Homemade Pusher Model Race Car, Made with a Mobil Oil Can, 1930-1940
THF160687 / Homemade Pusher Model Race Car, Made with a Mobil Oil Can, 1930-1940
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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. It could be an expensive hobby. Top-of-the-line models cost nearly $100 (when a real Ford started around $500). Resourceful racers scratch-built their own cars, like this model fashioned from a Mobil oil can.
Artifact Details
Artifact
Model car
Date Made
1930-1940
Location
Not on exhibit to the public.
Object ID
2013.47.131
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of Eric Zausner and the E-Z Spindizzy Foundation.
Material
Copper (Metal)
Rubber (Material)
Sheet metal
Wood (Plant material)
Color
Black (Color)
Red
Dimensions
Height: 9 in
Width: 12 in
Length: 27 in
Inscriptions
interior:
Mobil Oil
rear quarter panel:
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Related Content
SetTether 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.