Hello ODK History Lovers

A Champion Senior lawnmower appeared at auction in October, 2016.
Advertised as a 'Collectible mower', the description told a remarkable story:-

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DESCRIPTION
"This refurbished Champion Senior mower circa 1950s was a prototype intended
to have a foot pedal rope start. The disc was adapted to take a spring arrange-
ment and the Villiers engine (with a solid polished bronze flywheel) was raised
on stainless spacers to accommodate a curious rope system via a deck mounted
pulley (see pic). The system never worked and the project was dropped. The
unit was then sold as a factory second and was used as a conventional mower until
around 2000. It is believed to be the only prototype of the project ever made."

The accompanying photos showed three of the four special features, a base-
mounted pulley on the LH side, a crankcase raised by spacers, and a foldable
handle. The fourth feature, a 'special' blade holder was not included in the
auction photos.

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When I saw these pictures I immediately recognised the significance.
Another machine with similar features had been advertised back in 2012!

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If the mowers were not one and the same, then this indicated something far from
that of a a prototype ... that never went into production. This was a production machine
... but missing 'things'.

I know something else from research conducted years' ago - Champion made a
Senior Kick-Start model from late 1957. Definitely a production model, but none
have been recorded intact - in a complete configuration.

It was discussion and debate on the Vintage Mowers website that prompted me to do
more work on this enigmatic machine. What I found both confirmed and surprised.

TO BE CONTINUED ...