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18/08/2021 9:09 am
Many decades ago. I was at an antique show in Manhattan and I saw this incredible Art Deco gold colored rocket ship of a car. It seemed almost 2' long in a glass case. I thought it was a piece of design artwork. The price was prohibitive, but I never forgot it. As it turned out, it was an actual LSR car.... the 1929 British "Golden Arrow", designed by Sunbeam engineer, Captain John Irving using a massive 23.9 liter W12 aircraft engine producing 925 hp. It broke the land speed record at Daytona Beach reaching 231.45 mph on its first and only run driven by ex-Sunbeam race driver Major Henry Segrave.
It seems the model I saw was a 1930 Kingsbury tin type windup model in absolute pristine condition (which justified the high price). The Schylling Company reproduced the tin type in 2004 and when I saw this 19.75" beauty with its clockwork motor, I pounced on it. I don't know how many of these were produced. My COA and undercarriage tag reads #0017. It's a well made piece with steerable wheels and a striking gold finish.
18/08/2021 9:49 am
What a magnificent find Rich. Perfect condition too. I hate to think the cost. I have only one wind-up record car, the Sunbeam, a much more recent manufacture. I have also several Western Models in white metal. Unfortunately, the only ones I keep displayed are the Lledo small ones from the 1990s. Love to see Land Speed Record cars here. Again, a fantastic post.
Rich Sufficool and Rich Sufficool reacted
18/08/2021 5:59 pm
Great story Rich but what a wild replica!
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18/08/2021 7:15 pm
Beautiful model. Thanks for sharing Rich.
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19/08/2021 11:56 pm
What a spectacular model of an equally spectacular automobile ! Incredibly cool find.
20/08/2021 9:07 am
what a unique collectible.