1941 Wolverine, No.19 Mechanical Auto Lift in Original Box
I got this really neat Wolverine Auto Lift to run through 12 complete cycles before the motor stopped which is pretty amazing considering it's nearly 75 years old. The Auto Lift was one of Wolverine's last toys produced before WWII and was not reintroduced after the war. Which makes it a particularly difficult toy to find; especially in high grade, still working, and COMPLETE with its original box! The all-metal toy uses gravity and the weight of the car to roll from the top track down to the bottom. When it reaches the lowest level the car trips a release just before entering its little swinging elevator. The release allows the motor to run one revolution which elevates the car back up to the top track. The car tips down slightly to precisely line up with the top track where it's released and starts all over. A counter weight drops the elevator back down into position in time to catch the car before it reaches the bottom and the cycle repeats. Wolverine produced several over-under toys that used a single track like their Jet Coaster. But as far as I know the Auto Lift was the company's only four track toy (five, if you include the bottom level). The concept, however, originated in Germany almost 20 years earlier (see Gunthermann's toy below). The Auto Lift has some great lithography which shows each individual garage level complete with brick walls, cars, doors, and people. It's the combination of the detailed litho and its mesmeric action which really makes this toy fantastic. The awesome box has a full panel illustration which closely resembles the actual toy. Directions were printed on one side of the box while the back panel was left blank. Size: 16" x 12" x 3½" assembled. Sold: Jun. 2015
Price Sold: $ 395
