If These Shirts Could Talk: The Tantalizing Tales Behind Used Clothes
The mysterious packages kept arriving, some from eBay, others from the Home …
Jockeying for Position: How Boxers and Briefs Got Into Men's Pants
Just as underclothes are shielded from public view, the evolution of men's most intimate apparel is shrouded in secrecy. But the story of men's underwear is about more …
Gloriously Grotesque 19th-Century Pipes
The meerschaum pipes carved in Eastern Europe at the end of the 19th century are among the most bizarre and improbable concoctions in decorative art. Some feature …
In the Hot Seat: Is Your Antique Windsor a Fake?
While researching her book, "Killer Stuff and Tons of Money," Maureen Stanton came across all sorts of characters. For years, she shadowed her antiques-dealer friend …
Love at First Kite: How Pizza and Pente Led to One Oklahoman's High-Flying Obsession
Vintage kites from all over the world hang from the ceiling and walls of Richard Dermer’s popula…
Blood, Sweat, and Steel: My Afternoon with the Ace of Swords
“When I got this sword, it was completely covered in blood rust.” Sword maker Francis Boyd is showing me yet another weapon pulled from yet another …
'The Great Gatsby' Still Gets Flappers Wrong
Have you heard? There’s a new swell in town named Gatsby, and he’s bringing flapper flair back into fashion. Baz Luhrmann’s latest cinematic spectacle—his take on “Th…
Say Ahhh: An Oral Surgeon's Quest to Reimagine the Garage-Band Guitar
It’s not unusual for men of a certain age to have a soft spot in their hearts for the look of vintage guitars and the sound…
Forget TV Pickers, Meet the Real Mavericks of the Antiques World
Long before Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz swaggered into the spotlight with "American Pickers," writer Maureen Stanton …
Coveting The Craziest Cat-People Collectibles
The memes are endless—Grumpy Cat, Nyan Cat, Keyboard Cat, Maru, and all the Lolcats. Last year even witnessed the first ever Internet Cat Video Fe…
Green Clockwork Racer | Model Cars445 of 1431 |  |  |
Create a Show & TellReport as inappropriate
Posted 1 year ago
Flanker
(9 items)
I picked up this green racer on ebay today. What is it? : ) It appears to be a grand prix car from the 1940s or 50s. It has the clockwork parts, but I'm not sure yet if it functions. Driver seems to be missing. Thanks for your help!
Help us close this case. Add your knowledge below.
Create an account or login in order to post a comment.
Model CarsModel cars have been produced for almost as long as real automobiles. Built…
It's really easy to find wind-up keys to test your mechanism. They are universal, you can even get new ones with reproduction wind up robots, etc. so you don't have to hunt down originals. eBay is also a good source.
Thanks stefdesign, I do plan on picking up a reproduction key and trying it out. Any idea what kind of car this is? Thanks.
Are the tires rubber or plastic?
I haven't actually got the car yet, it's still in the mail. The tires look like bakelite wheels to me - but they could have been replacements.
I would love to know what the function of the mechanism is on the bottom. Nice find.
Might be a turning mechanism (lever lowers briefly, hits the driving surface and only allows one tire to move the vehicle resulting in a turn), although the flanges on the top and bottom make me think there was something else there to help facilitate whatever was going on. We'll have to wait and see!
I thought it might be an attempt to put the car up on 2 wheels, a trait shared by early Indy racers. The flanges suggest there may have been another small axle, but as you say, we'll have to wait and see.