Clockwork tinplate toy cars were about as close as boys and girls could get to the real thing in the early 20th century, they contain a coil spring that winds up when the car is reversed – and then rapidly unwinds once it’s released. The same basic mechanism is still used on countless toy cars nowadays of course, but it’s hard to say if any of the modern toys will survive anywhere near as long as these two have.
The red toy is a model of the 1000hp Sunbeam landspeed racer from 1927 and the gold toy is a model of the Golden Arrow from 1929 – both hugely famous cars both then and now. Bonhams will be selling them both as a single lot on the 13th of May with an estimated value of €1,200 and €1,500, if you’d like to read more or register to bid you can click here.
Those of us who remember the ’80s will recall a few cultural icons – things like keyboard guitars, huge hair, ill-advised neon clothing, and men wearing fingerless gloves for no clear reason. At the other end of the spectrum was the likes of Miami Vice and the Ferrari Testarossa. The popularity of Miami Vice can…
The Plymouth Hemi Cuda is now recognised as one of the most collectible of the original generation of muscle cars, it was first offered in 1970, but due to its significant cost increase over the other Cudas it sold in relatively limited numbers. Plymouth charged a $871 premium for the Hemi 426 V8 option –…
The Intermeccanica Italia Spyder is an Italian/Canadian/American sports car with a fascinating albeit complex history. Just 400 or so were built between 1966 and 1972, and surviving examples have been skyrocketing in price due to their rarity, good looks, and inexpensive maintenance costs (thanks to their American drivetrains). The Story of Intermeccanica Intermeccanica was founded by…
The Jaguar XK140 was released in 1954 as the successor to the mighty XK120, it wasn’t meant as a blank slate redesign but more of a series of tweaks to further improve the already very popular sports car. The XK120 got its name from its engine and its claimed top speed. The engine was the…
A Brief History of the Lincoln-Zephyr V12 The Lincoln-Zephyr V12 made its first appearance in 1936, its impressive V12 engine was a stark contrast to its competitors – namely the LaSalle with its V8 and the Packard One-Twenty with its straight-8. The Lincoln Motor Company is a division of Ford, established to give Ford a presence…
The ICON Derelict series of cars are built by Jonathan Ward and his team in Los Angeles, California. Each Derelict has a patinated original body, with entirely modern underpinnings and a drivetrain that can out run the vast majority of modern motor cars. The donor car for this build was an original 1946 Oldsmobile that…
