This is a 1953 Schwinn Debutante. It is a rather elegant old beast, wouldn't you say? I can assure you, it's impossible not to feel cute riding around on an elegant old cruiser like the one pictured above.
Sometimes, I think I'm the beneficiary of serendipity, especially when income tax refunds and cool shit from the 1950s coincide. This happened to me, too, when I bought my dinette set some six years ago. As it was, I flipped over this nifty old bike, rode my normal bike home, found my income tax refund check in the mailbox, and promised myself that if the Schwinn was still around on Tuesday (the next day ACME would be open) that it was coming home with me. I took some detail photos of it on Saturday, before I really thought about buying it. I was mainly taking these pictures as reference points, as I was considering trying to duplicate this style of paint scheme on another bike.
The tag says it's a '54, but checking the serial number revealed that it is a '53. Sarah had written up the tag relying on the seller's recollection of the approximate age of the bike. She was close!
How can you not love a bike called a Debutante? I couldn't help but swoon over its utter fabulosity.
According to a little internet poking about, this bike apparently once had a chromed “gas tank” and its headlight has gone missing, but other than that, it is very complete and in shockingly good shape considering its 54 years on this planet. Just a few little chips in the paint here and there and a minor ding in the rear fender
As it so happens, I have a spare daisy-bedecked handlebar basket hanging around my house, since haven taken it off the Burley in preparation to sell said machine. I am pretty certain where that basket will be residing henceforth.
