At one point in the golf cart market, Cushman was the most dominating and successful manufacturer.
Their carts were noted for their design excellence and high-quality manufacturing.
However, they ceased manufacture of golf carts in 1975 and were eventually bought out in 1989.
As a result, their golf carts are something of collectors items if you find one on the market.
And if you do find one, you need to know how to check their age.
Being able to age your golf cart will make it easier for you to know what kind of deal you are getting and whether or not you’re getting ripped off or getting a cart more than worth your cash.
So please read on to get a better idea of how to figure out the age of your golf cart as quickly as possible.
What Year is My Cushman Golf Cart?
Finding the Serial Number Tag on Your Cart
Like other golf carts, Cushman models have a tag or a small plaque on their body that helps to gauge their age.
This tag includes what are known as MODEL and SERIAL numbers.
The model number indicates when the cart was made and makes it easier to track individual models throughout the years.
In most cases, you’re going to find this number underneath of the driver side on the shift lever console.
You should see the plate riveted directly to the console and it should be made of a fairly light metal.
On most plates, the number should be labeled as the model number but some may not indicate it as such.
If you cannot find the plate here, then you may need to look elsewhere underneath of your seat.
That’s because some models position this plate elsewhere due to changes in their wiring diagrams.
For example, it may not be on the left side of the cart but on the right side instead.
You may also find it on another type of console, depending on the cart.
Typically, though, it should be in the same spot on most carts.
Thankfully, Cushman put this plate somewhere not too confusing, and most exist somewhere under the seat and usually near the shift lever console, minimizing confusion and other issues.
When you identify the plaque, look at the number and try to identify a few different traits.
First of all, it should start with an “8” and is usually six numbers long.
Though there are instances in which this number may not start with an “8” – which will be discussed – there should be very few model numbers on Cushman carts that don’t start with it.
It is, in essence, a filler number common to the Cushman cart model design.
There are a few differences that will be noted over the years because some early golf carts did not possess a model number or have a number that hasn’t been discovered.
These include the 1954-1956 Golfster-24V models from series 732-7 (1954), 732-12 (1955), 732-19 (1956), and 733-21 (1956).
If you cannot find a model number on your cart, it comes from one of these years.
Instead, look to your serial number plaque and look for the series number listed above to identify your golf cart.
A Chart of All the Different Model Numbers
Aging Cushman golf carts is somewhat frustrating because there is no obvious “system” that can be used to gauge when their carts were produced.
By this, we mean that their model and serial numbers don’t tell you the age of the cart by including the year of production or any detail like that.
As a result, it is impossible to describe your golf cart aging system without listing every cart number we could find.
As a result, you’re going to have to sort through this long list to get an idea of when your cart was manufactured.
But never fear!
Hit CTRL-F to open your find window and enter the model number.
Your computer will automatically find that number and take you directly to it.
We know that this is an imperfect fix but it should help you find the cart that you want with relative ease and without much difficulty.
In our chart, we will include the model number, the series that it represents, the year the cart was manufactured, and the cart itself.
In this way, you should have all of the information that you need to figure out your cart age with ease.
In the following sections, we are going to discuss the different models that Cushman produced over the years.
These details can also help you get a better idea of what kind of cart you own and what year it was produced and manufactured:
Model Series Year Cart
876081 732-34 1957 Golfster – 24V
876083 733-36 1957-59 Golfster – 24V
876084 732-41 1957 Golfster – 36V
Unknown 732-42 1957 Golfster – 24V
876107 732-73 1958 Golfster – 24V
876108 732-74 1958 Golfster – 36V
876139 732-105 1959 Golfster – 24V
876140 732-106 1959 Golfster – 36V
878420 732 1960-61 Golfster – 24V
878421 732 1960-61 Golfster – 24V
878422 732 1960 Golfster – 36V
878423 733 1960 Golfster – 24V
878912 732 1961 Golfster – 36V
878915 735 1961-63 Golfster – 18HP
878933 732 1961 Golfster – 36V
878934 732 1961-62 Golfster – 36V
878935 732 1961-62 Golfster – 36V
878988 732 1961 Golfster – 36V
879525 732 1961 Golfster – 24V
879526 732 1961 Golfster – 24V
879527 732 1961 Golfster – 24V
879528 732 1961 Golfster – 24V
879703 732 1962 Golfster – 36V
879704 732 1962 Golfster – 36V
879716 732 1962 Golfster – 36V
879717 735 1962 Golfster – 18HP
880000 735 1963-64 Golfster – 18HP
880014 732 1963 Golfster – 36V Champion
880015 732 1963 Golfster – 36V Champion
880016 732 1963 Golfster – 36V Champion
880017 735 1963-64 Golfster – 18HP
880019 732 1963 Golfster – 36V Deluxe
880020 732 1963 Golfster – 36V Deluxe
880021 732 1963 Golfster – 36V Deluxe
880022 735 1963-64 Golfster – 18HP
880309 732 1964 Golfster – 36V Champion
880310 732 1964 Golfster – 36V Champion
880312 732 1964 Golfster – 36V Deluxe
880313 732 1964-65 Golfster – 36V Deluxe
880314 732 1964 Golfster – 36V Deluxe
880702 732 1965 Golfster – 36V Champion
880703 732 1965 Golfster – 8HP Champion
880705 732 1965 Golfster – 36V Deluxe
880706 732 1965 Golfster – 36V Trophy
880721 732 1965-66 Golfster – 10HP Trophy
880726 736 1965-67 Golfster – 5HP Sears
880726 736 1968 Golfster – 6HP Sears
880727 732 1965 Golfster – 36V Sears
880729 732 1965 Golfster – 36V Sears
881003 732 1966 Golfster – 36V Champion
881004 732 1966 Golfster – 36V Deluxe
881005 732 1966 Golfster – 36V Deluxe
881006 732 1966 Golfster – 36V Trophy
881008 732 1966 Golfster – 8HP Champion
881009 736 1966-68 Golfster – 8HP Scotsman
881015 732 1966 Golfster – 36V Sears
881020 732 1966 Golfster – 8HP Deluxe
881406 732 1967 Golfster – 36V Champion
881407 732 1967 Golfster – 36V Deluxe
881408 732 1967 Golfster – 36V Deluxe
881409 732 1967 Golfster – 36V Trophy
881410 732 1967 Golfster – 10HP Trophy
881412 732 1967 Golfster – 8HP Deluxe
881420 732 1967 Golfster – 36V Sears
881600 732 1968 Golfster – 36V GC-400
881601 732 1968 Golfster – 10HP GC-400
881602 732 1968 Golfster – 36V GC-300
881603 732 1968 Golfster – 8HP GC-300
881604 732 1968 Golfster – 36V Champion
881614 732 1968 Golfster – 36V Sears
881850 1969 Golfster – 36V GC-400
881851 1969 Golfster – 10HP GC-400
881852 1969 Golfster – 36V GC-300
881853 1969 Golfster – 8HP GC-300
881854 1969 Golfster – 36V Champion
Remember how we said earlier that there was no “system” for tracking Cushman golf cart years through the model number?
That isn’t 100 percent accurate after 1970 – in this year, the manufacturer added another four-digit number to the model number.
The first two digits of this number always denote the year of the cart while the next to are always “10” – filler numbers, in essence.
As a result, we had to break up our chart into two at this point to give you an idea of the differences in these golf model numbers.
Unfortunately, the number lets you know how old the cart is without giving you any more details, such as what kind of cart it is or any other detail.
As a result, we have to continue with our chart listing, as defined above, for previous Cushman golf cart models.
Note: the series numbers for Cushman carts after 1969 is more complex, so we have left them off future charts and will describe these models in a later section.
We’re keeping that listing on the chart here for consistency with the last chart:
Model Series Year Cart
898100-7010 1970 Golfster – 36V GC-400
898101-7010 1970 Golfster – 10HP GC-400
898102-7010 1970 Golfster – 36V GC-300
898103-7010 1970 Golfster – 8HP GC-300
898104-7010 1970 Golfster – 36V Champion
898105-7010 1970 Golfster – 5HP Scotsman
898106-7010 1970 Golfster – 36V Trophy 4-Wheel
898100-7110 1971 Golfster – 36V GC-400
898101-7110 1971 Golfster – 10HP GC-400
898102-7110 1971 Golfster – 36V GC-300
898103-7110 1971 Golfster – 10HP GC-300
898106-7110 1971 Golfster – 36V Trophy 4-Wheel
898200-7110 1971 Town and Fairway – 36V
898201-7110 1971 Town and Fairway – 10HP
898100-7210 1972 Golfster – 36V GC-400
898101-7210 1972 Golfster – 10HP GC-400
898102-7210 1972 Golfster – 36V GC-300
898103-7210 1972 Golfster – 10HP GC-300
898106-7210 1972 Golfster – 36V Trophy 400
898108-7210 1972 Golfster – 36V Trophy 300
898200-7210 1972 Town and Fairway – 36V
898201-7210 1972 Town and Fairway – 10HP
898100-7310 1973 Golfster – 36V GC-400
898101-7310 1973 Golfster – 10HP GC-400
898102-7310 1973 Golfster – 36V GC-300
898106-7310 1973 Golfster – 36V Trophy 400
898108-7310 1973 Golfster – 36V Trophy 300
898150-7310 Repurposed 1973 Golfster – 36V GC-400
898151-7310 Repurposed 1973 Golfster – 10HP GC-400
898152-7310 Repurposed 1973 Golfster – 36V GC-300
898153-7310 Repurposed 1973 Golfster – 10HP GC-300
898200-7310 1973 Town and Fairway – 36V
898201-7310 1973 Town and Fairway – 10HP
898106-7410 1974 Golfster – 36V Trophy 400
898108-7410 1974 Golfster – 36V Trophy 300
898110-7410 1974 Golfster – 36V GC-400
898111-7410 1974 Golfster – 12HP GC-400
898112-7410 1974 Golfster – 36V GC-300
898113-7410 1974 Golfster – 12HP GC-300
898150-7410 Repurposed 1974 Golfster – 36V GC-400
898152-7410 Repurposed 1974 Golfster – 36V GC-300
898153-7410 Repurposed 1974 Golfster – 10HP GC-300
898200-7410 1974 Town and Fairway – 36V
898201-7410 1974 Town and Fairway – 12HP
898106-7510 1975 Golfster – 36V Trophy 400
898110-7510 1975 Golfster – 36V GC-400
898111-7510 1975 Golfster – 12HP GC-400
898112-7510 1975 Golfster – 36V GC-300
898113-7510 1975 Golfster – 12HP GC-300
898200-7510 1975 Town and Fairway – 36V
898201-7510 1975 Town and Fairway – 12HP
At this point, you should be able to identify your cart year quite easily and already have a good idea of when it was manufactured.
However, we are going to include some discussion on models produced by Cushman over the years to give you a better idea of their overall look and design.
As one of the early innovators in golf cart history, Cushman created a lot of intriguing carts that were very popular over the years.
It is sad that these carts are no longer manufactured, but the history here can ensure that they remain immortal.
The Early Years – The Golf Buggy
When Cushman – who was already producing many other types of personal vehicles at the time – started manufacturing golf carts in 1949, they were one of the earliest manufacturers to focus on this unique transportation option.
Though they weren’t the first, they were one of the most popular at the time because of their unique focus on quality design and intriguing and innovative concepts.
Their first five years of manufacture focused on what was known as the “Golf Buggy,” a cart that we didn’t include above because it does not have model numbers and because it is so rare.
Cushman was just starting to get into the market at this point and they didn’t produce a large number of these vehicles.
As a result, they are quite rare and tricky to identify if you do find one.
The engine of this golf cart was known as a Model 60, which was a scooter engine that Cushman used for other types of vehicles throughout the years.
It was a 24-volt engine that was used for years in just about every Cushman cart until 1958.
If you can identify this engine properly, you can identify that your cart was likely produced in the very early years by Cushman and its factories.
Also: this was a three-wheel cart.
The 732 Series Years
As you probably noticed above in our detailed chart, the 732 series was a very long-lasting option for Cushman carts.
It started in 1954 and lasted until 1961. Just prior to these years, Cushman began assigning series numbers to their carts, with the 1953 Truckster.
However, they changed the series number immediately to 732 with a cart known as the Golfster – the most likely Cushman cart to find on the used market today.
Up through 1958, the Golfster used a 24V engine, which made it one of the more powerful golf carts of its type on the market.
And it still had three wheels, as most early golf carts had this number of wheels.
And while Cushman was getting some early success with these carts, they hadn’t quite expanded their number of models produced yet, which they could do in the 60s and especially the 70s.
In 1958, the Golfster switched to a more powerful 36V engine, making it one of the first carts to do so on the market.
This extra power made the Golfster a very popular cart for those who wanted as much power as possible for their golf cart.
And as Cushman’s success expanded, they eventually turned to producing an expanded and more powerful version of the Golfster in later years.
The 735 Series Years
The 732 series was discontinued after the 1960 model run and was replaced by the 735 series.
This series of the Golfster was also known as the “Husky Engine” models.
That’s because they utilized a new engine designed by Cushman starting n 1961.
This engine was built using the die-cast aluminum they started producing that year after shutting down a factory and converting it to casting.
This new engine was an 18 horsepower model – the first of its kind – and went into the 735 series golf carts.
These models were known as the “Shark Nose” series and were the most powerful golf carts of their kind for a long time.
In many ways, they became the golf cart that other manufacturers attempted to emulate, which helped to push Cushman into even more high realms of success as a company.
As a result, Cushman was able to expand its available models even further to produce more advanced and successful cart models.
These varied depending on many factors and include some of the models listed below.
This diversification was both a good and a bad thing – good because it served a broader market but bad because Cushman was forced to shift more of its manufacturing to these carts, which may have led to them shutting down their cart production so early.
The 736 Model Years
During the same years that they were producing the 735 – and beyond – Cushman was producing the 736 model.
Starting in 1964 specifically, they produced the model 881009 for years or until 1968. It came with an 8 horsepower Kohler engine, making it a little less powerful than the 735.
However, it was priced more as a budget cart, which made it easier for more buyers to easily afford without difficulty.
This cart was known as the “Scotsman” and was a change-up from the Golfster.
By this point, Cushman was producing both three- and four-wheel carts, including the Scotsman models.
And starting in 1969, they started producing a 5 horsepower model that had a four-cycle Briggs and Stratton engine.
Though not as powerful as past models, it was more efficient and provided inexpensive purchasing options.
Interestingly, Sears started offering rebranded 736 Cushman models in their stores starting n 1965 and ending in 1967.
These models were identical to the 5 horsepower 736 models beyond now being branded as a Sears cart.
However, Sears upgraded the engine to 6 horsepower in 1968 and stopped selling them the next year.
And 1970 was the last year of the Scotsman, a popular cart model that had gone as far as Cushman could take it.
The Gran Cushman Years
In 1968, Cushman also debuted the Gran Cushman GC-400, the last model that they would produce before they stopped cart production in 1975.
By now, Cushman had expanded their cart manufacturing to include many different types of models and the Gran Cushman was another first – their first steel-body four-wheeled golf cart.
They also produced a three-wheel model (GC-300) as well.
Buyers could get these carts in either gas or electric models, which helped to diversify their options.
Engine options included 10 horsepower and 8 horsepower models, though there was also briefly a 12 horsepower model in 1974.
Some models even included four seats and 200-300 included a folding back seat that made it easier to store golf bags while on the course.
This deluxe model eventually became a four-wheel cart only after 1972 and was discontinued when Cushman pulled out of the golf cart market.
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