Reply To: Help identifying and dating a 1920s rowboat motor

[Sam M.]

Looks like a real fun old motor to play with!  I have an idea for your demontrator markings.  With old Farmall farm tractors (1950s era I think), they painted a few tractors of different models white instead of the usual red.  These were classified as “demonstrator” models, intended to be transported by dealers (who owned them) to potental Farmall buyers’ farms for real working, on the feild, live demonstrations.  I’ll bet your demontrator-marked outboard was used to show how Evinrude motors worked so well to some sort of target audience.  Maybe a dealer or even the manufacturer themselves had this motor and marked it with ‘demonstrator’ so it wouldn’t accidentally be sold as a new motor.  Alternatively, it could have been marked so no one accidentally took a brand new motor to the show (or other event) instead of this one.

I think those markings make your motor particularily unique and historically valuable.  This could be the only one remaining with those ‘demonstrator’ stampings.  I agree with Tubs that your gas tank should NOT be refinished with a new decal.  The original one is in great shape and should be preserved!

Also, please don’t hesitate to ask questions.  AOMCIers will be happy to help😁