Wanted: 1940′s J.E. Donalson Jockey Cycle Information
Donalson Jockey Cycle
Q: Looking for photos or information on a weird tricycle I had when I was a young boy in the mid 1960′s. This was a most unusual trike as it had two large rear wheels and a very small front wheel. What made it even more unusual was the way it was powered. Instead of the usual rotory pedals, this had a bar that was pushed down on with your feet. This inturn provided some sort of crank power to the rear wheels… more unusal yet this also caused the saddle/seat to rise up and down when the wheels turned. We called it a “Jalopy Trike” but I have no idea if that was just a nickname or the actual brand. Any ideas?
A: Sounds like a Donalson Jockey Cycle like the one pictured above, made by the J.E. Donalson Manufacturing Company in Kansas City. Though we have relatively little information on those tricycle or the Donalson company in general, you can find some more info and a few more pictures on our Donalson manufacturers page. These tricycles are pretty rare, but do come up for sale occasionally on the web.
WOW! That’s it! Amazing. My was a light blue color as I recall. We lived in North Kansas City at the time, so my parents probably got it locally then.
Thanks for the prompt response. This is very cool!