The only genuine Family vacuum I have is this festively conglomerated 1967 Electrolux 89. It began life as a complete all green 89 with electric hose and PN. The telescopic wand and main body is all that remains original.
I received it only this Christmas past as it was thought by Mom to be decades long gone. Brother Jim piped up at brunch to say he had it stored away in his basement. When Dad bought Mom her new vacuum (after I left home) he absconded it to the Garage Workshop. Over the years it clearly encountered mis-adventures and he, frugal man, replaced parts as they failed with whatever he could scrounge. I'm particularly impressed that he leak-proofed the beige hose in matching red plastic bags. The 'Banana Puce' PN200 from 1976-8 is another choice touch. Other than its bangs & bumps and 'Johnny Cash Cadillac One Piece At A Time' appearance it is clean and rust free inside and runs smooth, strong and quiet to this day.
I have accumulated enough green parts, with the help of Pete and Doug Smith to re-build it all in green but as I have a third 89 that needs help most of those parts will be used in its resurrection.
In Loving Memory of this 89's long Family Service I will eventually be 'restoring' it in Red and Green with a red cord and a latexed red saran weave hose from a red 86/88.
Although the whereabouts of other relative's vacuums are unknown I have managed to find examples of Gramma Scheafe's (and Mom's) Filter Queen, Gramma Kerr's Hoover 281, Aunt Carol's Constellation, Aunt Jessie's Lewyt Big Wheel, Aunt Bernadette's Compact and Great Aunt Sophie's green GE Swiveltop.
Vacuum Brand loyalty may not run strong in my Family but everyone of them drove General Motors almost exclusively - Cadillac, Pontiac, Chevy, Buicks or Oldsmobiles through the 1940s to 80s. Oh, those German/Scots roots...
Dave
