I just bought a nifty Sears Roebuck (but not Free Spirt) 5 speed touring bike at a thrift store. It is blue, looks like it comes from the early 1970’s or thereabouts. The decorative insignia on it are just like the Austrian (Puch) Sears bikes, but nowhere have I found anything that tells what country manufactured the bike. Any hints?
Denise
Comments
Puch was founded in 1899. Some years ago, its two-wheeler business has been sold to Piaggio (”Vespa”) in Italy. If your bike is new, it probably was manufactured in Italy or any third country, but not in Austria. Browse on Puch’s bike website (link below).
Not that it matters much as far as value… all of Sears bikes were designed and specced just for them and are almost without value other than for utilitarian uses. I suppose that some collectors (maybe those that also collect used beer cans) might specialize in them but they are few and far between.
Look at the headbadge. If it is a diamond shape with rounded corners and the Sears logo is in a circle, it is either made by Puch, President (Germany), or a Derby (Poland). The country of manufacture is usually in VERY small letters on the headbadge.