Doing what I do for the past 33 years…I run across some “interesting” equipment. Past, present and futuristic.
Let me introduce you to The Wonderboy X-100, an experimental futuristic (very) lawn mower by Simplicity Mfg. in the late 1950’s that never made it into production. But how glorious…
The 1st pic was from the March 1958 cover of Mechanix Illustrated magazine. Here’s the full cover shot.
Yes, immediately made me think of that futuristic Saturday morning cartoon show we all used to watch growing up…The Jetsons.
Queue the all time ear worm theme song for the Jetsons…“Daughter Judy. Their boy Elroy.”
Sorry.
But seriously, how funky cool is The Wonderboy X-100, introduced (but not produced) by Simplicity Mfg. in 1957. Awesomesauce x 100. Here was the promotional verbiage with it from 65 years ago in 1957…“Experimental lawnmower of the future — the Wonder Boy X-100. It could mow, weed, feed, seed, spray, vacuum the lawn, and plow snow, all the while keeping its operator in air-conditioned comfort. It had running lights and an onboard radio-telephone”
A radio telephone? Those engineers at Simplicity Mfg. were fortune tellers 
But look closely at the 2nd picture of The Wonderboy X-100 and note the rear engine design concept. 1957 - Wow. Visually there’s the DNA of the modern zero turn radius lawn tractor.
I guess that’s the deal with new product development, sometimes the new product gets so far out ahead of its time it fails to launch initially. Can take the marketplace a while, or decades, to catch up to the idea, if ever.
But that bubble top. Man. So many things we could say here. Ahead of its time again with CUSTOMER COMFORT at the fore of design. I just hope the folks mowing in the the Wonderboy X-100 pics laid off the baked beans at dinner before hopping in to mow the yard.
Here’s pic of the Simplicity Wonderboy X-100 brochure…“The All Purpose, All Weather, Yard Appliance of the Future”
As I said…Awesomesauce x 100.
Pete
Machinery Pete