c.1938 Marx, Motorcycle Cop and Car Speedway in Original Box
Wonderful toy called the "Motorcycle Cop and Car Single Track Speedway" manufactured by Louis Marx Co. The toy includes two tin litho clockwork vehicles, a PD Police Motorcycle with Sidecar and a torpedo shaped #2 Arrow Racer. It comes complete with its original box plus two keys and box inserts. It was purchased from an ex-Marx employee and was never played with. Before finding this example I had never heard of, or seen, this toy before. I could find no references for it. The motorcycle was however originally available as an individually boxed toy. Pinsky's Guide to Marx Toys, Volume 2 states it was the smallest motorcycle toy built by the company and is one of the most difficult Marx cycles to locate. There's no mention of it being included in any type of racing set. It runs on four wooden tires, three large and one small. The small wheel is used underneath the front of the sidecar to keep it balanced. Pinsky also referenced the body style of the #2 Arrow racer. Tin litho with polished tin wheels, it was used for several Marx race track toys, but in this set it has one big difference. The racers in the other sets always have a start/stop switch protruding up through the rear boat tail, however you'll notice that the Arrow is missing that switch. Instead, the position of the rear bumper controls its start/stop motor. Push the left end of the bumper and it stops. Push the right side and it starts. This makes sense when you think about it in terms of the motorcycle and sidecar. Unlike a two wheel motorcycle which requires a centered front tire, a three wheeled vehicle can have the front tire located off to the left side. In this way as the cop approaches the racer its front wheel nudges against the left side of the racer's rear bumper to stop the car....just like a real cop! The set comes with 12 interlocking speedway track sections (4 straight, 8 curved) which lay out to 9ft. in length. Each was lithoed as a brick paved roadway with red and yellow stone walls on either side. The toy includes two keys which are identical. The original box was printed with text only. The name of the toy appears on the front box panel and again on the two side endflaps. The back of the box includes instructions for operating the vehicles track layout suggestions. It also comes two smaller inner boxes which fit inside the actual toy box box to contain the motorcycle and racer. Size: Motorcycle Cop (including switch) 4", Arrow Racer 4". Box 10" x 3" x 4½". Sold: Dec. 2006
Price Sold: $ 860
