Dooling "F-Car" Gas-Powered Racing Tether Car, 1946

THF157938 / Dooling "F-Car" Gas-Powered Racing Tether Car, 1946
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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. Dooling Brothers, of Los Angeles, California, manufactured a complete line of open-cockpit and streamliner models. Company owners Tom, Harris and Russell Dooling were successful tether car racers themselves.

Artifact Details

Artifact

Model car

Date Made

1946

Location

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

Object ID

2013.47.57

Credit

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

Material

Magnesium
Paint (Coating)
Plastic
Rubber (Material)

Color

Maroon
Black (Color)
Red
Gold (Color)

Dimensions

Height: 7 in
Width: 8.5 in
Length: 17 in

Inscriptions

Body: 18 | Allen | OFFY Front tires: DOOLING BROS. | LOS ANGELES CALIF. Rear tires: Firestone Balloon | Gum Dipped | 5.00-18 | MADE IN U.S.A.
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  • McCoy "Midget Racer" Gas-Powered Racing Tether Car, 1953-1956
    Set

    Tether Cars: Big Thrills in Small Scale

    • 25 Artifacts
    Tether cars provided big racing thrills in a smaller size. These miniature gas-powered model cars were raced individually while tethered to a central pivot, or against each other on a scaled-down track. At their peak popularity in the years surrounding World War II, some 25 major manufacturers -- and hundreds of individual builders -- produced tether cars. The artifacts in this set offer a peek into this exciting hobby.