c.1961 Masudaya Acrobatic Jaguar Stunt Car In Original Box
Very unusual battery operated tin litho Jaguar XKE (Acrobatic) #15 Stunt Car produced by Masudaya. Comes complete with its original box and works great! Toy is uniquely characterized by two large metal circular hoops which pass over the entire roof section. As the Stunt Car moves forward a metal lever underneath the chassis extends downwards on the left side, to push the car up onto its right. As it raises upwards, the lower ends of the hoops act like feet to balance the car on its side, but for only a second. It continues rolling completely over the roof 360° upside-down, then onto its left side, and land upright. The hoops act like guide rails to balance the car allowing it to "tumble" . By the time it completes the roll the lever underneath the car has closed back into the chassis. The rear wheels are moving continuously so once it lands upright it'll continue to move forward. The front wheels don't make contact. Instead, the front of the car rests on a fifth wheel located behind the rear axles. This wheel is turning right and left which causes it to move in random directions. Also note that the rear hoop is slightly lower in height than the front hoop. This causes the body to turn slightly to the right while it turning upside-down! So it not only tumbles over itself, but it also changes direction once it's been uprighted. Combined with the fifth wheel you never know what direction the car will travel! The underlying vehicle body is a classic 2-door Jaguar XKE. It's all tinplate lithographed in yellow, orange, white, and black and covered with racing emblems. The hoops are red. The chassis is flat black. It has a completely embossed front and rear seated interior with plastic steering wheel and both of its original blue tinted celluloid windshields. The front and rear bumpers, plus wheel covers are polished tin. It has blue tinted plastic headlights and vinyl tires. It's interesting to point out that the #27 Racer pictured in The Big Book of Tin Toy Cars shows it as a solid body car. In other words #27 is a version without an interior. All windows including the windshields were lithographed. Although the #15 Racer these differences weren't mentioned. The box for the #27 Racer is also different from this #15. This box has a great cover image of the Jaguar Stunt Car with the right wheels racing up a narrow incline. It shows the car beginning to raise up from its right side just like the actual toy. The coloring is also identical to the toy. A side image shows the Stunt Car in mid-air while twisting upside-down. The side aprons have another view from underneath the car as it raises above the ground. It uses 2 "C" batteries and (already mentioned) works beautifully! Size: 9½" Date Sold: Jan. 2010
Price Sold: $ 162
