The 1936 Motor Glide and 1937 Motor Glide DeLuxe

The first generation established the basic design for all future scooters - step thru design with the rider sitting on the engine. Foster's first Motor Glide redefined what a scooter was and would always be. The lack of an engine enclosure makes this Salsbury easy to recognize. In the pic to the left, a happy Freddie Bartholomew (1930s Hollywood Mega Star and the owner of the first Salsbury offered to the public) wrenches on his scooter.

The Fabulous 1937 Aero and Aero 30

Foster hit a homerun with his second generation of scooter in 1937 - the Aero. Foster enclosed the engine compartment, ditched the 2 cycle Evinrude motor for a 4 cycle Johnson motor, and dropped the price by 25% compared to the first generation Motor Glide. While the first generation redefined what a scooter would be, the second generation Aero was a Marketing Tour de Force. Everybody wanted one - from Hollywood Celebrities like Judy Garland (Wizard of Oz) to Business Men like Phil Wrigley (Chicago Cubs and Gum) to boys and girls across the country. Note the headlight attached just above the horn and the wheel - the best way to know you are looking at a 1937 Aero.

The 1938 and 1939 Models 40 Thru 60

The third generation scooter was simply a technological wonder. Foster and his team invented an automatic clutch and a variable speed automatic transmission. Nobody, including Vespas and Lambreattas built 10 - 15 years after the Models 40 thru 60, approached the level of technology contained in Foster's 1938 and 1939 Motor Glides. Note the headlight on top of the handlebar - the sure way to pick out a 1938 or 1939 Motor Glide. The scooter to the left is manned by Roscoe Turner, an extraordinarily gifted airplane racer who once graced the cover of Time Magazine.

The 1940 thru 1944 War Years Model 70s

The fourth generation Motor Glides were much bigger and more powerful, and most came with the automatic transmission that Foster invented in 1938. The war economy created very complicated issues for Foster, however, and Foster lost much of the momentum that he had created before the war.

The 1946 thru 1949 Salsbury Model 85

The fifth generation scooter - the Model 85 - was incredible. Space age design, a robust 6hp engine designed for the scooter, Foster's automatic transmission, and car-like gas and brake pedals made for a scooter that is a bucket list item for most scooter collectors. A stunning scooter in every way - right up until Salsbury Motors filed for bankruptcy in August 1948 (Getty Licensed Image).