Vintage Military Motorcycle on Road Again as Exhibit

The Hawk Pony Cycle is hitting the road again — this time as part of the U.S. Veterans Museum's traveling exhibits.

Originally manufactured in Clarkston, Michigan, by the Hawke family, the Army version of the Pony Cycle will soon be making stops around the state. The first stop is an auto show at the Von Braun Center's South Hall on August 15, followed by a September 19 appearance at a Trail of Tears stop at Redstone Harley-Davidson.

A Family Legacy Rooted in Military Service

"It's an honor and a privilege to be related to something that has a generations-long history of providing to the military," said Thomas Hawke, great-grandson of Hawk Tool & Engineering founder Allen Hawke. "My great-grandfather was friends with Henry Ford; they were engineers together."

The Hawke family drew on their own military history to bring the Pony Cycle to life. Hawk Tool & Engineering held contracts with the Navy, Air Force, and Army. Thomas's uncle, Jay (Blaine) Hawke, was a bomber pilot who flew in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. Thomas himself served as a Marine, retiring as a chief warrant officer 3.

From Flight Line to Mail Route

The Pony Cycle was originally introduced in the early 1950s in the Air Force as a way to transport parts to and from planes. The standard color for military Pony Cycles was Air Force blue — "My great-grandfather didn't like to buy extra materials," Hawke explained.

After its military service, the cycle went on to be manufactured for public purchase in the late 1950s through Montgomery Ward's catalog. Three of the seven styles Hawk produced were made available before the cycle was discontinued.

When Hawk Tool & Engineering sought a loan to expand the plant, the bank turned them down — but they won the U.S. Postal Service contract to deliver Pony Cycles for mail carrying.

Preserving the Legacy

Thomas's uncle, Terry Clancy Hawke, has spent a lifetime collecting and restoring Pony Cycles found all over the country. Now 80 years old, he's passing the torch — calling Thomas and his family "Pony Cycle South," with four cycles in different stages of restoration.

"They just don't make them like this anymore," Hawke said. "It's a lot of fun."

Read the full article by The Redstone Rocket here: Vintage military motorcycle on road again as exhibit