9. Cushman Airborne Motor Scooter
Source: BAIV B.V.
Early on, Cushman scooters were adopted for use by messengers and employees at large US military installations. They were so used for that, that Cushman made a completely new model in 1944 specifically for airborne troops. Similar to the Excelsior Welbike, the Cushman could be dropped via parachute into hot zones, assembled and used by soldiers to get out of dodge quickly. It certainly made paratroopers more mobile despite limited fixtures. For instance, there were no headlights. However, it was definitely more effective than the wheel bike which was later abandoned because it wasn’t suitable for Tulsa military personnel and horrible over varied terrain conditions. Yet, it did find revived use post-war as a civilian vehicle.