Alexander Gas-Powered Racing Tether Car, 1938-1940
THF162947 / Alexander Gas-Powered Racing Tether Car, 1938-1940
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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. Alexander Automotive Engineering Company produced this front-wheel-drive model with a cast aluminum body and a sheet metal hood.
Artifact Details
Artifact
Model car
Date Made
1938-1940
Place of Creation
Creator Notes
Created by Colonel Isaac Emanuel Alexander and manufactured by his company Alexander Automotive Engineering Company.
Location
at Henry Ford Museum in Driven to Win: Racing in America
Object ID
2013.47.167
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of Eric Zausner and the E-Z Spindizzy Foundation.
Material
Aluminum (Metal)
Rubber (Material)
Steel (Alloy)
Color
Black (Color)
Red
Silver (Color)
Dimensions
Height: 7 in
Width: 9.5 in
Length: 20 in
Weight: 7 lb
Inscriptions
body, hand painted:
Atwood / RACING MOTORS
ALEXANDER / SPL / Los Angeles, CA. / 16
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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.