Meccano's Exceptional Cars - Part II

Wednesday, April 30, 2014
    (Great weather if you're a duck!)

Meccano's Exceptional Cars

Part II

This is the second part of a two part story about Meccano's great Motor Car Constructor Outfits (Kits). These were manufactured in the 1930's and came in parts, tools for assembling the toy, and of course instructions. Meccano also built ( I didn't know that!) a series of cars that came pre-assembled.

Please click here to visit the great website of Bertoia Auctions

As I was searching for photographs, I came to realize that Meccano had different-sized boxes for their cars. I assumed wrongly,that perhaps there was a change in design as time went on. However, the reason for the different sizes was due to the fact that Meccano had in fact made a "non-constructor (pre-assembled) model, and of course their constructor models called "outfits".

This kit came with additional parts that would allow the child to create different cars. What I also found in researching this post was that there was also a special additional kit that could be purchased. This would allow the child to add lights with wiring and I assume a battery in order to give light to the headlights.

I'm assuming that that huge handle to the side of the driver is a brake.

Also notice that the toy was build with right-sided driving. I know in canada, when I was a kid, we had Meccano sets. I wonder if they made left-handing steering for us Canadians?

Wow!

A 1930's complete set in its original box.

 You can see an extra rear part that came with this car.

removing the hard top, and chaining the back, would make the car more of a sports car than roadster.

The car also came with a clear celluloid windshield (windscreen) that 

was inside the metallic windshield frame.

I assume that this is 1 combination of parts that would result in this nice car.

Changing the roofs, the back, and adding a roof, would result in some of the cars that were presented above.

It's interesting how the celluloid yellowed over time on this car, yet in a previous car, 

the celluloid remained clear and neutral in colour. These cars also came with mechanical wind-up mechanisms. what's interesting is that when I went to ebay.co.uk (Great Britain),

 I saw some motors that were available for sale.

 Even toy cars have "scrapyards" to find replacement parts!

Thanks for dropping by,

and as always,

have a great part of the day or night

wherever you may be.

Stacey

toysearcher@gmail.com

Meccano's Exceptional Cars - Part I

Wednesday, April 30, 2014
(Cold and cloudy-great if you're a duck!)

Meccano's Exceptional Cars

Part I

  Yesterday, I received an e-mail from a reader asking me a few questions. The first was how much might the value of this toy car be, and secondly, where he might get replacement parts. Not examining the photo (a copy of one of Bertoia Auctions that I wrote about), I scoured the Net, found the information, and sent him a reply. Just as I finished sending, I took a closer look, and I had sen him the wrong information.

  The reader had wanted information on a Structo (USA) toy that came as a kit to build, and I had send him all kinds of information on Meccano's car kits! Fortunately, I caught my mistake right away, found the correct information, and send him a new back of information.

  Before I wrote this blog, I only know of Meccano kits as coming in sets for erecting buildings or ferris wheels and so forth. However, as I write more anymore, I get to learn lots about toys. Meccano came in kits to build trains, airplanes ( a future post), and of Meccano Motor Car Constructor kits, or complete.

  As I was compiling my screen captures for the post, which was to become in fact 2 posts, I  found a treasure trove of great ephemera (written material) on Wikipedia. The material was contributed via the Brighton Toy and Model Museum, and so I decided to credit them and add their logo. I will be writing to them to see if I can in fact use their photos, because the image usage was not 100% clear. Of course, as I am writing to them, I will be asking if I might write them up on  my blog.

Please click here to visit The Brighton Toy and Model Museum

Please click here to visit Wikipedia's page on the Meccano Car Constructor Kits

The Meccano Motor Car Constructor Kits were manufactured in the 1930''s in Great Britain. They came with beautiful artwork of their car on the box. Inside was the kit with tools to assemble the car, as well as extensive sets of instructions.

*Please view the Brighton Toy and Model Museum screen captures in Google Blogger's slide mode. You will be better able to read the writing.

What I always like about the old advertisements is that more often than not, the images were drawn rather than photographed. The original advertisements are sometimes as valuable in terms of their worth compared with the actual toys.

Please go to the next post to see the beautiful photos (courtesy Bertoia Auctions)

that accompany this first post of two.

Thanks for dropping by,

and as always, 

have a great part of the day or night,

wherever you may be.

Stacey

toysearcher@gmail.com