Tethered racing cars

Fun & Games

Gareth Branwyn is a freelance writer and the former Editorial Director of Maker Media. He is the author or editor of over a dozen books on technology, DIY, and geek culture. He is currently a contributor to Boing Boing, Wink Books, and Wink Fun. His free weekly-ish maker tips newsletter can be found at garstipsandtools.com.

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March 20th, 2008 2

On Dinosaurs + Robots, Mister Jalopy wrote about this sweet 1940s gas-powered model racer:

Starting in the 1920’s, well before radio control cars, hobbyists built and raced nitro burning model cars tethered to a center point like an old Cox airplane. Eventually, there was a commercial market of such size that small manufacturers like Duro-Matic in Los Angeles started producing small numbers for sale. Tether racing is still going strong with world records in the 200+ mph range.

Duro-Matic Streamliner Gas Engine Tether Car