1939 Marx, Bouncing Benny 'New Safety Car' in Original Box
Unique and very difficult to find Bouncing Benny "The New Safety Car" complete with extremely scarce original box. The car's unique and most striking feature is it's large donut size sponge rubber tires, which were also responsible for its scarcity. Unfortunately as rubber ages it hardens and breaks. After 67 years to find an example in high grade condition with its original soft rubber tires is very difficult. In this case not only are all four tires original, but they're still flexible. That's not to say they haven't hardened. To some degree they have, but they still feel squishy when gently squeezed. The fantastic condition of the tires plus its excellent+ to near mint steel litho body are evidence that the toy was probably seldom played with. On top of that, to find it with its original box (which I've never seen before) are most likely the reasons that the toy still exists at all. Benny is basically a pull toy with an internal clicker which makes a bouncing "boing" sound when it's in tow. For improved durability the torpedo shaped body was made from steel litho. The car was held together with 13 pairs of overlapping metal tabs. It's solid and heavy. The upper and lower halves, including the tin litho driver, are identical. So no matter which way it landed it was always facing up. It's beautifully lithoed in red with yellow grille, exhausts, and cockpit trimmed in black. This example also has its original pull string complete with chrome plated metal bell. Each donut tire measures 2½" in diameter and 1¼" wide. The "safety" aspect of the tires were to protect the car body and driver from hitting the floor as it bounced along. However, unless the floor was perfectly flat it would still get dented and scratched. Eventually chunks of the tires would start to crack (or be chewed) off. The car sold originally for 53¢. The box is illustrated on both sides with a bucolic scene showing three toddlers at play. Benny is seen bouncing and clicking across (and onto) the floor and table. One of the kids is still in a high chair inferring that it's safe enough for pre-school-age play. It's advertised as "the car with nine lives". The side panels say that "it will bounce around...not scratch furniture....and is always upright". Size: 7¼" long x 4¾" wide. Sold: Aug. 2006
Price Sold: $ 493
