Electrolux Model 90 (USA), System 90 (Canada), Taupe Hi-Tech 2100 (USA), et cetera

[ronni]

I'm curious to know the significance of the '90' used in Canada's System 90 (Model 2100) and the USA's Model Model 90 (Model 1623) and if there's a correlation between the two cleaners. Both were marketed around the same time (late '80s). Could it be that the Model 90 was also sold in Canada as the drop down version of the System 90?

Correspondingly, it's interesting to note that while Electrolux's Canadian and American companies shared the Hi-Tech 2100's (c.1985-1987) model, name, power nozzle, and canister features; its successor, the taupe-colored Hi-Tech 2100, shared everything mentioned except the names (C-System 90 and USA-2100). Why was that?

I'd also like to find out why earlier Canadian (and Swedish) models with double-digits have a 'ZB' or 'Z' prefix which seems to be used infrequently. In fact, one of the manuals I recently viewed did not include the prefix, but I often see it included when referenced by Vacuumlanders.

 

[paul]

1) The '90' may have referred to the water lift.

2) The Z prefix is likely the universal mathematical symbol for 'integer'. It comes from the German word 'zahl', which is translated to 'number' in English. A more common symbol for 'number' in the U.S. is the hash or pound sign (#).

AB Electrolux limited the use of the Z prefix to its suction cleaners. The triple brush polisher & scrubbers were given a B prefix, which may have stood for 'buffer' or 'burnisher'. The Canadians and Americans used the same notation until the U.S's model 1522 Floor Beautifier in 1984 (albeit 'B-9' or 'B-10' were used in printing a few more years due to a miscommunication) and when the Canadians switched to 2101 in 1985 (and the direct marketing version, 2101A, in 1986). An 'X' or 'A' followed the 'B' in the Canadian model numbers prior to the mid-1960s, indicating that they were revisions of Swedish models.


Nicolas Bourbaki, a pseudonym for a group of mainly French mathematicians, developed the universal math symbols in the 1930s. Correspondingly, Lux and Electrolux suction cleaners, from 1912 to 1930, were given Roman numeric model identifications. That changed in 1933 with the Swedish Model Z15.


The U.S. subsidiary (affiliate from 1928 to 1968) assigned Roman numeric models to its tank cleaners from the time it launched its independently-designed Model XXX in 1937 until 1952 with the Model LX (albeit when wheels were added in 1955 LXI was used to indicate an upgrade); then single letters were used followed by 4-digits, and the current alphanumeric system.

The Canadian subsidiary, which originated in 1931 and was managed by the Swedish company until the mid-1950s when it became an affiliate, used the Z prefix on its tank models from the time it began producing its own cleaners in 1934 until 1970 when the E suffix was used instead to denote the new electric hose inlet. A 'B' was added after the 'Z' to denote either a Canadian revision of a Swedish model or a Canadian revision of a Canadian model. Later, Canadian vacuum cleaners were then prefixed with an 'AP', probably for 'all plastic' from 1973 to 1982; then an 'E' prefix for 'Electronic'; and finishing with the 4-digit identifiers.

 

[quebecois]

Thanks for this detailed info.

 

[paul]

You're welcome.