Korn "Indianapolis 29" Gas-Powered Racing Tether Car, 1948
THF159732 / Korn "Indianapolis 29" Gas-Powered Racing Tether Car, 1948
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Artifact Overview
Tether cars, gasoline-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. This model of an Indianapolis-style car was built by Barney (B.B.) Korn. It used a .29-cubic-inch engine. While Korn's models weren't particularly fast, they showed exceptional craftsmanship.
Artifact Details
Artifact
Model car
Date Made
1948
Place of Creation
Creator Notes
Manufactured by B.B. (Barney) Korn and the B.B. Korn Specialty Manufacturing Co. in Los Angeles, California.
Location
at Henry Ford Museum in Driven to Win: Racing in America
Object ID
2013.47.83
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of Eric Zausner and the E-Z Spindizzy Foundation.
Material
Aluminum (Metal)
Balsa (Wood)
Paint (Coating)
Plastic
Rubber (Material)
Suede
Color
Red
Gold (Color)
Silver (Color)
Black (Color)
Blue
Dimensions
Height: 5 in
Width: 6.5 in
Length: 12 in
Weight: 2.125 lb
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Related Content
SetBarney Korn: Tether Car Craftsman
- 14 Artifacts
Tether cars, gas-powered model race cars, were popular in the 1930s and 1940s. Few tether car makers matched the skill of Barney Korn. His remarkably detailed and largely hand-built models stood apart from mass produced units by larger manufacturers. Korn's models weren't big sellers – they were too slow for serious racers and too expensive for amateurs – but modern collectors value them for their beauty and rarity.
articleBarney Korn: Tether Car Craftsman
Explore the story of Barney Korn, the Leonardo da Vinci of the model cars known as tether cars or spindizzies, raced by adults in the 1930s and 1940s.