Powell Manufacturing Company

Lore & Background

The Powell brothers, Hayward and Channing, graduated from Manual Arts High School in Los Angeles in 1924 and soon started Winner Radio, which made expensive radios that sold poorly, then inexpensive radios that sold well. After Hayward's appendectomy in early 1926, the brothers took a five-month cross-country trip; upon returning they founded Powell Manufacturing Company to make battery eliminators and box-style table radios. By 1930 they were part of Los Angeles's reputation as the 'midget capital of the world,' producing cathedral-style table radios, and in 1931 they sold even smaller 'pee-wee' cathedral models. Before exiting radio in 1932, they made an innovative radio 9 inches square and 34 inches high, a possible forerunner of the chair-side style.

In the mid-1930s the company moved into scooter production. The Compton facility switched to war production in 1942. After World War II, Powell returned to scooters with the C-47, P-48, and P-49 step-through models. The Powell Streamliner, used by U.S. Airborne troops during the war, was copied and became the basis for the original Fuji Rabbit scooter in June 1946. In 1949 Powell entered the lightweight motorcycle market with the P-81 model, competing with the Mustang made in nearby Glendale. All four postwar models used the same in-house single-cylinder, four-stroke, 24-cubic-inch engine. Powell again switched to war production for the Korean War and never returned to scooters.

From September 1954 to March 1957, Powell manufactured the Sport Wagon pickup and Station Wagon, using modified 1941 Plymouth chassis recycled from junkyards. Motor Life magazine featured the Sport Wagon on its October 1955 cover, calling it 'an obvious choice as one of the most interesting and unique automobiles in the U.S.' Motor Trend co-founder Walt Woron concluded in February 1956 that the Powells had succeeded in providing a vehicle that 'can't be beat for general utility.' In the 1960s the company reorganized as Powell Brothers, Inc., moved to South Gate, California, and produced the Powell Challenger trail bikes. Hayward Powell died in March 1978; with Channing retired, the company dissolved in April 1979. Channing Powell died in 1988.

Reader's Guide

Powell Manufacturing Company's significance lies in its versatility across multiple transportation niches and its early influence on vehicle design. Starting as a radio maker in the 1920s, the company quickly adapted to market trends, becoming a key player in Los Angeles's 'midget' radio boom before shifting to scooters. The Powell Streamliner's use by U.S. Airborne troops and its direct influence on the Fuji Rabbit—predating the Vespa by six months—marks Powell as an unsung contributor to global scooter history. The company's postwar scooters and motorcycles, all powered by a proprietary engine, demonstrated engineering self-sufficiency.

Powell's most lasting legacy may be its Sport Wagon pickup and Station Wagon, built on recycled 1941 Plymouth chassis. These vehicles anticipated the car-based pickup and SUV concepts later popularized by the Ford Ranchero and Chevrolet El Camino. Contemporary automotive press recognized the design's uniqueness and utility. The company's ability to pivot from war production to consumer goods and back again, and its eventual dissolution after the founders' deaths, reflects the trajectory of many small American manufacturers. The Powell Challenger trail bikes of the 1960s and 1970s extended the brand's life in the off-road market. Today, Powell vehicles are collector items, with surviving examples appearing at car shows.

Did You Know?

• Powell's Streamliner scooter, used by U.S. Airborne troops in World War II, was copied to become the basis for the original Fuji Rabbit scooter in June 1946, six months before the first Vespa.
• The Powell Sport Wagon pickup and Station Wagon were built on modified 1941 Plymouth chassis recycled from junkyards.
• Powell produced only three motor homes in its history.
• The company's first venture, Winner Radio, made expensive radios that did not sell well before switching to inexpensive radios that did.