Electrolux Olympia One ... 2 Models?
- Thread starter kevin
- Start date
Help Support VacuumLand:
Thanks for the comments, all.
No one really mentioned--and I couldn't tell by the grayscale photos--if the first Silverados were brown. To clarify, the photos in reply #9 are for a current eBay listing for a Silverado/1505. The lister says that it has never been repainted, so I'm wondering if this was one of a few early Silverados that was brown or if it was indeed a bojack machine?
As for the Silverado with a handle and hand grip like the Super J/1401 I used to own one. It had a PN-4A, so I'm guessing it was the first version. Someone who worked for Electrolux at the time mentioned that the first Silverados had the single handle and hand grip like the Super J/1401s and Olympia/1401s and the later versions had the horizontal and vertical handles like the Olympia One/1401-Bs. I'm not sure, either, why they would have gone back to the former handle style, but that was that person's recollection. It is in another Vacuumland thread somewhere. Also, the handle and grip Silverados appear from time to time on eBay.
Again, I'm wondering if there was ever a brown Silverado manufactured by Electrolux--even as a prototype?
No one really mentioned--and I couldn't tell by the grayscale photos--if the first Silverados were brown. To clarify, the photos in reply #9 are for a current eBay listing for a Silverado/1505. The lister says that it has never been repainted, so I'm wondering if this was one of a few early Silverados that was brown or if it was indeed a bojack machine?
As for the Silverado with a handle and hand grip like the Super J/1401 I used to own one. It had a PN-4A, so I'm guessing it was the first version. Someone who worked for Electrolux at the time mentioned that the first Silverados had the single handle and hand grip like the Super J/1401s and Olympia/1401s and the later versions had the horizontal and vertical handles like the Olympia One/1401-Bs. I'm not sure, either, why they would have gone back to the former handle style, but that was that person's recollection. It is in another Vacuumland thread somewhere. Also, the handle and grip Silverados appear from time to time on eBay.
Again, I'm wondering if there was ever a brown Silverado manufactured by Electrolux--even as a prototype?
Gr8DaneDad
Well-known member
- Joined
- Apr 17, 2014
- Messages
- 660
As far as I can determine, from asking many old time Electrolux folks, including a few Engineers, there were never any brown Silverado's. They were always a bluish silver gray.
Also, the single handle design isn't really the same as the 1401. It has the later rear handle from the 1401-B and an integrated front handle/finger grip. As was mentioned earlier, there were very likely top assemblies from earlier machines and they used them up in those early Silverado's. Electrolux made some very interesting management decisions through the years, this is an example of one.
Also, the single handle design isn't really the same as the 1401. It has the later rear handle from the 1401-B and an integrated front handle/finger grip. As was mentioned earlier, there were very likely top assemblies from earlier machines and they used them up in those early Silverado's. Electrolux made some very interesting management decisions through the years, this is an example of one.
Thank you, Tom. That would have been my best guess as even the name SILVERado denotes gray or silver--not brown.
Short of calling the lister a liar (he seems very genuine--that it was his mom's for decades and was never repainted) I don't quite know how to respond to the fact that it clearly shows that it is a Model 1505. I guess I didn't ask him how he came to refer to it as a Silverado--whether his mom used the term or if his own research showed that a Model 1505 is a Silverado. In the grand scheme of things, of course, the name is immaterial. I guess the spread of misinformation--no matter how large or small--bugs me.
My thought is that it was purchased from a general vacuum cleaner store that had replaced and repainted its front cover and didn't mention it to the lister's mom. In reality, most individuals wouldn't care as long as the cleaner worked like it was supposed to, so I wouldn't blame a vacuum cleaner salesperson if that were the case.
Short of calling the lister a liar (he seems very genuine--that it was his mom's for decades and was never repainted) I don't quite know how to respond to the fact that it clearly shows that it is a Model 1505. I guess I didn't ask him how he came to refer to it as a Silverado--whether his mom used the term or if his own research showed that a Model 1505 is a Silverado. In the grand scheme of things, of course, the name is immaterial. I guess the spread of misinformation--no matter how large or small--bugs me.
My thought is that it was purchased from a general vacuum cleaner store that had replaced and repainted its front cover and didn't mention it to the lister's mom. In reality, most individuals wouldn't care as long as the cleaner worked like it was supposed to, so I wouldn't blame a vacuum cleaner salesperson if that were the case.
Gr8DaneDad
Well-known member
- Joined
- Apr 17, 2014
- Messages
- 660
Kevin,
I would have to assume that you have come to the right conclusion. Model 1505 is a Silverado, however it is much more likely that this was purchased at a general vacuum store and was put together from 2 or more machines and painted to match.. or it may be a 1505 that was originally Sliver and repainted to meet the request of the purchaser for an earth tone canister to match the decor... the only way to know for sure is to take it all apart and look at all the pieces and attempt to reconstruct it's history.
Tom
I would have to assume that you have come to the right conclusion. Model 1505 is a Silverado, however it is much more likely that this was purchased at a general vacuum store and was put together from 2 or more machines and painted to match.. or it may be a 1505 that was originally Sliver and repainted to meet the request of the purchaser for an earth tone canister to match the decor... the only way to know for sure is to take it all apart and look at all the pieces and attempt to reconstruct it's history.
Tom
There
never was a brown Silverado. The first Silverado was like the first illustration in reply 16. Having been in production at a factory I do know that some parts that are made for certain products do get mixed. The fronts made for the Olympia One could both be Plastic and Metal depending when the cleaner was made and if the parts came from a bin that was in the back and then brought out to the front of the bin. The part #'s are the same for the run.. It happens in all industries.
never was a brown Silverado. The first Silverado was like the first illustration in reply 16. Having been in production at a factory I do know that some parts that are made for certain products do get mixed. The fronts made for the Olympia One could both be Plastic and Metal depending when the cleaner was made and if the parts came from a bin that was in the back and then brought out to the front of the bin. The part #'s are the same for the run.. It happens in all industries.
Gr8DaneDad
Well-known member
- Joined
- Apr 17, 2014
- Messages
- 660
hmmmm... so I found the listing and took a better look at the pictures. Something very interesting has come to mind... I wonder if Electrolux began the switchover to the new plastic inner door before the run of the Olympia was done and in fact this is an original Olympia with a factory produced plastic inner door at the very end of the run. Any chance we can get the seller to provide a picture of the label on the top of the machine and/or the serial #? The tools and PN4A are all in Olympia colors and the PN does not appear to be repainted.... could be another one of those interesting management decisions. Typically, retooling was done during a 3 week factory shutdown at the end of the year with new models released no later than the April sales drive. It is possible that there were many metal bodies already in inventory complete before the retooling and Olympia production was continued until those bodies were exhausted. There can't be very many of these at all if that was the case... could be a fairly rare example. Serial # would confirm it's production date.
The hose appears to be traced in Blue not Brown, which would make it a Silverado hose... this gets better and better.
The hose appears to be traced in Blue not Brown, which would make it a Silverado hose... this gets better and better.
John & Tom,
Thank you for your feedback--much appreciated. I have put in a request to the seller for the serial id and will post it here when I hear back.
I am now wondering if the last Olympia Ones were Model 1505s? The lister says that he has worked in the marine industry for years and knows that nothing on the cleaner has been repainted. I didn't think that the PN-4As (with the shorter "dog house" for cleaning under furniture) came out until the Silverados were manufactured, so that is another stumper.
Thank you for your feedback--much appreciated. I have put in a request to the seller for the serial id and will post it here when I hear back.
I am now wondering if the last Olympia Ones were Model 1505s? The lister says that he has worked in the marine industry for years and knows that nothing on the cleaner has been repainted. I didn't think that the PN-4As (with the shorter "dog house" for cleaning under furniture) came out until the Silverados were manufactured, so that is another stumper.
Another comment by the eBay lister of the brown Model 1505:
"For my own curiosity, I just now went to the machine, opened the door and scratched with a screwdriver the part that bears the 1505 designation number. That plastic is brown all the way through. I also scratched a small area on one of the side metal plates, just brown and then metal underneath."
"For my own curiosity, I just now went to the machine, opened the door and scratched with a screwdriver the part that bears the 1505 designation number. That plastic is brown all the way through. I also scratched a small area on one of the side metal plates, just brown and then metal underneath."
Gr8DaneDad
Well-known member
- Joined
- Apr 17, 2014
- Messages
- 660
An Electrolux branch would not have had a name other than Electrolux since all branches were company owned and operated at the time. This is a late run Olympia One vacuum made after the switch to the plastic inner door switch over.. the mold was intended for the Silverado and so had the 1505 designation. I can be fairly confident that it was sold as a 1401 Olympia One not as a 1505 Silverado. I'm having the service mgr at my franchise look it up...
Gr8DaneDad
Well-known member
- Joined
- Apr 17, 2014
- Messages
- 660
Reading the history of State vacuums, this was likely a trade in on a new Kirby in the mid 80's. Service Manager just called and said this vacuum is listed as an 1401-B Olympia One, sold in August of 1982 from the Tampa Branch of Electrolux to Mrs. Ephraim Cohen of Tampa. There are no records of any service at an Electrolux Branch post purchase.
rugsucker
Well-known member
Electrolux
A bit more on some of the above-
The Silverado was introduced April 82 and ALWAYS gray color.Some sales for the first week won a silver ingot with Silverado(about the size of charm bracelet item).April (& October) were the big 'drive months'for maximum sales.If a new model was introduced the current vac would be closed out at a sale price.As above any product manufactured can have changes.Electrolux would sometimes change to simplify or reduce cost if they could maintain quality.Thus the bag door became plastic.Another change at no loss of quality was the screen molded in the bag compartment instead of a separate wire screen.A division manager told me the top trim configuration was voted on at a div mgr meeting leading to the new model and drive month preparation.Factory and home office officials would often visit Elux trips and banquets to talk to all from the newest salesman to the long time managers for opinions.
PN-4 top cover-This can be found in 2 different materials(one heavier than the other).I was told by a factory official that the cost of original material went up and they changed to the cheaper(again no loss of quality)until later the prices reversed and they were back with the original.
A bit more on some of the above-
The Silverado was introduced April 82 and ALWAYS gray color.Some sales for the first week won a silver ingot with Silverado(about the size of charm bracelet item).April (& October) were the big 'drive months'for maximum sales.If a new model was introduced the current vac would be closed out at a sale price.As above any product manufactured can have changes.Electrolux would sometimes change to simplify or reduce cost if they could maintain quality.Thus the bag door became plastic.Another change at no loss of quality was the screen molded in the bag compartment instead of a separate wire screen.A division manager told me the top trim configuration was voted on at a div mgr meeting leading to the new model and drive month preparation.Factory and home office officials would often visit Elux trips and banquets to talk to all from the newest salesman to the long time managers for opinions.
PN-4 top cover-This can be found in 2 different materials(one heavier than the other).I was told by a factory official that the cost of original material went up and they changed to the cheaper(again no loss of quality)until later the prices reversed and they were back with the original.
rugsucker
Well-known member
Electrolux changes
There was another change that would fit in between reply 16 & 17.The new wand latch with push button release and easier removal of lower chrome wand from plastic upper sheath was first seen on the last PN-4 models.The boxes noted 'New Wand Latch System'.
There was another change that would fit in between reply 16 & 17.The new wand latch with push button release and easier removal of lower chrome wand from plastic upper sheath was first seen on the last PN-4 models.The boxes noted 'New Wand Latch System'.
Thanks for the information, Rick, Tom, John, and Jimmy.
Jimmy--please post photos, if you can, of the wand differences.
The lister has since communicated that he isn't sure that the cleaner was purchased at State--just that parts and repairs were.
Rick and Tom - (re: comment to Rick in reply #4) I need to admit my error in thinking that the Olympia One/1401s had a different length handle than the Super J/1401s as you both stated. I wonder now if I'd seen a 1401-B with a missing vertical carrying handle--which would have left the shorter horizontal carrying handle? Anyway, I apologize for my confusion and subsequent error.
While I understand that the last of the Olympia One used the new molds intended for the Silverados, it's too bad from a collector's and tech's standpoint that the model designation was not kept 1401-B.
I like how they'd done that with using the Model AE caster mount plates on the Model F (which is why so many mistakenly call the cleaner Model AF). One would think they could have done something similar with the 1401-B and 1505 interior cover plates.
I wonder if there is an Olympia One collector in our midst that has all the different versions--like Charles Lester's Model Es, Model Fs, and others? I would think such a collector would want to bid on the one that inspired the conversation today!
Jimmy--please post photos, if you can, of the wand differences.
The lister has since communicated that he isn't sure that the cleaner was purchased at State--just that parts and repairs were.
Rick and Tom - (re: comment to Rick in reply #4) I need to admit my error in thinking that the Olympia One/1401s had a different length handle than the Super J/1401s as you both stated. I wonder now if I'd seen a 1401-B with a missing vertical carrying handle--which would have left the shorter horizontal carrying handle? Anyway, I apologize for my confusion and subsequent error.
While I understand that the last of the Olympia One used the new molds intended for the Silverados, it's too bad from a collector's and tech's standpoint that the model designation was not kept 1401-B.
I like how they'd done that with using the Model AE caster mount plates on the Model F (which is why so many mistakenly call the cleaner Model AF). One would think they could have done something similar with the 1401-B and 1505 interior cover plates.
I wonder if there is an Olympia One collector in our midst that has all the different versions--like Charles Lester's Model Es, Model Fs, and others? I would think such a collector would want to bid on the one that inspired the conversation today!
Gr8DaneDad
Well-known member
- Joined
- Apr 17, 2014
- Messages
- 660
I should say that the information in the database at Aerus is not infallible. Dates tend to be fairly close, but names and addresses from before the mid to late 80's can be hit or miss. Phone #'s are almost non-existent before the late 90's.
s31463221
Well-known member
Well this thread piqued my interest
It's definitely a unique machine and indeed it doesn't seem to be re-painted, but sheesh! $529.99 plus another $30 for shipping....too rich for my blood!
It's definitely a unique machine and indeed it doesn't seem to be re-painted, but sheesh! $529.99 plus another $30 for shipping....too rich for my blood!
