Schwinn Approved Japan
Back
Report
Main Photo
Photo Credit: taken by jfischer
Name: Schwinn Approved Japan
Brand: Schwinn
Badge Type: Metal Attached
Frame Types: Vintage Lightweights
Country: United States
Years: 1970's; 1980's
Added By: JFischer on 10/05/07
Updated By: JFischer on 12/03/07
Additional Photos - click for full size
Headbadge Information

Badge worn by Japanese built Schwinns such as the pictured 1980 Schwinn Traveler. 

Beginning around '73/'74 some Japanese built Schwinns began sporting headbadges with a 4-digit stamping that represented the assembly date and consisted of the ordinal day of the year and the last digit of the year (2456 decodes to the 245th day of 1976 or 1986 -- use decals and components to determine the decade). The ordinal dating was adopted for Schwinn's domestic production in 1976.  The date decoded from the serial number of the frame can vary from the assembly date by quite a bit.

Additional Resources
Resources:Reference & ChartsExternal Resources
Frame Examples using this style Head Badge
Frame Example NameCategoryAdded
Schwinn Volare (1977 - 1978)Road Sport04/06/2013
Brand Information(click to expand)
Schwinns were made in Chicago, IL  USA up until the 1970's. Sometime in the 1970's, the Schwinn Chicago factory was organized by the United Auto Workers union, who felt that bicycle factory workers should be paid on the same scale as automotive workers. Unfortunately, the realities of the marketplace didn't agree, and Schwinn closed the factory, transferring most production to Japan (Panasonic) and Taiwan (Giant). Schwinn also built a factory in Greenville, Mississippi, but it didn't last, and even bought a factory in Hungary, but the deal fell through, and Schwinn never imported any Hungarian bikes to the U.S.

Pacific Cycle, founded in 1983, designs and markets bicycles and scooters under several brands, including Schwinn, Mongoose, DYNO, InSTEP, Roadmaster, Pacific Outdoors, and others. It's also a top maker of bicycle helmets in the US. Pacific Cycle, which outsources its manufacturing to China and Taiwan, got its operations in gear by buying Brunswick Bicycles, Schwinn/GT Corp., InSTEP, and PTI Sports, all within a few years. Dorel Industries owns Pacific Cycle alongside its popular Cannondale brand.

 
User Comments
Sign-in Required
  Loading Comments


Campagnolo
VeloBase v.2.8.7 - a Fischer Frameworks application, Copyright © (2024) - All rights reserved.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.


Find the information on VeloBase.com useful? Please consider donating a few dollars towards the web-hosting cost. Thank you.