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The Westcoaster Mailster was a small three-wheeled vehicle used for mail delivery by the 
Often known as "mail scooters", Mailsters worked best in areas with warm climates and flat terrain. The two cylinder gasoline-powered vehicle had a safe top speed of 35 miles per hour and a 7.5 horsepower engine. A Mailster could be rendered useless in just three inches of snowfall. Mail carriers often complained of frequent breakdowns ranging from clutch failure to broken front axles. If a Mailster rounded a corner too quickly, it was also prone to tipping over.
At least seven different companies produced Mailsters, including Cushman.
The Mailster was eventually replaced by more reliable mail delivery vehicles, such as Jeeps.
Westcoaster Mailster at the Smithsonian
United States Post Office Department
The United States Post Office Department (USPOD; also known as the Post Office or U.S. Mail) was the predecessor of the United States Postal Service, in the form of a Cabinet department, officially from 1872 to 1971. It was headed by the postma ...
during the 1950s and 60s. They could haul 500 pounds of mail, including large parcels, versus the 35-pound limit of a foot carrier, and once represented one-third of the delivery vehicles used by the Post Office. Because of the population boom after World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
, the postal service needed a more efficient way to deliver mail
The mail or post is a system for physically transporting postcards, letters, and parcels. A postal service can be private or public, though many governments place restrictions on private systems. Since the mid-19th century, national postal sys ...
, so in 1950 the city of Miami
Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a coastal metropolis and the county seat of Miami-Dade County in South Florida, United States. With a population of 442,241 at ...
started to test three-wheeled scooters. The Westcoaster Mailster was inexpensive, and its popularity grew fast. By 1960, there were more than 5,700 Mailsters on the road
A road is a linear way for the conveyance of traffic that mostly has an improved surface for use by vehicles (motorized and non-motorized) and pedestrians. Unlike streets, the main function of roads is transportation.
There are many types of ...
of the whole country. The number of Mailsters in use peaked in 1966, at about 17,700.
Often known as "mail scooters", Mailsters worked best in areas with warm climates and flat terrain. The two cylinder gasoline-powered vehicle had a safe top speed of 35 miles per hour and a 7.5 horsepower engine. A Mailster could be rendered useless in just three inches of snowfall. Mail carriers often complained of frequent breakdowns ranging from clutch failure to broken front axles. If a Mailster rounded a corner too quickly, it was also prone to tipping over.
At least seven different companies produced Mailsters, including Cushman.
The Mailster was eventually replaced by more reliable mail delivery vehicles, such as Jeeps.
References
{{ReflistExternal links
Westcoaster Mailster at the Smithsonian
See also
*List of motorized trikes
List of motorized trikes is a list of motorized tricycles also called trikes, and sometimes considered cars. There are three typical configurations: motorized bicycle with sidecar; two wheels in the rear, one in the front (aka trike); and two in ...
Postal systems
Three-wheeled motor vehicles