Perkins Outboards Model/Year Guide

1959	6HP Green castings, white top cover. Built by Oliver Corp USA and Perkins badged. Models designated “J” 16HP Bronze coloured castings with white top cover. Model KMS (Manual, short shaft) Models designated “K” (built by Oliver Corp and “Perkins” badged..) 35HP Gold coloured castings with white top cover. Models designated “B”. (Built by Oliver Corp and “Perkins” badged.)
1960	6HP Blue castings, white top cover. First motors built in Peterborough. Model designated “J” still. Serial Numbers start 1J00251 16HP Blue castings, white top cover. First motors built in Peterborough. Model “K” still. Serial numbers start 1K00251. 35HP Blue castings, white top cover. First motors built in Peterborough. Model “B” still. Serial numbers start 1B00251. All 1960 models had a plain top cover – just the glass fibre moulding
1961	All motors had the same colours as the 1960 range, but Model numbers were PJ2, PK2, PB3. New 40HP introduced, all white paint. Looks same as the 35HP. Electric start only. Model designation “N”. All 1961 models had an extra cast aluminium “handle” at the upper rear of the topCover, to assist in tilting the motor.
1962	4½ HP Light blue castings and white top cover. Model “A”. 6½HP White castings and light blue top cover. Looks identical to the 1961 6HP. Model “Q”. 18HP White castings and Light blue top cover. Looks identical to the 1961 16HP. Model “R”. 30HP White castings and blue top cover. Looks identical to the 1961 35HP, except that it had a 16HP carburettor and a belt driven magneto. Manual start version only. Model “T”. 40HP White castings and top cover, blue lower shroud and propeller. New style – single glass fibre top cover with “door” in the front to access carburettor. Electric start models only in short and long shaft versions. Model “N”.
1963/4	All models as 1962 in colour and appearance, but the 40HP had a blue top cover and white lower shroud to match the rest of the range. There were a few minor changes to magneto and carburettor linkages and timing settings with the 40HP model. The 30HP included an electric start version with the same styling as the 40HP, but it was all white in colour. The 1963 manual start 30HP was also offered in “Commercial” form with stronger bronze castings for the tiller arm. This feature was first produced as a 35 HP military motor for the Dutch Navy in 1961, wooden boxed with spare parts etc. There were about 100 built for this order.
Note: With each motor, the model letter is followed by the specific configuration, as detailed below: M = manual start E = electric start S = short shaft L = long shaft. Examples: NES = 1962/3 40HP electric start, short shaft. KML = 1960/61 16HP manual start, long shaft. All serial numbers commence at 00251, preceded by the model letter. Examples: 1J00251 = 1960 6HP (being 00251, this would be the first 6HP off the Production line in 1960. 3Q00251 = 1962/3 6½HP (first off the line again, being 00251).