Does anyone remember when Kirby first shipped their units out to the West Coast? Prior to the mid-1980s and the whole "Just In Time" inventory strategy, shipments of Kirby vacuums to the West Coast usually took 3 months following the initial rollout.
For example, the Classic III had an initial rollout date in July 1976, but West Coast shipments arrived in October of that year.
Approximate release dates (West Coast):
516 - June 1956
517 - June 1957
518 - June 1958
519 - June 1959
560 - June 1960
561 - June 1961
Sanitronic 562 - June 1962
Sanitronic VII - June 1963
Dual Sanitronic 50 - June 1965
Dual Sanitronic 80 - December 1967
Classic 1CR - April 1970
Classic Omega 1CB - October 1973
Classic III 2CB - October 1976
Tradition 3CB - October 1979
Heritage 1HD - December 1981
Heritage II 2HD - December 1984
Heritage II Legend - December 1987
Legend II - April 1989
Generation 3 - April 1990
G4 - October 1993
G5 - February 1997
For the Heritage II and later models, Kirby might've been able to speed up deliveries using what is known as "Just In Time," so West Coast shipments came sooner than 3 months than did older models. I remember spotting a brand new G5 at a Milwaukie-based Kirby dealer in March 1997.
~Ben
For example, the Classic III had an initial rollout date in July 1976, but West Coast shipments arrived in October of that year.
Approximate release dates (West Coast):
516 - June 1956
517 - June 1957
518 - June 1958
519 - June 1959
560 - June 1960
561 - June 1961
Sanitronic 562 - June 1962
Sanitronic VII - June 1963
Dual Sanitronic 50 - June 1965
Dual Sanitronic 80 - December 1967
Classic 1CR - April 1970
Classic Omega 1CB - October 1973
Classic III 2CB - October 1976
Tradition 3CB - October 1979
Heritage 1HD - December 1981
Heritage II 2HD - December 1984
Heritage II Legend - December 1987
Legend II - April 1989
Generation 3 - April 1990
G4 - October 1993
G5 - February 1997
For the Heritage II and later models, Kirby might've been able to speed up deliveries using what is known as "Just In Time," so West Coast shipments came sooner than 3 months than did older models. I remember spotting a brand new G5 at a Milwaukie-based Kirby dealer in March 1997.
~Ben
