Frank Robertson's Snuffy II Gas-Powered Racing Tether Car, Winner of the 1947 AMRCA Championship, 1947

THF160661 / Frank Robertson's Snuffy II Gas-Powered Racing Tether Car, Winner of the 1947 AMRCA Championship, 1947
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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. Frank Robertson won several trophies from the American Miniature Racing Car Association. This car, named "Snuffy II," gave Robertson his 1947 AMRCA championship.

Artifact Details

Artifact

Model car

Date Made

1945-1947

Location

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

Object ID

2013.47.106

Credit

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

Material

Aluminum (Metal)
Wood (Plant material)
Rubber (Material)

Color

Red
Yellow (Color)

Dimensions

Height: 7 in
Width: 7.25 in
Length: 16.5 in
Weight: 5.5 lb

Inscriptions

hand lettered: X10 / SNUFFY II / 1947 AMRCA NATIONAL Champion / WORLDS RECORD HOLDER 116.18 / AUGUST 17 1947 INDIANAPOLIS IND.
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    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.