Vintage Tootsietoy Marketing Prototypes- Mack Tractor with Tandem Trailer Combine

Here is a rare Tootsie Toy Marketing Prototype. This was one of many that were found at an estate sale in Chicago. The original owner sold and serviced the machine tools used by the Dowst Organization (owners of Tootsie Toy) and on the side produced prototypes based on concepts. Most all used then current production items with proposed parts being hand-built. In this case we have a Tootsietoy Mack LE Tractor with an extended chassis for two "drive axles". It pulls not one but two original Tootsie Toy box/van Trailers. In between the two trailers is a "dolly" trailer. All items are marked with an embossed TootsieToy logo so virtually stock. All the tires were rare first generation scale rubber tires which by the late 1950's were replaced with plastic versions.

The concept was to create a "playset" with private labeling to be offered by trucking companies to their good customers with young families. I suspect the cost got too high (16 sets of molded tire assemblies). The collection had a number of versions with a few even having sleeper cabs. These will all get restored over time. This unit is owned by a trucking company here in the midwest.