1955 JOHAN PLYMOUTH BELVEDERE Dealer Friction PROMO CAR ORCHID/BLACK "As-Is"

Description

1955 JOHAN PLYMOUTH BELVEDERE Dealer Friction PROMO CAR ORCHID/BLACK “As-Is”
Used 1955 Jo-Han  Dealer promo Friction car.  This car has some issues and is being sold for “As-Is” for parts/repair.  Body is fairly nice with a couple minor mars and a number of small scratches to the paint that may buff out…only real issues with the body is that the tip of the passenger tailfin is  broken off and missing,  The “glass” is complete, but scratched up and ‘fogged”,  The chassis has the typical Jo-Han “smile” and is warped, although it is all still attached and complete.   Axles tires and wheels are present- they spin, but the friction part does not seem to be working…perhaps because of the warp in the chassis?  Front grille and headlight assembly and rear bumper are present , but the silver paint is showing wear and minor loss.  Displays well except for the bottom warping and the tailfin.  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.