1955 JOHAN PLYMOUTH BELVEDERE Dealer Friction PROMO CAR Mint Green & Tan "As-Is"

Description

1955 JO-HAN PLYMOUTH BELVEDERE Dealer Friction PROMO CAR Green & Brown “As-Is”
Used 1955 Jo-Han  Dealer promo Friction car.  This car has serious issues and is being sold for “As-Is” for parts/repair.  Body is fairly nice with a couple minor mars to the paint and minor scratches to the “glass”…only real issues with the body is that the tips of the tailfins are broken off and missing, and 2 of the attachment posts are broken off (but still attached) – one front & one rear.  The chassis has the typical Jo-Han “smile” and is warped.  Axles tires and wheels are present.  Front grille and headlight assembly is present , but has 1 broken attachment clip (it is still on the chassis) and the silver paint is rough.  Missing the rear bumper.  Car has serious issues, but is still a tough model, year, and color scheme….Please see photos for more details.
Automobile dealer promos were 1/25th-scale versions of cars and trucks that salesmen would show off to their prospective customers.
Paint is actually a key differentiator between a factory-authorized dealer promo and a regular model car.
Especially in the postwar years, auto companies had a difficult time supplying their dealers with cars in every available color. Dealer promos, which were released annually just like the full-size cars they were based on, were a way for salesmen to make their pitch, even if they didn’t have every color on their lot. In contrast, toy car model makers such as AMT (which also made dealer promos), Monogram, and Revell produced vehicles whose colors were close but not necessarily true to the real thing.
As the promos themselves became more popular, the models were used to convert window shoppers into buyers. For example, in the 1950s, AMT made plastic dealer promos of the Ford
Edsel that were given to precocious children after their parents had taken a test drive. Companies such as Johan (also spelled Jo-Han) made friction-drive promo cars that kids could race around a showroom floor while the adults haggled and bargained.
This item is from the estate collection of a master model builder (he built many of the models used by model companies for the photos on product boxes), collector, and dealer.  We will be listing hundreds of items from this eclectic collection, including deal promo cars, vintage model kits, trains, vintage wood and plastic pond boats, and vintage electric outboard motors.  Please watch our store over the next few weeks as we offer these amazing vintage finds.
We are happy to offer combined shipping and volume discounts where practical.