1936 Marx, Reversible Coupe The Marvel Car in Original Box
Magnificent clockwork steel litho roadster with classic 1930's art deco styling. Elegantly designed coupe features protruding front and rear bumpers which reverse the direction of the car when they hit an object. The Coupe can run in a straight line or a circle by adjusting the front right wheel. This example works beautifully and still has a very strong clockwork motor. This gorgeous automobile comes complete with its exceedingly rare original box. It's an especially difficult box to find because, over time, the heavy weight of the car can easily damage it. It also comes with an old clock key. The car's most pronounced feature is its long "coffin" style hood and large tear-drop fenders. Combined with the cross-hatched, v-shaped front grille makes it look like an arrow in flight. The design was so successful that it was reused with Marx' Drive-UR-Self car, the Charlie McCarthy and Mortimer Snerd car, and Blondie's Jalopy, but it was the Reversible Coupe which first launched the style. The car also features rubber covered bumpers, pressed disk metal wheels (black with green hubs), chrome plated body flanges, black striping, and a rear on/off switch. The chassis is solid steel plate. Two other versions were also produced; one minus the chrome flanges and the second with painted flanges. The vehicle in this auction was constructed with separately tabbed metal flanges. It was the first version produced and had the shortest production run. The black and peach colored box features an unusually large illustration of a mansion sized room. A young lad in knickers is shown playing with the vehicle. Dotted line drawings were used to show the car's previous movements. The sister, mother, and father look on. The side panels include two schematic illustrations of the car and directions for its operation and wheel movement. Size: 16" x 4". Sold: Aug. 2005
Price Sold: $ 1277
