Ed's Specialty Company "Roadrunner" Gas-Powered Racing Tether Car, 1947

01

Artifact Overview

Tether cars, gas-powered model race cars, were popular in the 1930s and 1940s. They were raced individually while tethered to a central pivot, or against each other on a scaled-down board track. While many tether cars were based on contemporary race cars, this "Roadrunner" was modeled after a 1932 Ford hot rod. Details included faux carburetor velocity stacks in the hood.

Artifact Details

Artifact

Model car

Date Made

1947

Location

at Henry Ford Museum in Driven to Win: Racing in America

Object ID

2013.47.59

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of Eric Zausner and the E-Z Spindizzy Foundation.

Material

Aluminum (Metal)
Paint (Coating)
Rubber (Material)

Color

Maroon

Dimensions

Height: 6 in
Width: 7.25 in
Length: 16.125 in
Weight: 6.1875 lb

Inscriptions

Body: 1932 [painted license plate] Front tires: DURO-MATIC PROD. | HOLLYWOOD, CALIF.