Antique ca. 1920’s Strauss Dizzie Lizzie Leaping Lena Flivver Jalopy Tin Lithographed Windup Car *SOLD*

Antique ca. 1920’s Strauss Dizzie Lizzie Leaping Lena Flivver Jalopy Tin Lithographed Windup Car

This is a circa 1920’s tin lithographed windup “Dizzie Lizzie” (Leaping Lena) flivver jalopy car manufactured by the Ferdinand Strauss Company of New York City, New York.

This is a great “Dizzie Lizzie” (Leaping Lena) windup with a working clockwork mechanism. When the jalopy is in motion, the jalopy leaps up, the partially detached front end drops down buckling at the firewall. The back end twists to create a leaping or bucking effect while rolling. This comical toy is also decorated with humorous 1920’s college sayings such as, “Danger 10000 Jolts”, “No Doors Use Can Opener” and “A Rattling Good Time Was Had By All”.

Our example of this Strauss “Dizzie Lizzie” is in great original condition with no restorations, repairs, breaks or touch ups. The lithos on this piece are strong and show the usual patina, chips, scuffs, scratches, and wear that are normally found with age and play. It is approximately 8 ¼” L x 4 ¼” W. This would be a great addition to any collection. We invite you to view the photos to further determine quality and condition.

A brief history of the Ferdinand Strauss Company of New York City, New York:

The Ferdinand Strauss Company was founded in the early 1900’s in New York City, New York by Ferdinand Strauss. Strauss was from the Alsace region of Germany. In the beginning, Strauss imported various toys that he sold from his New York Shop. Strauss specialized in importing tin mechanical toys and produced toys from 1914 to 1927.

During early 1900’s, European toy manufacturers had already perfected color lithography, and were manufacturing many tin toys and pressed steel toys for the North American market. Like most European toy manufacturers, Strauss also manufactured pressed tin toys that had color lithography on them.  Many of the toys also had wind-up or clockwork mechanisms in order to have them move on their own. In 1912 Strauss hired Louis Marx, who later founded the Marx toy Company.

In 1918 Strauss began manufacturing toys on his own instead of importing them. Strauss produced (wind-up) toys for the Abraham & Strauss Department Stores and was a pioneer in the friction tin toy industry. They managed to capture much of the 1920’s mechanical tin toy craze, but Strauss was eventually out manufactured by other toy companies that had similar toys.

The Ferdinand Strauss Company’s eventual fate is unclear, but it appears that the company faded into history by 1927. There is some evidence that the company was absorbed by Louis Marx’s company by the 1930’s as there are several items from the Strauss line that seem to have been incorporated in to Marx’s own line.