Here is something for all you LalD Oppos. This vintage toy sits on a shelf at my parents’ house and I have always thought it was pretty cool.
(I apologize in advance for the crappy photos but my phone’s camera was not having it)
Let’s start with the box.
Ooh, that vintage illustration really does justice to the sleek design of the truck. B A T T E R Y O P E R A T ED too I see. Oh but it’s NON-STOP, which presumably means they crammed a few energizer bunnies in the rear for the toy to haunt you beyond childhood. Open up that box years later and off it goes, never stopping, right into the setting sun.
Wait a minute, what is that off to the right side?
Oh, I see. Just a little nightmare fuel, complete with multiple poorly scaled off center coke bottles.
Umm, quickly! Let’s move on to the side of the box!
Ah, this I can understand. It demonstrates (behind the blur) how the toy operates, presumably without stopping. A caster wheel can be turned to set the direction of travel for the toy, which could prove problematic if it really never stops. I had an old Snapper mower do that to me once. Not fun.
The side appears to contain an entirely new illustration only used here, with a nice skyline in the background. There is no further labeling besides the Sanyo of Japan logo on the front, so the year this toy was made is a bit dubious.
But let’s open the box, shall we?
Other than a slightly askew cab, the truck is resplendent in an Art Deco commercial livery.
I had difficulty photographing the striped bench seat, the only interior ornament. The hood and door shut lines are also surprisingly accurate where they are painted on.
As you can see, the model has a noticeable imperfection: a tipped cab. The place where the cab attaches to the base is damaged, allowing the front end to dip. There is a mess of wires underneath the cab, which appears to be the method of propulsion.
The rear end is reasonably well accounted for. The large plastic taillights add detail and the dividing stripe creates a nice bit of contrast.
Yup, it appears that once you set a trajectory, the vehicle just goes (non-stop, you might say). The switch at the rear turns on the wheels and the truck will go until it hits something or runs out of battery. Let’s take a closer look at the method of propulsion.
I know nothing about this whatsoever, so help me Oppo and/or LalD. What am I holding?
Better yet, explain this:
Stay safe out there.
UPDATE:
I did a little research and turned up this mint condition model for sale on Ebay for $1,000. This example appears to have never been used, which doubtless accounts for the jacked up price. Notably, their box is damaged significantly in one place whereas my model’s box is whole, albeit more faded.
Also interesting is that no one seems certain of the year of manufacture. Sometime in the late 50s seems likely. The model apparently came in red too.