Matthews "Silver Streak" Gas-Powered Racing Tether Car, 1939

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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. The Matthews Foundry, owned by model racer Percy Matthews, produced the "Silver Streak," a model of an Indianapolis-style car. Matthews models were successful in sales and on race courses.

Artifact Details

Artifact

Model car

Date Made

1939

Creator Notes

Manufactured by Percy Matthews and Matthews Foundry, Fresno, California.

Location

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

Object ID

2013.47.3

Credit

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

Material

Aluminum (Metal)
Rubber (Material)
Leather
Plexiglas (TM)
Paint (Coating)

Color

Black (Color)
Red
Silver (Color)

Dimensions

Height: 7.125 in
Width: 9.625 in
Length: 18.75 in

Inscriptions

On hood: SILVER STREAK
Matthews "Silver Streak" Gas-Powered Racing Tether Car, 1939