OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Collectors Corner Collectables BROCHURE - Victa 18 Special & Standard - c1958

Hi Jack and again thanks for the reply, without people like you, the history, in it's fullest form at least, would surely be lost....and i reckon, that you can never really appreciate what we have now without knowing where it;s come from......for instance, mowers have become sooo mainstream that they are now as disposable as shavers......get a coupla uses out of them then throw them away, compare that to the 'special' which was built for life, and we can see how things have changed,

A bout the 'standard' , i had a closer look at the ads you posted, and in the dealer one the standard is listed also, so presumably you could have asked for a demo of one as well?

I've posted some pic's of another piece of advertising i have which i think would be from the same period, and it does have a dealer stamp, and i presume would be a lot more common, what do you think?

Hey Squizzy,

Some more nice ephemera.

The first brochure pre dates your flyer.

The first image represents the Model 5 S1 Special.

Note the artwork discrepancies that were common in Victa advertising.
The Special base has been drawn without the groove cover and appears the same as the smooth metal base on the Standard, with the addition of the height adjust and axle mounts. It also has a 2a pulley. No Special ever used this pulley.

The Second image is of the first true Standard or Utility, the Model 3 which was released in 57 after the 2a's end and the demise of the Automatic. It shows the Std pulley in the artwork, so this is the Second earliest Advertising image for the Model 3( the first being displayed with the Model 2a pulley)which is correct for the very first Model 3's

The Artwork suggests that the Models are Special 58 and Standard 57-58.

Note also the use of the Phrase,"Well over 100,000 mowers. This is the period in which the standard (first) then the Special were on sale. Standard 130,000- Special 150,000 approx.

There is also no reference to the Auto, which isn't unusual as it was often advertised alone or highlighted, but helps also to date the document, since the Auto had finished.

Any model Victa of this Period could be demonstrated for customers.

It shows the earlist artwork for the First Special, and This Brochure Would date at 58 only, as the artwork for the Special changed for the Model 5 S2, and is highlighted in the image on your flyer for 59. (an obvious clue I should have noted when I previously dated your flyer)

I have this Brochure in my collection also, but I wouldn't say its common at all

You have a great collection, keep them safe:)

Hi Blue, yes i thought you might of had this one....it would be the latest you'd keep i guess, , the pic of the mower shows the auto badge and extended axle mounts, so must be one of the converted auto's ? it's interesting that their still talking about jungles and fine lawns in this one.
It would also be interesting to know who was Victa's illustrator at this time, as you say , the images arn't quite right.
As for the collection, i've been a bower bird for a loooong time, wink wink cheers pete

Yes, you noticed! Well spotted. We noticed the badge years back....The metal Auto badge with the same border with an angled Special. We can only assume it was a prototype and submitted to the artist before the Special was actually released with its current badge. The axle mounts carried on into the First special, model 5 S1 ,But yes, The image would have been altered artwork from a Model 4 Auto....You dont miss much, Mr Bower! Lols

Yess....I love bower birds! They have the coolest stuff...winks*

Hello Squizzy and Blue,

I can't help but think that the special was rushed into an early release, because of the
Victa Automatic debacle. This may explain the discrepancies in the illustrations. These
were extra-ordinary times in Victa's early history.

The slogan is really, "which Victa is for you"? The sub-slogan is, I guess, "No lawn too fine,
No growth too tough". It's really downplayed isn't it?



I wish I knew more about S.G. Winkler of 147 Mercer Street, Geelong.
I do know his full name: Stanley George Winkler, motor engineer.

The rest is history.
-------------------------------
JACK.

Same guy that's in the brochure, must have been Victa's pin up man / model of the time........so, do you think the 'special' would have been if the automatic had been successful ??

Absolutely! The Automatic was never meant to be a stand alone model.

Facts show they had plans for at least 100,000 approx mowers, as the Model 4 base was still being used well up towards the end of the model 5 series 1s end and beyond.
What is unclear is if the model 4 base was actually intended to be used as non Automatic.

It is my opinion it was NOT, and fate was the only reason the model 4 was ever sold in Non Predicta form.

The special was already in design before the Automatic was released.
It was however intended to run much longer than it actually did.
And as your aware it was cut short due to many failures, leaving a substantial amount of spares.
The Predicta System was abandoned,and some parts were modified to suit a Standard Mower.

This was the only way Victa could supply a Higher range mower other than the basic model 3 STD until the special was Finally released.
This could have been disastrous having no modern optioned mower in its range, other than a STD. It would have affected Victas sales and potentially put them behind the other manufacturers.
But with the main design being the same, a few simple mods and the deletion of the Predicta system, the Model 4 would now become Victas flagship, until the Release of the Special.

The deletion of the 2 Skirt holes on the Special shows clearly it was a seperate model.

If the Automatic had continued, Victa would have had 3 Models in its range...The Automatic, Special and Standard running side by side for an undetermined time.

Also in the Period between the Autos demise and the Specials beginning, parts other than bases were used on these transitional model 4s. You will note badges,cigar fuel taps, ammended plugged twin port carby caps(factory fix) and side skirt bolts.

These parts were used to deplete remaining stocks and keep a "whole mower.
The Specials CC fuel tap had only just been released and was earmarked for Special, but was actually used on some model 3 and 4s prior to Specials release, more likely due to a run out of the earlier cigar taps.

Also a common misconception is that the Automatic went longer than the last recorded versions, due to these parts being used.
This is incorrect...Seemingly later versions of automatics existed only through the trickery of an Automatic badge or side skirt bolts that remained/were fitted to plain model 4s.
Since the side skirts had no relation to the operation of the Predicta system and the steel toe ring was not yet made to suit the 4s Alloy chassis, they were still sold as an option on the Model 4.
This is why you see skirt bolts on non Autos. The reason you dont see many skirts, is simply because they had strength issues and failed just as quickly as the Predicta system.

There is also evidence of Model 4 non autos fitted with the Special badge. This was to very early models and was likely dropped and kept exclusively for the Original Specials.

Also the model 4 Chassis ran alongside the Model 5 S1 Special well into the 300,000 serial and beyond, clearly showing how many bases were made in optimism of The Automatics success.....

To be cont.....

Thanks Blue, i've just been browsing the model 4 page and didn't realize so much had been written about it on this forum, some amazing research , while i knew the auto didn't last as a model, i've never understood what happened because of it. nice to be able to find out, so glad i found this forum......:)

All fixed and ammended now lols. It will be clearer.

Yes there is alot of info in the Auto thread Squizzy.

We were a little shaky at first, but much info was gathered. A lot of good debate, examples shown,errors fixed and myths dispelled along the way.

But on completion it paints a fairly accurate picture, with even more to go.

So as a complete read, it is quite an informative thread thus far.

Cheers.