Maruishi Fender Ornament （Kangaroo）Part 1

次回この記事の日本語版を投稿します。

As was the case in the previous two posts, "Mayam Fender Ornament" and "Moon Phoenix Fender Ornament", we shall examine another fender ornament.

Here is a Maruishi fender ornament.

Maruishi used the kangaroo as its symbol.

 
But why a kangaroo?
I have yet to uncover creditable information on the specific reason why; however, here is my hypothesis.
In 1884 Hillman Herbert & Cooper, a company in Coventry England, made a dwarf ordinary and named it the Kangaroo. 

(Photo property of ONLINE BICYCLE MUSEUM)

In 1892 the company changed its name to Premier Cycle Co. Ltd., but retained the kangaroo as its logo.  Now, Maruishi Shokai's roots date back to 1907.  The company manufactured Premier models using a kangaroo as its trademark. Thus, I surmise that at some point in the early part of Maruishi's long history it likely dealt with Premier Cycle Co., as both companies use a similar kangaroo standing erect.

(Photo property of ONLINE BICYCLE MUSEUM)

Feast your eyes on the following photos from T-san of his outstanding Maruishi Co., Premier.  Typical of the bicycles produced in Japan in the early to mid-1950s, it is literally loaded with the company's trademark, kangaroos!
 
 





 

 

 


 




A great big thank you goes out to T-san, again, for sharing his photos with us.
If you have any information pertaining to Premier Cycle Co. Ltd., or the origin of the Maruishi kangaroo, kindly contact me showajitensha@hotmail.co.jp