Boy Driving a Car, push along toy
Wire Toys
1990-1994 (made)
1990-1994 (made)
| Place of origin |
The toy is made from a plastic bottle which contained CASTROL SUPERCHARGE UPPER CYLINDER LUBE (lubricant), produced by CASTROL ZIMBABWE (PVT) LTD. The bottle is white printed in red and green to show the product details; it has a screw on red lid. The bottle is cut through at the front with heavy gauge wire twisted to form two wheels. The back wheels are attached to a frame, all of the same heavy gauge wire, which passes through the body of the bottle. Attachment is a combination of thinner wire and entwined loops. The frame extends to connect with the `boy' figure, the steering wheel and the stick which forms the push along handle. The figure is a frame of the wire, slightly padded and covered with olive green cloth for the body and black
cotton arms sewn to the steering wheel. The head is a padded knob of bright green cloth bound around the neck and attached to the body. As the toy is pushed along, the back wheels turn the axle which is linked by a length of wire looped at each end to the bottom of the post supporting the steering wheel. The `boy' appears to be steering the car.
cotton arms sewn to the steering wheel. The head is a padded knob of bright green cloth bound around the neck and attached to the body. As the toy is pushed along, the back wheels turn the axle which is linked by a length of wire looped at each end to the bottom of the post supporting the steering wheel. The `boy' appears to be steering the car.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Boy Driving a Car, push along toy (manufacturer's title) |
| Materials and techniques | metal and wire with cloth |
| Brief description | `Boy Driving a Car'; South African; 1990-94 |
| Physical description | The toy is made from a plastic bottle which contained CASTROL SUPERCHARGE UPPER CYLINDER LUBE (lubricant), produced by CASTROL ZIMBABWE (PVT) LTD. The bottle is white printed in red and green to show the product details; it has a screw on red lid. The bottle is cut through at the front with heavy gauge wire twisted to form two wheels. The back wheels are attached to a frame, all of the same heavy gauge wire, which passes through the body of the bottle. Attachment is a combination of thinner wire and entwined loops. The frame extends to connect with the `boy' figure, the steering wheel and the stick which forms the push along handle. The figure is a frame of the wire, slightly padded and covered with olive green cloth for the body and black cotton arms sewn to the steering wheel. The head is a padded knob of bright green cloth bound around the neck and attached to the body. As the toy is pushed along, the back wheels turn the axle which is linked by a length of wire looped at each end to the bottom of the post supporting the steering wheel. The `boy' appears to be steering the car. |
| Dimensions |
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| Object history | References: Wire Toys are solely a southern African development, initially produced by children for their own amusement. The origins were probably in Zimbabwe but examples come from Botswana and South Africa, and now other countries. This toy was sent by Nelson Mandela to Janey Buchan to be presented to museums she felt would enjoy having toys of this type. The museum has within the collection examples from both Zimbabwe and Botswana. It was said to have been made by a South African refugee in Botswana and the use of the heavy gauge wire is similar to that of the BGM examples from Botswana. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | B.95-1995 |
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| Record created | April 18, 2000 |
| Record URL |
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