Reuhl Gas-Powered Racing Tether Car Kit, 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. The Reuhl Products, Inc., of Madison, Wisconsin, produced this kit around 1947. Reuhl cars were somewhat unusual in having Bakelite or Fiberglas bodies instead of metal.

Artifact Details

Artifact

Kit (Set)

Date Made

1947

Location

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

Object ID

2013.47.17

Credit

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

Material

Fiberglass
Aluminum (Metal)
Rubber (Material)
Cardboard

Color

Blue
Silver (Color)
Black (Color)

Dimensions

Height: 5.75 in (body)
Width: 4 in (body)
Length: 17 in (body)
Weight: 5.5 lb

Inscriptions

On box side label: NO: 2000 | COLOR: BLUE [handwritten] REUHL RACE CAR | With Fiberglass Body "not all parts are in box" (handwritten in pencil) On box top label: REUL Model Race Car/Body molded with *Fiberglas Prototype Indianapolis racer/ Ball Bearing Wheels and drive/ Standard for Cable Readily adaptable for rail/ Length overall 17 inches/ Wheelbase 12 1/2 inches/ height 5 3/4 inches/ tread 7 1/2 inches/ Weight, without engine or accessories 3 pounds-14 ounces.
Reuhl Gas-Powered Racing Tether Car Kit, 1947