The Grumman-Olson Kurbmaster was one of the aluminium walk-in step vans made by Olson and Grumman Olson, built from the 1950s until 1990. It sat in a range of Kurb models that also included the Kurb Side, the Kurb Van and the Kurb Van King, and it outlived most of them.
Grumman-Olson Kurbmaster at a glance
| Maker | Olson / Grumman Olson |
|---|---|
| Production | from the 1950s to 1990 |
| Type | aluminium walk-in step van |
| Body | all-aluminium |
| Smaller stablemate | Junior Kurbmaster |
| Other Kurb models | Kurb Side, Kurb Van, Kurb Van King |
| Company base | Long Island, New York; Sturgis, Michigan from 1963 |
| Owner from 2003 | JB Poindexter (JBPCO) |
| Company renamed | Morgan Olson, 2004 |
There is no Wikipedia article on the Kurbmaster; the model is listed among the products of Morgan Olson in the English Wikipedia article on the company, which is the only source here. Based on one source.
History of the Grumman-Olson Kurbmaster
An aluminium van from Brooklyn
The idea for the first all-aluminium walk-in step van came from Walter Heingartner, owner of Kinney Motors Chevrolet in Brooklyn. He was a friend of Jimmy Olson, then Commissioner of the New York State Liquor Authority, who had no truck experience but knew of ten independent laundry companies in Brooklyn alone and saw a market for a light delivery van. Olson also knew Jake Swirbul, one of Grumman’s founders, and Grumman Aircraft Engineering was scheduled to produce the vehicle from 1939. The plan was shelved when the Second World War broke out. After the war Olson and three partners formed the J.B.E. Olson Corporation on Coney Island Avenue in Brooklyn.
Kurb Side, Kurb Van and Kurbmaster
The company’s vans were sold under a run of Kurb names: the Kurb Side, the Kurb Van, the Kurb Van King and, from the 1950s, the Kurbmaster. A smaller Junior Kurbmaster joined the range as well. The Kurbmaster remained in production until 1990, by which time the company had long outgrown its Brooklyn beginnings: it bought the Sturgis, Michigan plant that became its headquarters in 1963, and it was trading as Grumman Olson after decades of ownership by Northrop Grumman.
The end of the Grumman Olson name
In 1984 Grumman Olson won the largest contract in its history, a United States Postal Service order worth over one billion dollars; some 163,000 Grumman LLVs were still in operation as late as early 2016. After changes of ownership in the 1990s the market declined and the company went bankrupt in 2001. It was bought in 2003 by JB Poindexter, Inc., the parent of Morgan Corp., and was renamed Morgan Olson in 2004.
Design and features
- All-aluminium body: the van was built from aluminium rather than steel, the idea that started the whole company.
- Walk-in layout: a step van the driver could enter and walk through, made for multi-stop delivery work.
- Long production: the Kurbmaster stayed in the catalogue from the 1950s until 1990.
- A family of Kurb models: the Kurb Side, Kurb Van, Kurb Van King and Junior Kurbmaster shared the range with it.
Grumman-Olson Kurbmaster versions
- Kurb Side: one of the earliest Kurb vans in the range.
- Kurb Van: the standard walk-in van of the family.
- Kurb Van King: a larger Kurb Van.
- Kurbmaster (1950s–1990): the long-running model.
- Junior Kurbmaster: a smaller version of the Kurbmaster.
The Kurbmaster shared its aluminium body with the later Grumman P-800 and with the other Grumman-Olson vans. More vehicles are in the Grumman-Olson collection.
Sources
- Morgan Olson, English Wikipedia: company history, products list, renaming
