Wood Patterns for B.B. Korn's "Indianapolis" Gas-Powered Racing Tether Car, 1940-1941

THF162925 / Wood Patterns for B.B. Korn's "Indianapolis" Gas-Powered Racing Tether Car, 1940-1941
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Artifact Overview

Tether cars, gas-powered model race cars, were popular in the 1930s and 1940s. Barney Korn was among the most skilled builders. While his models weren't particularly fast, they were exceptionally detailed. Korn even built model cars, boats, and airplanes for Hollywood movies. He used these wood patterns to create some of his tether cars.

Artifact Details

Artifact

Pattern (Guide)

Date Made

1940-1941

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

2013.47.151

Credit

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

Material

Polyacrylate
Wood (Plant material)

Technique

Handmade
Carving (Processes)

Dimensions

Height: undefined in
Width: undefined in
Length: undefined in
Weight: 24.75 lb

Inscriptions

handwritten: B.B. KORN
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    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.