates The
SB Queen City Douglas.
My best guess is that it was a prototype for the development of Scott Bonnar�s first �true�
lawnmower, the
Queen City. Authoritative member
Sir Chook has commented to me that he thought
early Scott Bonnars had clear resemblances to
Shanks� lawnmowers. I think this is clear proof
of that � a sort of missing link � a golf link, perhaps
Given that Scott Bonnar�s first lawnmowers were
converted machines, it seems quite logical
that this machine formed part of the evolution that resulted in their first company designs �
the
Queen City and
Standards of the 1920s. I therefore date this machine to
1925, but
before the Douglas engine appeared on the
Queen City chassis. The
SLSA dating, I believe, is incorrect.
Alternatively, if the
SLSA dating is correct (about 1930), this machine could reflect a time when the
Company was considering (again) the production of their first petrol-powered lawnmowers. Who knows?
CONCLUSIONI am confident in saying that this machine � a Shanks�s roller mower gang unit coupled to
a twin cylinder Douglas engine � could never have made it to production. It would have been
way-too-expensive. At a time when
Atco � the top-selling petrol mower of the 1920s - was
proving the concept of the �lightweight� lawnmower with their cut-size-scalable
Standards,
this intriguing machine seemed � obsolete. I guess Scott Bonnar saw that too!
The rest is history.-----------------------------------------------
JACK
