Motor Scooter thumbnail 1
Not currently on display at the V&A

Motor Scooter

1950s (manufactured)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This object was donated to the Museum from part of the Michael Buhler collection of tin toys. Tin toys cover a vast array of subject matters ranging from the space age to domestic objects. This figure was made in West Germany in the 1950s. The first tin toys appeared in the United States in the middle of the 19th century. The tin toy industry soon spread to Europe, particularly Germany, where many tin toys were made around Nuremberg.

The German tin toy industry was at its peak during the forties and fifties but declined after due to Japanese competition, increased production costs and the popularity of plastic toys and diecasts.

Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Tin
Brief description
Motor scooter, tin toy, made in Germany by Technofix in the 1950s.
Physical description
A green and yellow tin motor scooter with a plastic green shield. The scooter has one wheel at the front and two smaller black wheels at the back. There are two figures on the bike, a man at the front and a woman at the back holding on. There is also a spare wheel at the back which has the manufacturers details printed on it in red.
Dimensions
  • Height: 13cm
  • Length: 16.5cm
  • Width: 6.1cm
Production typeMass produced
Marks and inscriptions
'TECHNOFIX 282'
Credit line
Given by Alexandra Buhler
Object history
This object was donated by Alexandra Buhler from the Michael Buhler collection. Buhler collected a vast array of tin toys and published a book on the subject called 'Tin Toys 1945-1975'. His collection covers a variety of subject matters ranging from space toys to more domestic objects. The collection contains tin toys from around the world including Japan, Europe, India and the USA.
Summary
This object was donated to the Museum from part of the Michael Buhler collection of tin toys. Tin toys cover a vast array of subject matters ranging from the space age to domestic objects. This figure was made in West Germany in the 1950s. The first tin toys appeared in the United States in the middle of the 19th century. The tin toy industry soon spread to Europe, particularly Germany, where many tin toys were made around Nuremberg.

The German tin toy industry was at its peak during the forties and fifties but declined after due to Japanese competition, increased production costs and the popularity of plastic toys and diecasts.
Collection
Accession number
B.109-2010

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Record createdSeptember 21, 2010
Record URL
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