When was this Sears Built?
 

Picked up this Sears 3-speed at the thrft store. I really wanted to have a bike to "work" on after building a work stand. Frame just has Sears and Made in Austria . No model name, numbers on the bottom bracket dont give any hints. Brakes are Weinmann Type 810. Kick stand says made in Germany.
Sears Hub Model 50321, Says 3-Speed made in Austria, 69..So I am guessing this is a late 60's early 70's
bike, was this frame made in Austria by somebody else or is it a Sears?
Anyway it came with new tires and tubes, everything works great, seat is lopsided so that will be the only change I might make. Seat has huge springs and what seems like a fake leather cover . Two big spings attached to 5-6 long springs. Grips and Bell look like recent additions. Is there a place to guy grips that suit this bike that are not plastic? I am thinking it needs a big old light.
I am usually Commuter thread, but with time as teacher this summer I have caught the biking bug, this abike will be used for short trips into town with whatever shoes I am wearing.
Can't upload a pic at the moment.

The common thought is that the Austrian built bikes that Sears sold were built by Daimmler. The holy grail of department store bikes is the rare Austrian built Sears 10 speed constructed with 531 steel... I took a chance on a poorly photographed Sears bike on eBay recently trying to find one, but struck out.

Some 3 speed hubs from thast era were reportedly direct copies of Sturmey Archer hubs, copied so precisely that parts could be interchanged, and I wouldn't be at all surprised if yours was one of these as well... If so, it is a pretty bullet proof design.

My Austrain built Iverson was also sold in Canada as a Sears brand.
I believe it was built in 73'

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b4...0/DSC01697.jpg