Unique Toy Museum exhibit

A few weeks ago, a very interesting and original exhibit arrived at the Toy Museum - a racing car. This original car was built by a master craftsman of undoubted skill and ingenuity, and the museum staff had to turn their heads to find out what this marvel was and how to date it!
This 34 cm long model of a three-wheeled racing car is not only striking in its graceful form, but also in its unique technological solutions. The forward-facing wooden body is painted black, the front grille is cleverly made of mesh and the small driver's cockpit hood is made of clear plastic. The front wheels are open and the rear wheel is hidden in the body. The appearance is reminiscent of the 3-4th decade of the 20th century. The three-wheel sports cars are from the 3-4th century. One of the most interesting elements of this toy is the orange cylinder, resembling an engine cooler, located at the axle of the front wheels. So what's inside the car?

Our friends Povilas (RCdalys.lt) and Rapolas ("Artwork Research"/mkt.lt) helped us find the answers. Visual tests of the exterior elements and X-ray photographs revealed that under the simple wooden hood of this car, a real diesel engine was hidden! A 1955 MK-16 engine, first series. The 1.48 cc engine was used in model aircraft and was characterised by its durability.

Once we were sure that the car was designed with an open hood, we took the screwdriver and opened the hood! Everything was in the palm of your hand: an aircraft engine mounted to turn the left front wheel, a small fuel tank next to the body connected to the engine by a hose, three rubber wheels from a toy construction or other car and a metal loop on the left side for an unknown purpose.

Well, the design is clear, and the indicative time of the sports car is also the 1960s. But how did this complex toy work? After all, only one wheel turned! Maybe the diagonally mounted rear wheel and the differently loaded front wheels did allow it to drive straight? Or maybe it was tethered by a rope to a side loop and just turned the wheels powered by a powerful diesel engine? How fast could he have been going? For now, it remains a mystery, with no answer.

Maybe you had something similar in your childhood? Do you know how such cars worked? Write to us!