1953 Wolverine, Mystery Car and Trailer in Original Box
Collectors of "mystery" powered pressed steel Wolverine vehicles are well aware of the difficulty findiing one with the roof being dented inwards. Pushing down on the roof is required to engage the mechanical motor which powers the vehicle. It takes only one use to dent the roof and once that happens it's virtually impossible to remove. After seven years of active searching, including the major toy auction houses, I'm convinced that regardless of overall condition 99% of those Wolverine "mystery" vehicles still in existence have dented roofs. I found this awesome car and trailer combination complete with their original box at an auction house in Ohio. The roof on both vehicles is absolutely magnificent. Pristine, never played with and not a single dent to be seen. These are a huge pair of toys measuring just over 28" in total length and weighing nearly three pounds. They're all steel litho with hardwood tires. The car has its original steel hitch. They were first available in 1953 through the Sears Roebuck Christmas catalog and sold for $2.33. The car was built with three sections; the body, upper interior and roof, and chassis plate. The bumpers are also separate parts. The trailer was made from four separate sections; the rectangular center, the two ends, and the short center chassis. They were designed in matching colors of robin's egg blue, mandarin orange, and white. I'd wager that the similarity of these colors to the {then} famous Howard Johnson's restaurant chain was not accidental. The illustrated box is very scarce and difficult to find intact. It was manufactured from thin wall cardboard and was intended to hold the contents for a short time and then be discarded. This is the best example of the box I've seen. Size: 28" overall, Car 13", Trailer 15". Approximately 4½" wide and tall. Sold: Feb. 2005
Price Sold: $ 691
