Some of my Progress vacuums

[gsheen]

This vacuum was listed on FB market place for a while at a antique shop here in Cape Town.


Then one day Joanne came home and told me she had a early ( about a month ) birthday present for me.


 


Its probably the most complete vintage vacuum I own of its era.


I cannot find much info about it on the net appart from a picture of it in a german advert that unfortunately doesn't have much info like model or age of the vacuum.


 


The previous owner or shop also tried to respray the clear coat on the veneer with minimal success but I have left it for now as I am worried about damaging it. They also polished the name out of the badge but you can make out Progress special and the rating plate has it as a model psp 


 


Its also interesting that it doesn't have a on off switch, I presume it was probably located in the kettle style plug like some other models and that was replaced over the years. 

 

[gsheen]

The attachments and hoses 

 

[gsheen]

The attachments and hoses back when vacuums came with accessories 

 

[gsheen]

More pics of it 

 

[gsheen]

My progress 330 3 brush suction polisher


This thing is a monster. solid aluminium base and cover, it is a true beast. The oriional bag still intact too which is lovely 

 

[dysonman1]

I know your tank cleaner very well. They built and sold it in America. It was the inspiration for the Filtex tank.

 

[dysonman1]

[No message]

 

[gsheen]

Hi Tom 


 


Thats awesome 


I think my one may be a slightly older model or a different model as it was made in Germany,


it has a few differences mainly the rear of the machine and were the plug plugs into it.


 


Does the instruction book show a On /Off switch ? I am curious to know more about it


 


 


 


At some stage in the 70's Progress had a manufacturing plant here in South Africa too

 

[dysonman1]

The instruction manual does not show an on/off switch. They didn't last long making them in the USA.

 

[gsheen]

Swicth

Tom 


 


I am wondering if it didn't have a switch in the plug like this old Mary ann of mine. 

 

[lektronic]

So richtig gründlich

Love the branding & typography from the manuals, very mod

 


To your comment about it being made in Germany, I found this German Progress ad that looks like it may feature the same or a similar model. Source dates the ad in 1939


 


A Google Translation of the ad copy reads:


<blockquote>
<span class="VIiyi" lang="en"><span class="JLqJ4b ChMk0b" data-language-for-alternatives="en" data-language-to-translate-into="de" data-phrase-index="0" data-number-of-phrases="7"><span class="Q4iAWc">Cleaning the house is now really thorough, since the great "PROGRESS" vacuum cleaner has helped.</span></span> <span class="JLqJ4b ChMk0b" data-language-for-alternatives="en" data-language-to-translate-into="de" data-phrase-index="1" data-number-of-phrases="7"><span class="Q4iAWc">Faster, better, cheaper is the principle of these high-performance devices from Mauz & Pfeiffer,</span></span> <span class="JLqJ4b ChMk0b" data-language-for-alternatives="en" data-language-to-translate-into="de" data-phrase-index="3" data-number-of-phrases="7"><span class="Q4iAWc">Stuttgart-Botnang.</span></span> <span class="JLqJ4b ChMk0b" data-language-for-alternatives="en" data-language-to-translate-into="de" data-phrase-index="4" data-number-of-phrases="7"><span class="Q4iAWc">The relevant</span></span> <span class="JLqJ4b ChMk0b" data-language-for-alternatives="en" data-language-to-translate-into="de" data-phrase-index="6" data-number-of-phrases="7"><span class="Q4iAWc">Specialty shops carry "PROGRESS"</span></span></span>


</blockquote>
<span class="VIiyi" lang="en"><span class="JLqJ4b ChMk0b" data-language-for-alternatives="en" data-language-to-translate-into="de" data-phrase-index="6" data-number-of-phrases="7"><span class="Q4iAWc">The headline "So richtig gründlich" translates more literally to "Really thorough," but the rest of the sentence doesn't translate to English as smoothly when put in that order.
</span></span></span>

 

[gsheen]

Lektronic 


Thank you so much that's a truly awesome picture 

 

[dysonman1]

While I have the owner's manual and it says they were made in America, and Consumer Reports (or Digest, I can't remember now) rated it, I have never seen a 110-volt Progess tank cleaner in person.

 

[kirbyman65]

I found this

its from a different year but still interesting. I only speak a little German so I can barely understand it.
-Jack

 

[aussie-plugs]

What a great ad!

I can't get over how they'd invest 1 minute 37 seconds into an advertisement. Perhaps it was for cinemas, so it wouldn't have been anywhere near as expensive as if you wanted that amount of time on modern television.

My German is rusty. The words go more or less like this ...

I'm dust. If you don't clean, then there's dirt everywhere. I'm the enemy of cleanliness. [then some bits I just can't pick up]
(PROGRESS LOGO)
Progress brings help! [missed phrase] Progress gets rid of the dust.
The rug looks wonderul, just like a poem, the colours are just like bright lights. Progress turns work into a child's game.
Progress is quality. Progress is [can't get it]. Progress is an ideal appliance.
On the floor and [something] and in between seats/cushions, the dust is completely removed.
You can clean hangings, the curtains and walls [can't get the rest of that phrase]
With the fine brush you can get the dust from the piano [more I can't get] in very little time
The Venus turns around to [nope, lost here again ... perhaps "get clean for a party"]
You can use it for moths ... [then I can't get the final scene where the cleaner removes the dust cloud]

What fun ... and I need to practice my German a lot more

 

[kirbyman65]

I do too

My German isn’t great, but here’s another ad I love.

 

[eurekaprince]

Nice classic tv ad with animation! In the 1960’s, a standard tv commercial was 60 seconds long….so maybe at the start of European television, they even allowed 90 second commercials!

Most ads today are only 15 seconds long….the world has gotten faster!

 

[aussie-plugs]

Broken Link?

Hi Kirbyman65 (Jack),

So there are two of us who need practice!

I couldn't open the latest link you posted. Hopefully you can update it so we can all enjoy another one of those old ads.

Nick

 

[kirbyman65]

Sure

Of course!