Model Daimler car

Red and black Daimler 1904 car. The manufacturer is unknown.

Clockwork and friction drive were the favoured means of propulsion for toy cars until the late 1930s. Tinplate was the preferred material in Europe for many years. The models were generally well designed to represent particular cars and many were fitted with moving parts and realistic accessories. Some models even used real glass in the windows and rubber on the tyres. The finish of these early metal cars was important: the better the tin-sheet was prepared - its cleanliness and smoothness - the better the finish. The early designs had lithographed detail and the tin plate was printed before being made up. Later, spray painting and subsequent firing to 120° C gave the cars the smooth finish that had come to be expected.