c.1968 Masudaya (?), Jimi Hendrix Psychedelic Car in Original Box
Although this tin litho friction drive auto is most probably a Masudaya "knock-off" I couldn't resist it when I saw who the driver was. None other than Jimi Hendrix is seated behind the wheel. Along side him in the passenger seat lies Jimi's famous Stratocaster guitar. The toy comes with its original psychedelic, two piece box. The car body, rubber tires, and chassis closely resemble the type manufactured by Louis Marx & Co. or Lupor during the 1950's. It's all tin litho with embossed hood and fenders and sloping rear windshield. Like the Marx toys, the edges of the body were folded underneath the chassis to secure the upper and lower halves. The grille and rear bumper were lithoed black and white, but the rest was done in an array of multicolored swirls and scrolls. "PEACE" appears on the rear license plate and a peace sign is in the right rear window. A perspective three dimensional view of Jimi was lithoed in front and left windows. A shadowy silhouette of Jimi can be seen on the right window. The chassis is embossed and lithoed with a simple car frame and exhaust system. There are no identifying marks on the car. The box looks to be a European style hard pressed material similar to the old style Lehmann boxes. The exterior was covered with a paled yellow paper. The cover illustration shows a pretty good representation of the actual toy. However, you can tell it was an amateurish attempt. The crooked "Modern Toys" Masudaya logo was inaccurately redrawn. It should also have a circle around the diamond which is not there. The box is probably original to an old toy which had the Hendrix car print applied over it. Size: 7½". Sold: Jan. 2008
Price Sold: $ 149
