ID Italian tin plate motor car.

Tony Bird · ID Italian tin plate motor car.

Hi,

In a previous life I was a gemologist and jewellery valuer and I now help a local church identifing any jewellery that they migh get donated. Among they latest donations was this tin plate car which is about 20th scale and I bought to go on our railway layout. I am curious to know how old it is. The design of the car I think might be 1940/50's? It very is similar to a Dinky Toy I have made in the 1950's. The car is clockwork, has steering and when the radio antenna is pulled a musical box operates. The Jerry cans in the back can be removed.

Hope someone can help.

Regards Tony.

Kev&Mel

I don't know anything about it BUT I do like it

MrDuck

Ages ago they were up on an antiques program on telly and apparently highly collectible.

Yours is a good specimen so it has some value.

Sadly that is all I can remember

STEAMPROPULSION

Could you take a picture of the underside of the model?

Tony Bird

MrDuck

Marchesini founded in 1908.

Is what I've found so far

Addendum: This might interest you;
http://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/6612295

46u

Very cool we call that car a woody her in the states do to all the wood that was on it.

belugawhaleman

Very nice I like that a lot!

MODmanMax

I love the jerry cans next to the key. Lovely detail.
Wind it up and film it.

Stoker

Looks to be a pretty fair toy approximation of a '48 Chevy Woody.
I'm sure that has some significant collector value!!!

The Eccentric

I like that!!! Wish we had one in our collection

She's deffo worth some money, Don't know anything about that manufacturer myself so can't help you much

46u

I am guessing the antenna is where you start and stop. Is this correct?

angus

Here's another auction listing -- Near the bottom of the page Lot:58
The antenna is missing on this one (so it may be silent)

http://www.vectis.co.uk/Page/View...No=1&Section=166&Start=40

I must say it shows a little more restraint than another of their musical offerings

http://desireddishes.ecrater.com/...-brevettato-capodimonte-music-box

giovanni

It resembles a Fiat.

http://www.leestrong.com/Nethercutt/index.htm

MrMamod

Tony make a small steam engine to go inside to drive it - GO ON you know you want to

- Great looking tinplate car

..

Tony Bird

Hi,

Thank you for your helpful replies. As I am not really a collector I'm rather glad the toy isn't in as good a condition as the ones in the auction catalogues. As I would think twice about using it on the layout and letting the grand children playing with it. We have just returned from a week of wanderings. As the weather was so good it took a little longer than expected. The model railway layout was taken to the Moors Valley Railway in Hampshire. A great venue! I will post some photographs later. The layout was in their carriage shed which is where the car was tried out it manages to negotciate the tracks OK. The tune according to a piece of paper inside the car is the 'Blue Danube' it doesn't sound much like it to me though! Video of it running follows.

Also I have an old Dinky toy which is similar it doesn't say what it is but was produced in the 1950's I think.

Regards Tony.

Just recieved an email photograph from daughter who is a costume and set designer at the Globe.

MrDuck

Yeah, 40s-50s on the dinky. Very nice condition

So that's where the torches go

Nice daughter