Alexb1186, those early 5055 bagged 24991 canisters, like most Kenmore canister vacuums from at least 1971 forward are Matsushita products made in the US at one of the many US plants operated by Matsushita Electric Corporation of America. Matsushita began manufacturing consumer electronics and electrical industrial goods in the US in 1961.
I want you to compare that 24991 canister as you call it with a Panasonic MC-V9626. Here is a diagram of the Panasonic version that you claim is "100% Whirlpool".
http://www.hescoinc.com/schematics/panasonic/p_v9626.pdf
Here is another version of that vac you ought to recognize, the MC-V9634
http://www.hescoinc.com/schematics/panasonic/p_v9634.pdf
And this next vac, the Panasonic MC-V9628 is recognizable as a member of the Kenmore Whispertone series.
http://www.hescoinc.com/schematics/panasonic/p_v9628.pdf
Same vacuums, probably from the same assembly lines in the US, just different names on them. Production was moved from the US to Mexico sometime early in the production of the Whispertone series. I have both "Made in the USA" and Mexican made versions of the Whispertone series. The power nozzle is still in production today in Mexico, mostly unchanged, and sold for use with central vacuum systems under various names such as Hayden Delux, Nutone and Centec.
I have a letter directly from Sears where I posed to them the question of who manufactured my earliest Kemore canisters, starting with my 1971 vintage 2.7 model number 116.29971 . You can look that model number up on Sears Parts Direct and see for yourself what the vacuum is. It's a big heavy steel thing with a plastic lid. In Sears reply they state that vac is a Matsushita product, as are all of my many Kenmore canister vacs save one example made by Ryobi. I believe you have to go back to the 1960's to find Kenmore vacuums manufactured by Whirlpool.
I can post my question to Sears and their reply if you require. I am not inclined to argue with Sears position on this subject.
