A Tale of Two Silverados

[ronni]

For DJub85 and anyone else that may be interested here are photos of a recent eBay listing which shows the two Electrolux Silverado versions together. The early ones, with the S_A affixes had the early Olympia One handle & finger grip carriers while the mid- to late ones had the two handles like the mid- to late- Olympia Ones.

It's a mystery as to why Electrolux would have gone back to the carrier style (& wheel diameter?) of the early Model 1401/Olympia Ones. I wonder if it had to do with using up overstock that had been discovered?

Additionally, the wheels on the early version of the Model 1505/Silverado appear to be slightly narrower to me, but perhaps I am thinking too much of the early Olympia Ones that did, in fact, have narrower wheels. Beyond that is the obvious difference in bag chamber screens.

Feel free to add your observations and comments.

Fyi, the serial affixes of the mid- to late- version in the photos are S_f. Other affixes I've seen are:

PR, PS, PV, PW, PX, SD, SH

The power nozzle models were PN-4A (early) and black PN-5 (mid- to late)

 

[djub85]

This is such a cool find! Thanks for sharing!!! How bizarre... most (if not all) of the Silverados that I've seen had the newer-style front handle, including my own. If one I saw on eBay was missing the front handle, then I missed it.


 


I'd like to help guess at/clarify a few things, if I could. Maybe we can help each other to understand what happened. I feel like a detective!


 


I don't believe that the wheels are different on the two pictured Silverados. Placing an early Olympia One next to a newer one makes is super obvious, so these two machines probably have the same wheels. 1205-sized wheels would be a bigger, much more noticeable difference IMHO. You can also tell by the bumper fins. The fins were added to help keep the bigger wheels from getting stuck on furniture, so if the wheels were smaller on one machine, the fins would look super extra huge in comparison to a smaller wheel.


 


I think the only handle that's different is the front most handle (or lack thereof). One machine lacks the gray front handle, and the other machine has it. The rear handles are the same though on both Silverados. The early Olympia One (and the Super J and Golden J) had much longer rear handles that extended up to the lip at the front of the bag compartment (pictured below). Neither of the Silverados pictured has that early handle.


 


So yeah, idk. I'm not familiar with the fan screens. That could legitimately be an overstock issue or just a running change. I do not think that the front handle issue was an overstock issue. I think either they removed them at first because people broke them/thought they were cheap/flimsy, only then to add them back when people complained about the absence. OR maybe they just forgot to make them. They had the new machines ready, and they were like, "Crap, we forgot to make the front handles. Let's just leave them off!"


 


If they were using overstock/old stock, the front handle would have been there, but it would have been off white/cream/beige like the earlier machines. It's just not there at all.


 


Here's a brain-twister. Is it possible that the machines pictured without the front handle had that handle broken, and it was simply removed at a later time? Does anyone know for certain that early Silverados were sold new without the front handle? Food for thought...


 


 

 

[human]

Looking at the photos of the two Silverados, It does not appear that they simply omitted the forward handle as one without the front handle has a plastic insert where the handle would go. My guess is it was a design change intended to reduce cost by using less plastic.

 

[rugsucker]

Silverados

Wheels-All Silverado had the same size larger wheels first used on the later Olympia.
Bag screen-With any manufactured product it is always good to simplify or use less expensive materials if quality remains the same or better.(The Mo XXX dust brush was made simpler and cheaper with same quality.)1205 started with no bag screen.Then the need was seen with users who abused vac or tore bags.Metal screen could rust or corrode with misuse of picking up damp or wet debris.Plastic was a better material at reduced cost.Later the bag screen was molded into the bag chamber without a second part.Cheaper,easier and no loss of quality.
Handle-When the Silverado was introduced in 4-82 the remaining Olympias were to be a close out at reduced price.The first design allowed it to look new and 'different'by using existing parts and molds.Either could be carried in vertical or horizonal positions.I was told the division managers voted on possible handle styles.The later Diamond Jubilee is an example of further styling changes while using the same basic body,front door,cordwinder,etc.

 

[ronni]

Good detective work, everyone. I appreciate these types of discussions as well as those like Jimmy Martin (rugsucker) who speak from first-hand knowledge. You're right--we bring different perspectives and ideas together to synthesize our ideas.

Charlie Lester and others have an abundance of information on the pre-Consolidated Foods models, but detailed changes since then are not as well-documented or organized; however, these threads are helping to accomplish that.

As much as I like the earlier models, features such as the double carrying handles and the top exhaust vents (which allow vertical operation) on the newer models are nice conveniences.

I used to own an early Silverado with the single handle and finger grip but got rid of it in part because I, too, thought that the vertical carrying handle had been removed. Back then, I didn't appreciate what I had. Thankfully, I was able to get another one (the 2-handled version) free on curbside. This time, I have made it my daily driver and really appreciate its strong performance.

Good thoughts about the bumper fins--I hadn't thought of their practicality before--only regarding them as a cosmetic change.

 

[ronni]

Oh, I almost forgot ...

I used the wrong term in describing what I thought was a difference in the wheels of the two featured Silverados. Instead of 'diameter' I should have referred to the 'width'.

On reconsideration, I agree with you that they are the same size.

 

[djub85]

I always liked the horizontal handles. I carry all of my metal body machines with that handle. I wish the plastic canisters had a handle like that, but I guess it just went out of style across all brands.