Space Car, Auburn Rubber, USA,
1950's

In a time of Jet-powered airplanes and extreme streamlining of all household items, the cars themselves got much sleeker, and aerodynamics started to appear.

This toy represents this aera well, and reminds me of some of the advertisments of the 30ies and 40ies - largely promoting this design of the future...

Tatra automobile, advertisment,
Switzerland, 1930's

Anual Motor Show magazine, USA,
1935

Streamlined car and bus, paper cut-outs,
USA, 1930's

Quad bike Batman

Batman on quad, ? (bootleg), China, 2000's

China has been for ages now turning low-key fakes of a number of licensed characters. Most of these toys are to be found in the informal markets / Chinese "All for a Dollar / Euro" stores and others... This is one of those.

Pull your galaxy !

Pull toy (wood), Kouvalias ?, Greece ?,
1950's

It's springy, it's wobbly, and spins along the way. An architects post-modernist experiment ? Maybe not - but you will not find these in the actual Fisher Price catalogues...

It has the flair of the 50'ies - Eames era, togther with lucite lamps, revlon-covered couches and coconut chairs...

From Japan to Italy... Grandizer is flying high !

Atlas UFO robot Goldrake, Cosmec, Italy
1970's

Italy was very found of Grandizer - and lots of companies over there tried their hands on the license. Cosmec made 2 flying sets - one with the saucer, one without (shown here). A spring loaded nylon thread (yellow and red handle) was fixed to the toy. By whirling it around, you got the promised "fly" effect.

Oh no tovarishch ! Another Soviet design ?

Bubble bubble - keeps the oxygen in. Spring loaded antena for comunicating with Байконур (read : Baikonur).
Much more classy than the moonrover - only this one did not go so far... 

Spacecar, (?), Russia,
1960's

Bandai + Vinyl = pure toy-love...

One of all time bests for the Shogun Warriors line is Gaiking - here in the Bandai version with "scope" so you can look down and see all your enemies through the skull's eye.

Deep... 

Gaiking, Bandai, Japan, 1970's

and another copy...

Space Gun, (detail of handle) "OC" ? Milano, Italy,
1950's-60's ?

Space Gun, "OC" ? Milano, Italy,
1950's-60's ?

Another copy of the Space Outlaw Atomic Pistol, this one from Italy and without the scope. Some elements are much better copied than the Macau version, like the horizontal "vent" bars above the trigger. This one is spring loaded though, not a water gun, and came with this very "Far West" kind of card.

I just am amazed about continuing finding copies of the same gun, over and over.

A tale of 3 Captains....

 ... and weirdly enough, none of these was made in the US of A... Globalization, globalization... And yes, even the Frenchies made one... only that he left his shield home and is going to the patisserie to buy the baguette !

Captain America, ?,
France, 1984

Captain America, Comansi,
Spain, 1990's

Captain America, Gulliver,
Brazil, 1970's

Behold ! It's Getter Robot - and it talks ! Well, hmmm... kind of.

At the pull of the string it will mumble something in Japanese in your ear !

Getter Robot (talker), Masudaya, (repro),
Japan, 1998

Getter Robot (talker), Masudaya, (repro)
Japan, 1998

Lizard Heads...

"V" Enemy Visitor, LJN,
China, 1984

Lizard Head pencil sharpener, unknown...
China ? 

Where are you Donovan ? The saucers from out of space are there and these guys don't look very warm blooded.... And I didn't tell you yet about their gastronomy !

SHADO - UFO

In the Gerry ANderson TV serie UFO, the earth had a number of ways to get rid of the invaders... these tanks were used for recon and defensive purposes. They would spot UFO's that got through moon base defense and go after them...

SHADO, Dinky, England, 1970's

Gaiking

Gaiking, Popy, Japan,
1970's

Another one of the Shogun Warriors. This one is from the 2 in 1 -toyline. You can open the skull and transform the robot.

Before the Futura...

Gotham's caped cruzader has always driven the most incredible rides, even way before Adam West and George Barris Batmobiles...

1940 Batmobile, Playing Mantis, China,
2002

Wooden Arcadia

 Just what you need to get back in touch with nature... start building a spaceship made up out of wood ! I don't know if it is a Japanese Zen thing - but it sure gives us another Arcadia to put into our collection, so why not ?

Arcadia (front), Takara ?, Japan,
1970's

Arcadia (back), Takara ?, Japan,
1970's

Join the Empire ! And be all you wanna be...

Do you know who's who ? We have :

1. Bikerscout
2. Snowtrooper
3. Imperial Gunner
4. At-At driver
5. Death Squad Commander
6. Stormtrooper
7. Imperial Commander
8. At-At Commander

Armoured Command Car

Armoured Command Car, Dinky Toys, England,
1970's

"Designed by Gerry Anderson" ... at least that is what says the box. I don't recall seeing this vehicle in any SPACE 1999 or Thunderbirds or UFO movie. But the car looks at least like it fits right in. A number of rotations to the radar dish and the front of the car opens and sparks get out. Nice at night...

"Il était une fois l'Espace"

Era uma vez o Espaço (figurinas), Maia e Borges, Portugal,
1983

Another cartoon, this one going a little deeper into human condition, future prospects and the creation of the universe. "Il était une fois l'Espace" followed another multi-country success series "Il était une fois l'homme". Even though it was a French cartoon (Procidis company), other countries like Italy, Canada, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and Israel participated all in the production.

What made it quite interesting is that it became a multicultural and equalitarian cartoon with "progressist" themes and ideas. For example, Psi, (middle of image) was black - quite unheard of for a cartoon character (and protagonist) of a 80'ies TV serie. Even the president of the republic of planet Omega was a woman, democratically elected...