Not another golf scooter?! Come on, SG, how many things are we going to see here at Barn Finds?! Wait, this is only the second one? Yes, and it may be one of the last handful or so left on the globe. This has fly in and ride home written all over it, and you’ll be flying to Fairmont, Minnesota, which is where this 1960 Bobcat Golf Scooter is located. It’s posted here on craigslist for $7,500, and here is the original listing, just in case.
If you’re wondering why Fairmont, Minnesota sounds familiar, and if you’re a railroad fan, it’s where they made the Fairmont Speeder. We’ve seen at least two of them here on Barn Finds over the last nine years, here and here.
Bobcat Corporation out of Wheeling, Illinois – not that Bobcat, as in the iconic excavator company – made the Bobcat Golf Scooter, and they are incredibly rare to see today. The tiny switch above the engine is an off/on switch with off in the up position, and the thing in back of it is a choke/run lever, with the choke in the up (12:00) position and run being at the 3:00 position. I chatted with the seller, a super nice guy, and he sent me a pic of the serial number tag, and it reads Model 66. I planned on looking at it this week, but given the asking price, I can’t do it. I’d do something crazy and get in trouble, aaaaagain.
This example has clearly been repainted, but we don’t know anything else about it. The seller’s listing is literally, “Red antique collectable scooter. Extremely rare, one of 6 known to exist.” Did they come in red? Not a clue, does anyone know? There isn’t much information on them other than a couple of old ads floating around the internet, an article I wrote on another one on Christmas Eve of 2020 here on Barn Finds, and a couple of other articles. The brake is on the right side grip, and the straps in the middle are for making sure your golf bag stays put while you head off to try to find the $4 ball you just shanked into the weeds.
I’m so in for 1/3 this price or maybe even 2/3, but I can’t justify $7,500. It’s certainly worth that much given its rarity, and it’s only 2.5 hours from me. I couldn’t think of a better way to get 72 holes of golf in than riding around on one of these, straddling a golf bag for three hours. I don’t even play golf, but I want one of these, and they never come up for sale. They weigh 165 pounds, so they aren’t super light, but they aren’t super heavy either. An automatic center stand would go down once you got up to take your shot, so you didn’t have to fumble with a kick stand. Even Bob Hope himself had one, or he hawked them for Bobcat Corp back in 1959.
The engine would have originally been a 4 horsepower four-stroke single, backed by an automatic clutch. Both manual and electric start were available, and I see a pull start on the right side. They got “72 holes per gallon”, unless that was just a catchy advertising slogan. This one is shiny in resale red, and I wish I knew what it looked like before, as I’m sure it had some sort of decals or stripes on it. The seller sent me a little video of it running, and it does appear to run great. I wish I could justify $7,500 for this, there just aren’t many left.
This is really cool. And I loved the Bob Hope Advertisement too. I’ve never seen one of these. That must’ve been interesting riding around a golf course. This restoration looks top notch. I wonder if someone will buy it at that price?
And Craigslist comes thru again.
Never understood the allure of a golf cart. Are you going to exercise or not? For lazy old men.
…for many people it is not about doing it, but the APPEARANCE of doing it… and then dressing it up to make up for not actually doing it…
Golfing as excersize???…..I think not!!
It is if you walk 18 holes.
Glad it’s too far away. I could see myself drunk, in my boxers with powder sugar from my breakfast donuts in my chest hairs motioning the cop behind me to go around while on my way to the corner liquor store before they close at nine. Don’t judge me.
Ha, thank you for a good morning laugh!
Wheeeeee( ling),,,go ahead and laugh, while I never cared for golf, you have to admit, some crazy concoctions were made to get people out on the links. I don’t see this so much as a golf aid, but just mobility for those that can’t get around. I live in an apt. complex that caters to older, retired folks, and they move slower every year. Mobility for handicapped is huge, and people with disabilities are no longer confined to the “starin’ window”, they can get out.
This is pretty cool, cushy seat for hemorrhoids, and I bet does wicked wheelies, but to get to any place, one must share the road with Ram duallys, and such, and just not practical. The “training wheels” are a big plus, if included, and may have been needed by the 18th hole. Looks to be a Kohler motors, and a great alternative to an E-bike. At $7500, I think I’d rather have a Trans Am,,but in this apparent cost no object society we live in today, what a great find.
Fun write-up SG.
Is this an appropriate analogy: Model A Ford to a modern car, this to modern golf cart? They do the same job, but are very very different.
I still want to know where you put your clubs!
Click on the Bob Hope link to see the ad. It shows where the clubs go.
I was wondering the same thing.
If a guy swapped in a gsxr 1000 motor that would be exciting golf!
This little buggy only goes to prove it takes balls to play golf!
Great write-up, Scotty!
This thing looks like a lot of fun… just not $7500 worth of fun.
Assuming the price stays the same, I’m not sure we needed the original CL ad because I don’t think it’ll sell for that much but one never knows. The seller can only (Bob) Hope for that much.