Blue Bird Tin Windup XL Car by Guntherman Germany *SOLD*

Blue Bird Tin Windup XL Car by Guntherman Germany For Sale

Beautiful and sought after Blue Bird near mint in box by Guntherman.  Our German tin toy is an exquisite survivor of prewar times and a touchstone to the early days of speed records.  The windup comes with box and is extremely bright, likely not ever used.

Our racer used a large tail fin and streamline fenders to keep the real car on the course while breaking a land speed record– 245.73.  Bluebird was captained by Capt. Sir Malcolm Campbell of the UK.

Condition is near mint with box.  Wheels don’t appear to have wear on them.  The bottom of the toy is free of the normal toy wear.  There is one small scratch on the hood as seen in the photo with small dent.  The driver is near mint with crisp and bright lithography.  The emblems of crossed flags are as bright as the day they were made.

S Guntherman toys have become extremely desirable and are at a premium with box and near mint condition.  Ours is an extra large variation at nearly 20 inches in length!

From Wiki:

” A supercharged Napier Lion VIID was used, with over three times the power of the previous Blue Bird and a large premium over Golden Arrow’s unsupercharged 900 hp (670 kW) Lion VIIA. This was not the first use of supercharging for Land Speed Record cars, but was the first combining supercharging with the large displacement aero engines that had previously been relied upon for their gross output. Golden Arrow’s innovative vertical aerodynamic stabilising fin was also used, a first for Campbell.

Campbell’s nemesis Segrave was killed in an attempt on the water speed record while Campbell was scouting for new record courses in South Africa. On his return, Campbell set off for Daytona with the new Blue Bird, concerned at American challenges to the record. Segrave had, after all, at least been British. On 5 February 1931 he pushed the record to 246 mph (396 km/h), to great popular acclaim. On his return he learned he was to be knighted as Sir Malcolm Campbell.”

S.G. Gunthermann Nuremberg, Germany
1877 – 1965
Founder: Sifried Gunthermann
Specialty: Began producing tinplate mechanical cars in 1898; also a number of comic and character wind-ups in the early 1960s. When founder died in 1890, his widow married Adolph Weigel; toys from that period on bore makers mark with a shield inside circle and initials A.S.G.W. Wiegels initials were removed following his death in 1919. Company was acquired by Siemens in 1965.