OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums The History Forum Company Histories VICTA - 1955 - The Second Beginning

VICTA - the 1955 Year - Part One
1955 would be the make-or-break year for Victa. There was no turning back now.

For me, this is a significant year for Victa in the 1950s; simply because this was the year
where Merv Richardson would commit to a whole new level of Victa design, distribution,
and marketing.

One man could not do this alone. Merv was not an island unto himself. He knew this.
He had an idea ...

It was a bold decision for a relatively small company to produce The Victa Model 1.
The heart and soul of Victas would be the home-grown Victa 125cc 2-stroke, brought
about by necessity.



Whatever the situation abroad, Villiers (Australia) missed the opportunity of that century to
adequately supply Victa with engines for the Rotomo. Victa was being starved - to the point
where Merv Richardson made the decision in 1954 to build his own powerplant.

It was the point of no-return for a middle-age man who had a great idea: An Australian power
rotary lawnmower of simple design that, for the first time, became available to the working
man at an affordable price.

An interesting point for the record is made now. From the introduction of Victa's engine,
Merv Richardson intended that the 125cc engine had a broader audience than the Victa
lawnmower. Note the highlighted bit I have made below!

I guess this explains the "Tiger" and the Victa engine appearing on other
1950's lawnmowers.



In 1955 Merv appointed his first Sales Manager, John Mason. It is Mason's self-published
reflection of the earliest days - that remains our most important insight of the early years ...

Mason explains the development of the 125cc Victa engine here ...

VICTA - the 1955 Year - Part Two
So, the Mk II Fan mower is not illustrated in any factory newsprint advertising
I have found. Evidence does suggest that Merv down-played the last Fan Mower because
of his impending Model 1. This makes perfect sense.

The Model 1 was not introduced at the end of 1955 (as usual) for the 1956 season,
but in April of 1955 (the warmer end of the 1954 season). That's odd, but other evidence
suggests this was very much intentional.

At this time, the Victa 125cc engine was Merv's most expensive gamble. I guess it had to
be introduced as soon as possible and it makes sense that the engine might have a
proving period in the Winter months, prior to the 1956 season, beginning in the
Spring of 1955.

The last ad I have for a Fan mower comes from March of 1955. It is a significant ad with
simplified copy: "Fastest, Widest, Lightest, Simplest, Lowest Cost".

I hope this is not missed in the detail: Note that "Lowest Cost" entails "Direct from factory
to you" ... yet this ad is offering the first Victa agencies!

In other words, March, 1955, signifies the beginning of the Victa Dealer Network!



The introduction of the Model 1 Victa would coincide with the appointment of the
first Victas dealers. When did this occur, you ask? Why, April of 1955.

TO BE CONTINUED ...

VICTA - the 1955 Year - Part Three
So, against convention, the Rotomo Model 1 was introduced in April of 1955.
Because Victa was introducing a dealer network at this time, advertising would
change too!

In 1955 we would see Victa dealer advertising for the first time. The implication would
be less the necessity for Factory advertising. Factory advertising now became the
support for the dealer network. Less frequent ads - but more significant in terms of
size, placement and content.

In April, 1955, Victa introduced its first colour illustrated ad in the AM magazine. It is a
stunning, full-page advertisement introducing the Model 1 Victa.



I have commented on that important advertisement here:
https://www.outdoorking-forum.com.au/forum/u...gazine-advertisement-1955.html#Post79516

At this stage I make an important point in 1955 Victa advertising. We would see factory
advertising and dealer advertising. But with a twist ...

Factory advertising would take two forms: in the first quarter of 1955, advertising was
exclusively factory-based. With the introduction of a dealer network in March-April,
factory advertising would continue along with advertisements initiated by the new Victa
dealers. However, clear evidence supports a second type of factory advertising - that is
- factory advertising tailor-made to a specific new Victa dealer.

I will need to cover Victa tailor-made advertising and dealer advertising in later parts.
I better mention, also, that Employment ads (to work at Victa) exploded in 1955. Again,
another part of this topic.

In this part, I would like to document my collection of the first type of factory advertisements,
that did not mention dealers, or only mentioned dealers in the context of a dealer network.
The following gallery shows important historical data as to who were the earliest Victa dealers.

TO BE CONTINUED ...

VICTA - the 1955 Year - Part Four
So, let me present the examples I have of the first type of Victa factory advertising for 1955.
Because I have covered late 1954 ads in the previous post, allow me to present the Victa factory
ads for the remainder of the season: that is, from January to August of 1955.

There are only about a dozen ads of this type for the 1955 season. This is telling -
as Victa sales from the factory would decrease, sales from the new dealer network
would increase. The corollary - in advertising - would be a decline in direct factory
advertising, as dealers became the focus of Victa lawnmower selling and advertising.

In the Victa ads in the Gallery (below) there are some important points of note.
The January advert is a repetition of the late 1954 adverts - selling direct from
the Concord factory with phone numbers UJ3362 and UJ1982. The showroom
was open 9-to-5 Monday to Saturday.

The March ad is the more important one, calling for "Exclusive District Agencies"
in local and country areas of NSW. The April advert is the beautiful colour one and
it ambitious ... asking for district agencies Australia-wide! Both were covered in the
last part.

The May, 1955 advert is interesting in that we see three new phone numbers:
UJ0255, UJ1240, and UJ1249.



The BIG surprise is the July, 1955 Victa Factory advertisement.
It actually lists the very first local and country Victa agents in NSW!
Note the factory phone numbers return to UJ1982 and UJ3362.

THE FIRST NSW VICTA DEALERS WERE: -

VICTA SUBURBAN ACCREDITED AGENTS: -
PARRAMATTA - Gilbert and Roach Pty. Ltd.
HURSTVILLE - Lawrence Bros Pty. Ltd.
BAMKSTOWN - Jay Jay Sports and Radio
CRONULLA - W. J. Silkey
MANLY - The Manly Grindery
HORNSBY - Wright's Furniture Store
COLLAROY - Collaroy Hardware Company

VICTA COUNTRY ACCREDITED AGENTS: -
ALBURY - A. and G. Smith
BELLINGEN - E. H. H. Raymond
CAMDEN - Babbage Motors
COFFS HARBOUR - A. L. Chapman
DORRIGO - Burbidges' Garage
GLEN INNES - Glen Innes Motors
GOSFORD - Sangold Co-Operative
GRAFTON - Schaffers and Sons, Pty. Ltd.
INGLEBURN - R. T. Brailey
INVERELL - Dowds Tractor and Mach. Co.
KIAMA - Kiama Motor Works Pty. Ltd.
LITHGOW-WALLERAWANG - Eric Newham
MITTAGONG - W. H. Ireland.
MUDGEE - Jas. Lonergan (Mudgee) Co. Pty. Ltd.
NEWCASTLE - New Standard Radio
NARROMINE - Narromine Motors Pty. Ltd.
NOWRA - Reg. Legge and Co.
PORT KEMBLA - Cakebread's Radio and Electrical.
PENRITH - E. E. Smith and Son
SPRINGWOOD - L. and M. Hardware
THIRROUL - South Coast Standards Pty. Ltd.
WAUCHOPE-PT. MACQUARIE - Gill and St. Clair Pty. Ltd.
WINDSOR - Home Lovers Radio
WOLLONGONG - W. Water's and Sons Pty. Ltd.
WOY WOY - Pipers Builders' Supplies



The August advert still advertises that some "Exclusive agencies were
still available". This evidence clearly shows that Victa was rapidly building
a dealer network in 1955.

Here are the factory ads for the 1955 season (ending in August):-

VICTA - the 1955 Year - Part Five
This part discusses a particular type of Victa factory advertising peculiar to 1955-56.
There is evidence that Victa tailor-made factory ads to introduce a few new dealers in
late 1955, and for the 1956 season. These ads are uncommon and disappear after 1956.

They make sense - in that Victa would have been keen to get its dealer network up and
rolling - and reward particular performing dealers, as factory sales decreased. I guess
these were trophy dealers with an established record.

I have found a few examples of this type, but not too many. Given that Victa's roll-out of a
dealer network took place this year, I think that factory sponsored ads would have a limited
life-span. Advertising would become an agent's obligation ... not a factory one.

Also note that Victa's call for agents (dealerships) was always based on a confidence in the
product. Factory Ads from the earliest calls for agencies (in March, 1955) proclaimed that
the Rotomo was a "self-selling line".

I do not think Victa struggled with sign-ups. I guess it was more of a controlled lottery of
applicants. To make money as a Victa agent, in those days, was a sure bet ... if a dealer
knew and believed in this "amazing" lawnmower, it was money in the bank!

Yes, Victa's dealer network occurred at a rapid rate, and was certainly inter-state in 1955:
with sign-ups in NSW, VIC and the ACT. In 1955, Victa was a juggernaut.

I will conclude this section with a clear statement:
The vast majority of 1955 advertising came from the new dealer network,
not factory initiated advertisements...

Here are a couple of examples of this second type of factory advertisement ...
one from NSW - Gilbert & Roach from Parramatta; and from Scott's Hardware,
from Kingston and Yarralumla, in the ACT!