Most popular AATV of all time?

[Toyman]

I've never witnessed any production numbers for AATVs.
I'd be interesting to know who made the most of their product lineup?
What year was the peak of production?
I'm certain the seventies must have been the best years for these companies with all the different manufactures that were thriving.
I'm also curious why the Attex did not survive when others did?

[LarryW]

I'm also curious why the Attex did not survive when others did?

I don't know for sure but I do know that they lost the rights to use the T20 trans. Then they made a another called GT1 and also a GT2 which was prone to breaking I hear. Seems after that they died off. They did go through a lot of different owners too. I don't know the exact cause. Or really how accurate that info is. Its stuff I read online.

[Toyman]

T-20

I don't know for sure but I do know that they lost the rights to use the T20 trans. Then they made a another called GT1 and also a GT2 which was prone to breaking I hear. Seems after that they died off. They did go through a lot of different owners too. I don't know the exact cause. Or really how accurate that info is. Its stuff I read online.

So if a person was to purchase an Attex I'll assume you'd want to make sure it had the T-20.

[George]

My understanding of Attex's demise is that RI bought either the patent or the right to be sole producer of the Borg/Warner T-20 transmission. In doing so, they were able to control the price their competitors would pay to use the T-20 and as a result, the price the competition could charge the public for their machines. Attex tried using an alternative (JerseyBigfoot has one of these machines) but the alternative was not as good as the T-20. This clever move by RI put Attex and Hustler out of business.

Member Amphiman1 swears by the transmission in the Amphicat but I guess it was not available or acceptable by either company at the time.

I only have experience with the T-20 and limited experience with the Argo transmission. Both have been around forever so I guess they were/are the best.

[George]

So if a person was to purchase an Attex I'll assume you'd want to make sure it had the T-20.

I've only seen one non-T20 Attex and only in a photo. It might be worth more as a collector's item than as a AATV.

[LarryW]

So if a person was to purchase an Attex I'll assume you'd want to make sure it had the T-20.

Attex also used ATV Manufacturing transmission, aka baker hill. They ran them the first few years of Attex. I have had great luck running them around without breaking much.

There was 3 baker hill models,
7000 series,(forward and reverse)
6000 series (straight shaft forward only).
5000 series, (forward and reverse) which is a weaker design with a smaller main shaft.

[George]

Ooops, I stand corrected. I have seen many 1st generation machines with the transmissions Larry listed. I meant I've only seen one Attex with a GT1/GT2.

[bcsteve]

Maybe it's only a Canadian thing but as far as the most popular AATV, it's got to be the Argo. Up here anyway, any kind of AATV is referred to as an Argo.

[Don]

I remember reading an article years ago that listed some of the sales numbers of the 60s and 70s. The numbers in sales for Attex were amazing in the first half of the 1970s- something like 60% of total sales for North America for a few years running. That would explain all the early 70s STs, Colts, Wild Wolves, and Chiefs that you can find in back yards and barns.

It's been a lot of years since Attex produced, so it's a safe bet Argo or Max has overtaken them in total numbers sold.

When Borg/Warner sold the rights to the T20, it's my understanding that Recreatives and Hustler bought them together in an agreement. I can't understand why a quality machine like Hustler would go out of production if they had access to transmissions, but that's what the way I got the story.