'Lighter, handsomer, better - the finest electric cleaner for the home ever devised by the industry's oldest and largest maker...'
Judging by the serial numbers, nearly 650,000 Model 541s were built in North Canton for the US market, over a 3-year production run. That was nearly 250,000 machines more than were made of Model 105. I don't have a record of the number built in Ontario, Canada, and supplied to the British Empire.
In April of 1923 alone, nearly 30,000 Hoover cleaners were shipped to dealers in the US, and May was forecast to exceed April's record by 20%.
Hoover did a huge advertising drive in newspapers and magazines for the 541 - I believe their largest ever campaign at that point. It focussed on the improvements of the 541 over previous models, including:
- A more durable bag
- A non-marring hand-grip
- Lighter in weight to previous models
- Lower in height to previous models
- New attachments
- Tool converter easier to fit
- Ball-bearing brush-roll
- Belt-life doubled
It sold for $65, plus $12.50 for dusting tools. It could also be bought on hire-purchase, with a $6.25 down-payment. 30-40% of all sales were made to customers who already owned a vacuum cleaner. The company had on file nearly 60,000 unsolicited letters of endorsement sent to them by satisfied customers.
Walter - yes, it does seem to be unusual to find 541s or 543s with their original switches. My 541 has its switch intact; one of my 543s had no switch at all, and my other 543 had the bakelite light-switch you mention. Luckily, I do have a second original switch - made by G.E.C - which will go on the better of the 2 543s when I have a chance to fit it. It's only missing the little metal knob from the top of the lever.
The bag my 541 arrived wearing is an 875 bag - so it's been put on my 875! It's very faded; you can see the true colour and pattern of the fabric (same as the 160) in the folds in the side of the bag:
