Post a photo, if you can't find the model number. That would give us a start. Plus try to get a better read on the number you have. I can't correlate it with anything.
I can't find any photos earlier than 1950. Where's the starter rope? Does this look like it had a recoil starter or is there a place for a manual-wrap rope on the top?
Hmm...Paul...it does look like the control panel for the 51-52, but where's the recoil stuff. It looks from the brochure photo like it was a one-piece upper housing and tank. I don't see that here.<br /><br />What really blows me away, was the 1950 Johnson brochure at <br /><br /> http://www.old-omc.de/e_1950/seite_12_13.jpg <br /><br />What the heck?!? They were still cranking those out in 1950?
I think Paul's got it. If you had the recoil on there, along with the lower cowling, you'd see it. I see now that the recoil was a separate unit that blended in nicely with the tank.<br /><br />Model 4443...an easy mistake to make on reading the tag.
I think Paul's right on, there. The recoil looks like it's part of the tank. With a lower housing on and some paint, you'd see it.<br /><br />4443, for sure.
Yeah, it's hard to belive they were pushing those old models. But it seems to me they were used on the racing circuits, so perhaps that's why they ran them so long.
That could be it. They also had to stop selling outboards during the war. Maybe they had a bunch of pre-war production parts on hand for those two models and were trying to unload them.<br /><br />1950 was still pretty much transitional from the pre-war days, I guess. Interesting.