Looking at first glance those miniature cars resemble very much to a toy. But they weren’t at all!
They were true pieces of art representative of the best pioneering technology of the era. They were called Spindizzy or tether cars and became the most desired object for the adult hobbysts of that age.
Their small gas-powered model airplane engine made them approaching 150 miles running either in metal grooves on banked wooden tracks, with several cars competing at once, or alone on circular tracks, tethered by cables to a central pole. They were as fast as finely crafted, hand built by adults hobbysts who loved competing with their Spindizzies making them racing against the clock. They resembled the full size racers of their day in the minimum details!
The love for these miniature car racing started in Los Angeles during the 1930s and this quickly became popular among hobbyists who could not afford to buy the real models and thousand of miniature cars, powered by the engines of their model airplanes which were fuelled by a mix of alcohol castor oil and gasoline, were put in the market. Fot the fact that the people who built those miniatures were skilled craftsmen one can assert they were folk art of the 1930s and 1940s!
However, as fast as those Spindizzies models became popular their popularity started to decline. It happened in late 1940s, when radio controlled cars arrived on the scene and the interest among the most enthusiastic decreased fast. Those speedy tether cars became soon forgotten and abandoned in basements or in some forgotten corners of the garages.
We can recall those times thanks to Authentic Models, a dutch company manufacturing true replicas of the Spindizzies models from the 1930s. They are nicely detailed, high quality, models fully built & assembled. They are completely hand-built & handcrafted of recycled polished aluminum and brass. The seat is made of faux leather. The wheels are aluminum and the tires are made of rubber.
The reproduction Indianapolis tether car model was designed by using original blueprints and resembles the original BB Korn pusher car model down to the smallest detail. It is sure to become a conversational addition for office or home decor.
