2 Small Chrome Wire Wheels 1 Axle 1965 Strombecker Slot Car WIDE 2" Original NOS

Description

Note: Offering today 2 of the Small 1965 Chrome Wire Wheels with WID Axles (splines in middle) NOS.
Wheel are 19/32" Tall X 3/6" Wide and Axle with wheels mounted is 2" Wide Overall.
Small Chrome Wire Wheels with Center ridge  Announced by Strombecker
1965
:  Centered retaining ridge really boosts performance.  This unique wheel design is developed hand-in-hand with Strombecker's new grooved-center tire.
1965 Strombecker Slot Car Original Vintage
. Another step forward in Strombecker realism
These Center Ridge Chrome Wire Wheels were used on Cars Listed Below.
1968 Chevy Corvette Sting Ray,
Chevy Camaro Z28,
Dodge Pick-up, 1969
Dodge Coronet 440 or
Coronet 500,
1969 Plymouth,
1969 Dodge Charger,
1963 Ford Thunder Bird,
1964 Chevrolet Chevy,
1965 Ford Mustang GT 350 Fastback,
1967 Ford J Fast Back,
Ferrari Testa Rosa,
Ferrari P3 Fastback,
Pontiac Bonneville,
Chevy Chaparral 2D Coupe,
Chaparral Roadster,
Porsche Carrera  Fastback ,
1961 Porsche RSK,
Dune Buggy,
VW Super Bug,
Ford GT Roadster,
Lotus 23 Roadster,
Astro #3220, Cirrus #3221,
"Chrome Smaller Ridge Wheels were used on Front of Indy Lotus Ford #3711 with Larger Ridge Wheels on Rear",
1/32nd scale.
NOTE: PICTURE with Ads is for
"VIEWING ONLY"
AND IS NOT IN THIS OFFERING.
1965
:  Centered retaining ridge really boosts performance.
This unique wheel design is developed hand-in-hand with Strombecker's new grooved-center tire.
STROMBECKER *
This toy maker from Chicago, Illinois, was the first in the USA to follow Scalextric’s footsteps.  They had been making 1/24 and 1/32, electric-powered scale models, and many had been converted to slot racing use by pioneering enthusiasts. The Dowst Manufacturing Company, makers of the famous Tootsietoy die-cast toy line, acquired Strombeck-Becker in 1957, and Model Road & Racing in 1962. Strombeck-Becker had been making balsa wood airplane kits. The new Strombecker company made the critical decision to produce home racing sets to compete, at much lower prices, with Scalextric and later, other burgeoning American concerns such as Marx, Gilbert or Lionel.
Ed McKeevey was hired by the Shure brothers, and directed the sales to department stores and hobby distributors.
Their first car was a modified version of the battery-powered Maserati 250F, followed by a D-type Jaguar and a Ferrari TR, both with one-piece bodies and “full” interior, with separated driver. A small 3-spoke steering wheel was also present. The chassis was a white nylon affair in which the Mabuchi 3-volt motor was fitted with a rubber coupling and a long drive shaft for “better” weight distribution. Sold in sets with colorful box tops, they were very successful and quickly took the largest share of the market. A whole line of new models quickly followed, all fitted to the same basic chassis that evolved into a complex array of variations.  These 1959 cars were quickly replaced by a beefier 6-volt motor with a long built-in shaft, and eventually by the well-known Mabuchi 15R, also with the long shaft.
An early promotional version of the Maserati 250F kit, sold without motor, with placard proclaiming “As seen in Sports Illustrated”, following a story published in the famed publication in 1961.
The white chassis soon became gray, the long-shaft Mabuchi motor replaced by the standard 15R version, installed in a conventional manner. This was upgraded to a frame-motor designed and built by Strombecker, followed by other variations of chassis and frame motor designs. At the whole time, most bodies were mounted on one of these plastic chassis, except for the Lotus 19 and Porsche RS61, which used a smaller plastic, then brass chassis with various types of frame motors. The “6 in 1” Offy Indy, Ford GT, Porsche 904, Cobra GT had a frame-less, clamshell construction, while the Midget had its own unique chassis and motor.
An interesting variation of the “6 in 1” Offy Roadster, sold as a motor-less static kit, to honor Parnell R. Jones first 150MPH lap around the Indianapolis Speedway in 1962.)
Strombecker cars were somewhat crude and lacked details, but their performance and handling was superior to what was then available, and the price was right. They sold by the millions, and are the easiest vintage slot cars to find today, the most common survivors being the Ferrari and the Jaguar.
A grouping of Midget cars showing the RTR “set” version with 1-piece body and metal foil stickers, the very complete set of plated accessories, and the kit version with 2-piece body, clad with part of the extensive decal sheet allowing the decoration of 4 different cars.)
Strombecker went its merry way, selling their cars in kit form, RTR or in sets, with a bewildering array of spare parts, including many for scratch building, until the commercial raceway scene exploded in 1964.
They sat on the sidelines for a while, but had to jump into the 1/24 arena to compete, as the 1/32 market was declining in favor of the larger scale. They tooled an entirely new line of kits in both scales, using 2-piece black anodized aluminum frames with smart self-aligning axle bearings, well-designed guide flags and splendid new can motors made by Hitachi exclusively for Strombecker. Named “Hemi”, these were some of the best quality motors made for slot racing in the 1960s. The 1/24 used the large Hemi 400, renamed TC24, while the brass-chassied 1/32 cars used the smaller Hemi 300, renamed TC32. Nice looking boxes, possibly inspired by Cox’s, contained the components under vac-formed plastic bubbles, with instructions and decals vastly improved over the former productions.
The 1/24 cars were also sold in hexagonal display boxes as semi-RTRs, the assembled chassis lying upside down to the assembled body. Later rare versions have the body and chassis side by side, shrink- wrapped in a cheaper corrugated box. There were also full RTR versions available in a clear acetate box with card tray, both in 1/32 and 1/24.
Unfortunately, by the time they were available, the Chaparral 2, Cheetah, Ferrari 330P and Lotus 30, had been already produced by several other companies. Regardless, Strombecker kits and RTRs sold well because of their lower price, and several late 1965 issues proved very interesting, while being harder to find today. The 1/24 Championship Dirt-Racer is the only such car type ever produced, and is truly splendid. It had such big tires that they could not fit under the usual “bubbles”, so they were packed in the spot usually reserved for the sports car chassis. The brass frame was packed with the body, with the chrome-plated steel wheels in the usual tire location. This gives the impression to some discriminating, but less knowledgeable, collectors that the kit was opened and “repacked”, which of course is not the case.
The splendid Dirt Track Racer kit is scarce. This beautiful car was A.J. Foyt’s 1960 USAC Championship-winning  “Sheraton-Thompson” car.)
(Photo 182: One of the scarcest but nicest Strombecker kits is this 1/32 Lotus 38. Accuracy went all the way to supplying, as on the real car, 2 windshields.)
The Brabham-Climax BT-7 F1 kit, expertly assembled, seen here with the scarce 1/32 Brawner-Hawk 1966 Indy car, a Clint Brawner-built copy of the Brabham BT12, driven to the 1965 USAC Championship by Mario Andretti.)
Hexagonal-box type, and rarer side-by-side packaging on this Porsche 906 and Ford “J” car semi-RTR versions. Note fully assembled chassis, Hemi motor with red end bell. This also came with blue or black end bells, depending on versions.)
The early plastic-chassis 1/32 cars were replaced by the TC32-powered, 2-piece brass-chassis versions with a whole new array of attractive and well-made bodies, most as RTR “set” cars, some available as kits with late issues featuring a die-cast zinc drop arm. The Ferrari Dino coupe is a particularly scarce example and featured clear plastic headlight covers which the standard RTR version did not have. Also scarce are the Lotus 38 kit and the Brawner-Hawk RTR, sold only in sets.
Strombecker dropped their whole 1/24 line in 1967, and concentrated again on the 1/32 home market. But the heyday had passed, and the company eventually sold its entire slot racing program to the Canadian parent company, which re-issued the same cars plus newly-designed models. There were also cheapened Hong Kong-made versions using the original body molds modified with built-in axle, guide and motor retaining “clips”. Pretty toy-ish, but rarer versions, indeed.
REH purchased all remaining inventory and tooling in the mid-seventies, and still sell remaining cars and parts today.
All the old tooling for chassis, wheels, bodies, along with all the remaining inventory of frame motors was apparently leased at first at the end of 1966 to a company in France, then sold to the Paya toy company of Spain. By Christmas 1967, they had a selection of ten of the older cars, which they kept on producing until they became so obsolete, that they had to discount them heavily to sell the last production run.
* A complete detailed story appeared in the November 1964 issue of car Model.
My Dad owned a Hobby Shop that closed in the early 1970's, and he kept some of the more interesting slot cars and accessories from that era.  The items I am listing are in most cases, near new or gently used.  I have taken many pictures to show every angle and have tried to describe all features and/or flaws to the best of my ability.  Please email with any questions specific to something I may have missed. Please check my other listings as I will be selling many cars, accessories and track in all three scales-- HO, 1/32nd, and 1/24th.  If you don't see the car or part you are looking for, please email me.  If I have it, I will list it for you.  Many of the items in my inventory  are  NEW OLD STOCK.
These items come from a non-smoking environment.
Please look carefully at the pictures. We do out best to accurately describe each item, condition of the item and any defects.
What you see in the picture is what you are bidding on.   "SOLD AS IS, AS PICTURED"
If you have any questions regarding shipping or the item, please email us BEFORE you bid or buy.
The Shipping/Handling Fee, includes our cost for packaging materials, postage and Delivery Confirmation, but NOT insurance.
Fees shown are for USA Delivery ONLY. All Payments must be through PAYPAL.
**
FOREIGN BUYERS
please email for correct shipping fees BEFORE PAYING FOR YOUR ITEMS**
Regarding Shipping Fees for all Non USA winners:  Because Ebay does not let us put in shipping fees for all countries,  the shipping fee you see on our listing is an average and NOT the correct fee for your country.  Some countries are much lower and some are higher.  Please email us for your correct shipping fee BEFORE you pay.
PLEASE NOTE:  If we over-estimate the shipping fee we always refund the overage back to you.
THANKS FOR LOOKING AND HAPPY SHOPPING!